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REPORTS ADOPTED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CONVENTION IN CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, GUYANA, JAMAICA, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, AND GUATEMALA

The Committee of Experts of the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption MESICIC adopted, at the meeting that concluded on June 27, 2008, the reports on the implementation of that Convention in Canada, the United States, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala.

The reports, which are part of the Second Round of evaluation on the fulfillment of the Convention, examine in detail the legal-institutional framework and the objective results achieved in each country. They also provide recommendations on those areas where additional progress is required. The issues evaluated in this round include transparency in government hiring of public servants and procurement practices; protection for those who report acts of corruption; and the criminalization of the offenses established by the Convention in this area.

In this Second Round, the reports also evaluate the progress achieved by the States in the implementation of recommendations made in the First Round reports. The latter examined the measures taken and the results achieved by the States in the areas of prevention of conflicts of interest; statements of assets by public servants; oversight bodies; access to public information and other mechanisms for civil society participation in the prevention of corruption; and assistance in obtaining evidence in the investigation and prosecution of acts of corruption.

The MESICIC is a mechanism established within the framework of the Organization of American States (OAS), in which the States evaluate each other—based on conditions of equal treatment—regarding the measures taken and the results achieved in applying the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. In addition, it makes specific recommendations to improve on areas where there are legal gaps or problems that require additional progress. Civil society organizations participate in this evaluation process, contributing information on each country with respect to the issues evaluated, through the submission of documents as well as through presentations at the meetings of the Committee of Experts where country reports are considered and adopted. Both the information provided by the States and the documents submitted by civil society organizations, as well as the adopted reports, are available to the public on the OAS website at http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic_com_experts.htm

In the Second Round of review, similar reports have been adopted on Argentina, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Ecuador, Honduras, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Panama, Chile, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, and Bahamas. The Second Round will conclude in December 2008.

The recently adopted reports on Canada, the United States, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala are now available at http://www.oas.org/juridico/spanish/mesicic_II_inf.htm

Reference: E-258/08