At the First Summit of the Americas, held in Miami, Florida, USA, December 9-11, the Heads of State and Government of the countries of the Americas adopted a Declaration of Principles and a corresponding Plan of Action. Below, are the portions of each document relating specifically to the fight against corruption: 

Partnership for Development and Prosperity: Democracy, Free Trade and Sustainable Development in the Americas

 The elected Heads of State and Government of the Americas are committed to advance the prosperity, democratic values and institutions, and security of our Hemisphere. For the first time in history, the Americas are a community of democratic societies. Although faced with differing development challenges, the Americas are united in pursuing prosperity through open markets, hemispheric integration, and sustainable development. We are determined to consolidate and advance closer bonds of cooperation and to transform our aspirations into concrete realities…

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 To Preserve and Strengthen the Community of Democracies of the Americas

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 Effective democracy requires a comprehensive attack on corruption as a factor of social disintegration and distortion of the economic system that undermines the legitimacy of political institutions…

The heads of state and government participating in the 1994 Summit of the Americas in Miami, Florida, desirous of furthering the broad objectives set forth in their Declaration of Principles and mindful of the need for practical progress on the vital tasks of enhancing democracy, promoting development, achieving economic integration and free trade, improving the lives of their people, and protecting the natural environment for future generations, affirm their commitment to this Plan of Action.

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5. Combating Corruption

The problem of corruption is now an issue of serious interest not only in this Hemisphere, but in all regions of the world. Corruption in both the public and private sectors weakens democracy and undermines the legitimacy of governments and institutions. The modernization of the state, including deregulation, privatization and the simplification of government procedures, reduces the opportunities for corruption. All aspects of public administration in a democracy must be transparent and open to public scrutiny.

Governments will:

            Promote open discussion of the most significant problems facing government and develop priorities for reforms needed to make government operations transparent and accountable.         

            Ensure proper oversight of government functions by strengthening internal mechanisms,  including investigative and enforcement capacity with respect to acts of corruption, and facilitating public access to information necessary for meaningful outside review.

            Establish conflict of interest standards for public employees and effective measures against illicit   enrichment, including stiff penalties for those who utilize their public position to benefit private interests.            

            Call on the governments of the world to adopt and enforce measures against bribery in all   financial or commercial transactions with the Hemisphere; toward this end, invite the OAS to  establish liaison with the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions.           

            Develop mechanisms of cooperation in the judicial and banking areas to make possible rapid and  effective response in the international investigation of corruption cases.         

            Give priority to strengthening government regulations and procurement, tax collection, the  administration of justice and the electoral and legislative processes, utilizing the support of the  IDB and other international financial institutions where appropriate.

            Develop within the OAS, with due regard to applicable treaties and national legislation, a  hemispheric approach to acts of corruption in both the public and private sectors that would  include extradition and prosecution of individuals so charged, through negotiation of a new hemispheric agreement or new arrangements within existing frameworks for international cooperation.