ARGENTINA RECEIVES ON-SITE VISIT OF THE OAS ANTICORRUPTION MECHANISM (MESICIC) 

From October 16 – 18, 2012, Argentina received, with its consent, a visit by the Commission of the OAS Anticorruption Mechanism (Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption – MESICIC), as part of the review process of that Mechanism, carried out in accordance with the Methodology adopted by consensus by its Member States.   

The Commission was composed of Veronica Taracena Gil, Secretary for Oversight and Transparency of Guatemala, and by Rolinne Y. Gravenbeek, Prosecutor of the Attorney General’s Office of Suriname, who represent their respective countries before the Mechanism, and who were also supported by the General Secretariat of the OAS during the visit.  

During the visit, the Commission gathered information on the implementation in Argentina of the provision of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption regarding oversight bodies, specifically the Anti-Corruption Office (OA), the Comptroller General’s Office (SIGEN) the National General Audit (AGN), the Office of Administrative Investigations (FIA) and the National Judicial Branch (PJN). It also obtained information on the implementation of the recommendations that were formulated ​​by the MESICIC to Argentina in the first round, pertaining, among others, to preventing conflicts of interest, the preservation of public resources, the financial disclosure system, civil society participation and access to public information. 

During the three days of work, the members of the Commission met, among others, with the highest authorities of the oversight bodies mentioned above, as well as with representatives of the Legislative branch and civil society organizations, and members of academia and professional associations, in order to gather full and objective information about these bodies and learn of any difficulties in implementing the recommendations referred to above. 

The results of this visit forms part of the review process that is currently being carried out by the Committee of Experts of the MESICIC, and which will conclude with the adoption of the Argentina country report by the Committee at its next plenary meeting to be held in March 2013, at OAS Headquarters in Washington DC.   

The MESICIC is a cooperation mechanism between States, with the participation of civil society organizations, established within the framework of the OAS, in which the legal/institutional framework of each country is reviewed for suitability with the Inter-American Convention against Corruption as well as the objective results achieved therein. The incorporation of on-site visits as a stage and integral part of the MESICIC review process represents an innovative and pioneering initiative in the context of the OAS, especially for a peer review mechanism and the importance of the issues it addresses.   

For more information on the MESICIC, please visit the Anti-Corruption Portal of the Americas.