EDITORIAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE GUIDE
Report internationally!
Protecting those who report wrongdoing: international channels for financial misconduct and human rights violations occurring in Brazil.
People reporting suspected fraud, corruption or money laundering need channels that can receive information and attention to the risks of threats, intimidation and misuse of personal data. Protecting victims, witnesses and those who report wrongdoing should be part of the strategy from the outset.
This guide brings together international human rights and anti-corruption instruments, alongside official reporting channels abroad. The appropriate recipient depends on the conduct, the reported risks and the authority’s jurisdiction.
The aim is to place the facts and risks on record before external bodies and request their assessment. This step should be accompanied by practical safety measures; an international submission does not provide automatic physical protection.
Access conditions vary. Some mechanisms require exhaustion of domestic remedies or a substantiated exception. Urgent protection should not await international proceedings. For financial matters, also submit information to the competent foreign authorities.
Preserve the evidence. Keep the reference numbers. Report internationally through competent channels.
Human rights protection and financial investigations serve different purposes. Distinguish allegations, evidence and established facts in each submission.
01 / PROTECTION
Protection and human rights
Describe the violation and specific risks to life, personal integrity, freedom of expression or access to justice. Set out financial matters separately from threats and retaliation against those who report wrongdoing.
| MECHANISM AND OFFICIAL CHANNEL | PURPOSE AND CONDITIONS |
|---|---|
| UN - Special Procedures spsubmission.ohchr.org/en | Allegations of human rights violations, including ongoing situations or risks. Communications do not require exhaustion of domestic remedies. Experts may request explanations and action; their work depends on their mandate and is not a criminal trial. |
| UN - Treaty bodies complaints.ohchr.org Choose: Human Rights Treaty Bodies | Individual communications depend on the State being bound by the treaty and the relevant complaints mechanism. Domestic remedies must generally be exhausted, subject to exceptions and other procedural conditions. |
| UN - Human Rights Council complaints.ohchr.org Choose: Human Rights Council | The complaint procedure addresses consistent patterns of gross violations supported by reliable information. Admissibility criteria apply, including exhaustion of domestic remedies, subject to exceptions. |
| IACHR / OAS Individual Petition System Portal Commission's Rules of Procedure | Petitions concern State responsibility for acts or omissions. They normally require exhaustion of domestic remedies or a substantiated exception. Precautionary measures have separate requirements of seriousness, urgency and risk of irreparable harm. Time limits and restrictions on duplicate international examination apply. |
Before submitting, check admissibility, time limits and potential duplication of proceedings. Select the appropriate mechanism on the OHCHR portal. UN complaints guide.
02 / ENFORCEMENT
Financial markets
These channels belong to foreign authorities. Explain the specific connection between the people, companies, transactions or assets and each agency’s jurisdiction.
| AUTHORITY AND OFFICIAL CHANNEL | WHEN IT MAY BE RELEVANT |
|---|---|
| SEC - United States sec.gov | Form TCR | Fraud, manipulation and misleading statements in securities markets, where within the SEC’s jurisdiction. |
| CFTC - United States forms.cftc.gov | TCR | Derivatives, futures, options and swaps; certain fraud or manipulation involving commodities and digital assets within US jurisdiction. |
| FCA - United Kingdom fca.org.uk | Market abuse Whistleblowing channel | Market abuse and misconduct subject to UK financial regulation. The whistleblowing channel has specific criteria on who may submit a report. |
| FBI - United States tips.fbi.gov Human rights: scope | Financial crime, international corruption and certain serious human rights offences within US jurisdiction. |
| US Department of Justice FCPA / FEPA Unit FCPA.Fraud@usdoj.gov | Foreign bribery and certain demands for or receipts of bribes falling within the responsible unit’s remit. |
| FinCEN - United States fincen.gov | Submit information | Possible violations covered by the whistleblower programme, concerning anti-money laundering requirements and certain sanctions regimes. |
| Serious Fraud Office - United Kingdom Official SFO reporting form Report Fraud | Serious bribery and corruption. For fraud, direct reports are limited to companies and current or former workers of the organisation; members of the public are directed to Report Fraud. |
| Office of the Attorney General - Switzerland Requirements and postal address | Transnational money laundering and other Swiss federal offences. Criminal reports are not accepted by ordinary email; German, French or Italian and formal requirements apply. |
Receipt does not confirm an investigation. Submission, investigation and confidentiality rules vary; recovery of funds and personal protection are not automatic. Keep acknowledgements and reference numbers.
03 / RECORDS AND INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
Document how the report is handled
Document every submission to an authority, company or compliance team. If you also approach Brazilian bodies, apply the same care.
- A chronology, amounts involved and evidence supporting each allegation.
- Exact copies of submissions, dates and proof of delivery.
- Reference numbers for reports, proceedings and court cases.
- Names, positions and departments of lawfully identified recipients, including officials and staff.
- Referrals, replies, decisions and requests for further information.
- Documented access and sharing, distinguished from suspicions.
- Confidentiality requests and records of threats or retaliation.
Preserve originals and keep protected copies. Record only relevant, lawfully obtained information and share what is necessary through official channels. A recipient’s legitimate access to a report does not indicate involvement in wrongdoing.
International instruments
01. UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, Articles 9(4) and 12. Sets out access to competent international bodies and protection against threats and retaliation.
02. UN Convention against Corruption, Articles 13, 32 and 33. Article 13 addresses public participation; Article 32, witness protection. Article 33 requires States to consider measures against unjustified treatment of people who report in good faith and on reasonable grounds to competent authorities.
03. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Articles 17 and 19. Protects the flow of information across borders and safeguards privacy and reputation, subject to the treaty’s terms.
04. American Convention on Human Rights, Articles 44 and 46. Provides for petitions to the IACHR and admissibility conditions, including exceptions to exhaustion of domestic remedies.
Treaties apply according to their terms. The UN Declaration is an instrument setting out human rights standards.
SEC: submissions and protections | SEC: information sharing | IACHR: Rules of Procedure
Official sources and channels checked on 17 October 2026. Check the mechanism’s conditions at the time of submission. International instruments do not, by themselves, ensure that a report will be taken up or that protection will be granted.
