Guidelines on conflict of interest (COI)
The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that no circumstances exist that could render KI employees involved in the administration of a case, including student representatives and externally co-opted experts, biased in their decisions.
- Diary number: 1-405/2019
- Dnr preg. version: 9-00/0660
- Decision date:
- Validity period: Until further notice
- Decision: University director
- Document type: Guidelines
- Handled by department/unit: Juridiska avdelningen
- Preparation with: Departments and Professional Services.
Summary of the guidelines
Karolinska Institutet (KI) is an administrative authority that in its case administration, decision-making and actions shall observe the principles of equality before the law, objectivity and impartiality. It is essential to the upholding of public confidence that such activities are not influenced by undue consideration or interests. This is a reflection of the objectivity principle enshrined in Chapter 1 section 9 of the Constitution of Sweden and section 5 paragraph 2 of the Administrative Procedure Act . Some more serious breaches of this principle have been made punishable through the provisions of the Penal Code concerning active and passive corruption. There are also regulations forbidding public sector employees from pursuing secondary occupations that might undermine confidence in their impartiality or damage the authority’s reputation (förtroendeskadliga bisysslor). The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act shall guarantee that for each specific case an authority is composed in such a way that its impartiality cannot be called into question. A description of the concept conflict of interest (COI) is given in the following sections.