Looking Back at 2025: What This Year Meant for Integrity and Oversight

2025 was a year of structural change across the integrity landscape. The conversations we held with colleagues, the enforcement signals coming from regulators, and the priorities showcased at global forums all pointed to a profession under pressure and in transition. Below is a synthesis of the most important shifts shaping the work of oversight teams and integrity practitioners as we move into 2026.

This year began with an unexpected development. A major executive order paused new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations for 180 days.

When the pause lifted in June, the Department of Justice issued new guidelines that narrowed the focus of future enforcement.

Regulators emphasized serious, high-impact bribery schemes with clear links to United States interests rather than a broad pursuit of lower-value or ambiguous cases. The result was not a reduction in enforcement but a concentration of it.

For international organizations and development actors, the implications were clear: