On 23 November 2025, 222 professionals from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia successfully completed the second edition of the virtual course “Corruption risk management in the timber value chain”. The initiative, led by the Basel Institute on Governance’s Green Corruption Programme, aims to strengthen integrity in the forestry sector and reduce the incidence of environmental crime.

Eight weeks of applied learning

Held between 26 September and 23 November, the course combined video lectures, readings, assessments, practical exercises and live sessions. This highly interactive methodology enabled participants to apply the concepts to real institutional contexts, fostering deep, action-oriented learning.

Organised into three modules and six learning units, the programme offered a comprehensive understanding of how to identify, formulate and manage corruption risks with an environmental perspective, from the forest to the final consumer.

One participant highlighted this shift in perspective:

“The greatest learning (…) was understanding that corruption risk is not an isolated issue, but a connecting thread that runs throughout the entire value chain from the forest to the final consumer. Rather than simply identifying corrupt acts, what matters is mapping the pressure points at each stage where corruption facilitates, in this case, illegal logging, document fraud or money laundering. This shifts the approach from passive monitoring to active and preventive management.” José Luis Vásquez Vegas, Coordinator, Directorate of Environmental Quality and Eco-Efficiency – Ministry of Environment of Peru

Real cases, real solutions

A key milestone of the course was the practical workshop in which more than 40 groups developed corruption risk management plans based on real processes from their own institutions. This exercise encouraged critical analysis and innovation, strengthening skills that can be directly applied in daily work.

The diversity of the cohort – public officials, environmental specialists, researchers, students and representatives of indigenous communities – enriched the exchange of experiences and reinforced a shared regional message: addressing corruption in the forestry sector requires multisectoral collaboration and sustained commitment.

Another participant from Bolivia emphasised the value of a structured approach:

“The greatest learning from the course was understanding the importance of identifying, analysing and formulating corruption risks in a structured way, as well as determining their scope. I also found the course methodology very interesting – I liked it a lot – because it was clear and dynamic. It is important to highlight that the fight against corruption is a daily task; it is a commitment and a collective effort that we must all undertake together.” Nadir Camacho Llanos, Professional Auditor, Vice-Ministry of Institutional Transparency and the Fight Against Corruption, Bolivia

And from Ecuador:

“It was very gratifying to receive guidelines, tips and methodologies that help us identify the corruption risks present in the activities we carry out as the National Environmental Authority.” Pablo Toledo Castelo, Specialist in Forest Administration and Control I, Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador

A region exposed to corruption risks in the forestry sector

Corruption in the timber trade is a significant economic and environmental threat, and countries with extensive forest resources tend to be particularly vulnerable.

This is the case in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, where our Green Corruption Programme works closely with forestry authorities and environmental agencies to assess and mitigate corruption risks, strengthen internal controls and apply approaches that help “follow the money” behind environmental crimes.

The virtual course was designed to expand these efforts by fostering peer learning and experience sharing among professionals from the three countries.

The energy and dedication of the 222 graduates reflect a growing commitment to strengthening forest governance with transparency, sustainability and responsibility.

The course was developed by the Latin America–based Green Corruption team of the Basel Institute on Governance and funded by the Americas Security Programme of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Integrated Security Fund (ISF).

More information

• Spanish news article:
• Course testimonials video:
• Course recap video: