The Department of Legal Cooperation and Information
and the Fight Against Corruption

Workshops to Disseminate and Implement the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption The general objective of this project was to diffuse the nature, content and scope of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption and to assist the efforts of the countries aimed to ratify and incorporate, in their internal law, the norms and principles of the Convention according to the constitutional guidelines and dispositions of the national legislation. The countries that participated in this project were Colombia, Costa Rica and Venezuela. The methodology of the national workshops promoted, among the participating countries, a better understanding of the principles of the Convention. It also created a forum for discussion and analysis of the scope of their disposition and the possibilities, methods and alternatives for the incorporation of the Convention into their internal law. Workshop on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions In conjunction with the OECD and the Government of Argentina, a workshop was organized on combating bribery in international business transactions. The participants discussed in detail the content and scope of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption and OECD Convention Against Transnational Bribery. In addition to the participation of organizations representing civil society, officials from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank also attended. The workshop took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 7-8, 1998. In conjunction with this activity, a working meeting took place in which representatives of the OAS and OECD discussed distinct alternatives for the establishment of permanent cooperative relations and for continued cooperative efforts in this area. For more information on this workshop please follow this link. International Conference Concerning The Role of the OAS in the Fight Against Corruption This past October, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, the Central American Inter-Parliamentary Commission Against Corruption and Drug Activity and the Salvadoran Institute for Democracy organized an international conference concerning The Role of the OAS in the Fight Against Corruption. The Department of Legal Cooperation actively participated in this event. Attending this event, in addition to the members of the Inter-American Inter-Parliamentary Commission, were high ranking public officials including the President of the Legislative Assembly, the Attorney General and Chief Prosecutor of the Republic as well as representatives of civil society. Officials of the Department of Legal Cooperation were also invited to participate in the IV Meeting of the Central American Inter-Parliamentary Commission Against Corruption and Drug Activity. This meeting allowed for an exchange of experience and opinions concerning the activities developed by the two organizations in the fight against corruption and the importance of joining forces in areas of common interest. Inter-American Network of Institutions and Experts in the Fight Against Corruption The creation of this network is in response to an initiative of the Secretary General of the Organization that was made during the Symposium on Enhancement of Probity in the Hemisphere that took place in Santiago in November 1998. The objective is to promote a better exchange of information and experience in order to cooperate and coordinate actions at the hemispheric level in matters concerning the fight against corruption. This network, which is the process of improvement and expansion, is already comprised of 56 public institutions and organization representing civil society from 19 Member States of the Organization. Anti-Corruption Information System This information service concerning the fight against corruption can be consulted through the page maintained by the Department on the INTERNET. The network allows for examination in a systematic and permanent manner, the developments and actions that have taken place in the hemisphere in the fight against corruption. Documents that can be examined on this system include, the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, the Inter-American Program of Cooperation to Combat Corruption and the pronouncements of the Summits of the Americas and General Assembly related to this theme. Other documents include those related to the Symposium on Enhancement of Probity in the Hemisphere, the studies and resolutions of the Inter-American Juridical Committee and a summary of the work of other international organizations in the fight against corruption with links to their respective pages. Also included is a compilation of the national ethical norms for the correct and proper execution of public duties. Donor Consultative Group in Matters of Responsibility/Anti-Corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean The Department of Legal Cooperation is a member of the Donor Consultative Group in Matters of Responsibility/Anti-Corruption in Latin American and the Caribbean. This group meets quarterly. The September meeting of the Group will be under the direction of the Department. The objective of this group is to maximize the effectiveness of projects and promote the efficient use of resources in the areas of government procurement, the management of public finances and anti-corruption. This objective is met through the exchange of information among multilateral institutions, bilateral agencies and governments. Some of the other institutions participating in the Group are the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Canadian Agency for International Development (CIDA), the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program. The Status of Criminal Legislation in Relation to the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption This project will offer effective assistance to countries in the implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. It will develop, for each of the participating countries, a technical research project that will analyze the state of criminal legislation according to the obligations set out in the Convention. These research projects will also identify modifications that may be necessary in this legislation and develop a proposal concerning the content and elements of the text that should be adopted into the national law in order to adapt to the obligations set out in the Convention. The countries participating in this project are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru. The research projects will allow for assistance to countries in the consolidation of forces interested in fighting corruption through the development and establishment of a modern and uniform legislation according to the criteria and principles of the Convention. This research will be disseminated, analyzed and enriched by the workshops that will be organized for this purpose. High-level government officials with the power to make decisions in matters related to the fight against corruption, international experts, academics and representatives of civil society would participate in these workshops. These workshops will allow for the creation of space for the discussion and analysis of specific recommendations. They will promote a dialogue concerning the elements necessary to allow for the establishment of a national strategy to obtain the prompt and effective implementation of the Convention. Transparency International, the leading International organization representing civil society in this matter, will assist in the preparation of final reports for each workshop. Transparency International will also assist in the dissemination of these reports through the creation of an INTERNET forum. This forum will facilitate the broad dissemination of the research projects and the final reports. In addition, this forum will also facilitate the follow up and monitoring of this process, in particular the actions begun by governments, as a result of this project. The participation of the principal multilateral organizations as well as government representatives, Transparency International and other organizations representing civil society will allow for the creation and consolidation of networks for the exchange of information and cooperation. These networks will facilitate the establishment and improvement of cooperative relations and the exchange of information among institutions participating in this project. It will also allow for secure and private on-line debates. This secure network will facilitate the exchange of information concerning the politics, programs, and legislation promulgated by governments as part of the implementation process for the Convention. The consolidation of this network will create a catalytic effect that will stimulate a more extensive debate concerning this matter and facilitate the creation of a consensus on this same theme. The project will also contribute to promoting the greater participation of the Organization in matters concerning the implementation of Inter-American Treaties. It will also encourage a greater impact in the application of conventions in national legal systems. The project proposes the application of a new mechanism of cooperation that will assist governments in the complex area of the implementation of Inter-American Conventions. The creation of a Coordinating Committee, comprised of participating institutions- facilitators, executors and sponsors- will be responsible for the coordination and evaluation of the activities of the project. This Committee also represents an innovative mechanism for Inter-American cooperation. The combined work of these organizations and entities will allow for the testing and development of a new form of coordination, execution and evaluation of projects with the combined participation of the public and private sector. This projects constitutes the most important hemispheric initiative for technical cooperation in the fight against corruption, jointly undertaken by the two regional organization of major importance, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Organization of American States. The research will assist in complying with the mandates arising from the Miami and Santiago Summits and the Inter-American Program of Cooperation in the Fight Against Corruption adopted by the General Assembly of the OAS. This project will allow assist twelve Member States in adapting their national legislation to dispositions established in the Convention. A project web page will be made available shortly with more detailed information. Global Anti-Corruption Forum The first Global Anti-Corruption Forum was organized by the U.S. Vice President Al Gore this past February. Delegation from 86 different countries participated in this event. These delegations included presidents, ministers, and high government officials as well as representatives of civil society. The participants used this opportunity to discuss the different aspects related to this problem. The Director of the Department of Legal Cooperation was one of the panelists at a special session concerning Global and Regional Anti-Corruption Frameworks in the Fight Against Corruption that took place on February 25. During the closing session of this forum Vice President of the United States Al Gore emphasized the work of the Organization of American States in the adoption of concrete measure to confront corruption in the hemisphere. He also made special mention of the cooperation project developed by the OAS in conjunction with the IDB for the implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. Support for the Project Concerning Legislative Modernization and the Institutional Development of the Legislative Power in Central America As part of the Program of Assistance to Institutions and Legislative Processes that is the responsibility of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, the Department has offered technical assistance in the consolidation of a project in support of the work performed by the Inter-Parliamentary Commission of Central America Against Corruption and Drug Activity. The objective of this initiative is to develop blueprints and frameworks for a Code of Ethics for Public Officials, Parliamentary and Business Ethics as well as identify some of the legal reforms that are required by the countries of Central America to incorporate the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption into their domestic legislation. Support to the Andean Parliament in Development of Policies That Promote and Facilitate Cooperation to Combat Corruption The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, in conjunction with the General Secretariat of the Andean Parliament, has developed a project that seeks to promote better internal control of corruption within Parliaments and to support the process to strengthen the mechanisms that control corruption within the legislative bodies. Furthermore, the project will also seek to strengthen the Ethical Codes of Conduct of these legislative bodies, and the ramifications of violations to the norms and principles contained therein. This project is being coordinated by the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy