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AG/RES. 1552 (XXVIII-O/98)

ENHANCEMENT OF PROBITY IN THE HEMISPHERE AND FOLLOW-UP ON THE INTER-AMERICAN PROGRAM FOR COOPERATION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on June 2, 1998)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption (AG/doc.3718/98), in compliance with the General Assembly mandate contained in resolution AG/RES. 1477 (XXVII-O/97); and

CONSIDERING:

That the Charter of the Organization of American States, in its preamble, states that "representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the region" and that "juridical organization is a necessary condition for security and peace founded on moral order and on justice";

That the member states, in signing the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, stated in its preamble that they were "convinced that corruption undermines the legitimacy of public institutions and strikes at society, moral order and justice, as well as at the comprehensive development of peoples";

That, at its twenty-seventh regular session, held in Lima, Peru, the General Assembly adopted, through resolution AG/RES. 1477 (XXVII-O/97), the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption, which envisages, among other activities, a meeting of national authorities and a seminar of representatives of international organizations;

That the General Assembly also instructed the Permanent Council to supervise the implementation of this program;

That the purposes of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption are to promote and strengthen the development by each of the states parties of the mechanisms needed to prevent, detect, punish, and eradicate corruption, and to promote, facilitate, and regulate cooperation among the states parties to ensure the effectiveness of measures and actions to prevent, detect, punish, and eradicate corruption in the performance of public functions and acts of corruption specifically related to such performance;

That the Heads of State and Government affirmed in the Plan of Action adopted at the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile, in April 1998, that the governments "will foster within the OAS framework, and in accordance with the mandate set forth in the Inter-American Program to Combat Corruption, appropriate follow-up on the progress achieved under the Inter-American Convention against Corruption" and decided to "sponsor in Chile a Symposium on Enhancing Probity in the Hemisphere to be held no later than August 1998"; and

That the Republic of Chile has offered to host a meeting on enhancing probity in the Hemisphere, designed to follow up on the progress made with respect to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and on the activities envisaged in the aforementioned Program,

RESOLVES:

1. To convene, within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, a symposium for enhancing probity in the Hemisphere, the agenda for which is set forth below:

a. National institutions and regulations

b. New legal and administrative measures: The experience of intergovernmental organizations

c. Cooperative institution-building

d. Means of collaboration between national institutions and other sectors of society

e. Inter-American Convention against Corruption

f. The role of intergovernmental organizations in anti-corruption activities

g. Second Summit of the Americas

h. Conclusions and recommendations

2. To thank Chile for its offer to host a meeting on enhancing probity in the Hemisphere and to accept that offer.

3. To request the member states to continue to provide the General Secretariat with information on related legislation, as well as any other information deemed appropriate within the framework of the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight Against Corruption, including identification of the competent authority or authorities in anti-corruption efforts.

4. To request the Permanent Council to present a report on the implementation of this resolution to the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session.

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