THE 21^st MEETING OF THE OAS ANTICORRUPTION MECHANISM BEGINS

From March 18 to 22, the 21^st Meeting of the Committee of Experts of the OAS Anticorruption Mechanism (MESICIC) will be held in Washington.

During the meeting, experts from 31 OAS member States will evaluate the main oversight bodies responsible for the fight against corruption in Argentina, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago, all of which received, with their consent, on-site visits of the MESICIC in October, 2012, as part of the corresponding review process. At the conclusion of the meeting, it is expected that the Committee will adopt the reports on these five States, which will join the other reports adopted in this Fourth Round of Review in September, 2012, with relation to Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico and Paraguay. The reports adopted by the Committee, including those mentioned above, are available here.

Similarly, the Committee will continue to proceed with the topic of collective interest related private sector responsibility in the prevention and fight against corruption, and it is expected that the results of the Regional Meeting on Private Sector Responsibility in the Fight against Corruption, recently held in Bogotá, Colombia, will be presented. At its 21^st Meeting, the Committee will also begin the consideration of the new topic of collective interest related to the promotion of citizen participation in transparency and the fight against corruption.

One of the most important issues on the agenda for this Meeting is the final consideration and adoption of the model laws on two topics that have been analyzed by the MESICIC: the Model Law on the Declaration of Interests, Income, Assets and Liabilities of Persons Performing Public Functions; and the Model Law to Facilitate and Encourage the Reporting of Acts of Corruption and to Protect Whistleblowers and Witnesses. Both of these model laws were drafted by means of a methodology that allowed for broad participation and it is expected that they will be presented at the next OAS General Assembly in Guatemala.

It is anticipated that the OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza, will participate in the opening session of the meeting on Monday, March 18 at 11:00 am (Washington time). The opening session will be transmitted live via the OAS internet webpage. This opening session will be preceded by a meeting between the Committee and representatives of civil society organizations from 3 of the 5 States that will be analyzed on this occasion. This meeting will also be transmitted live, beginning at 9:00 am. The transmissions of the OAS Secretary General’s remarks, as well as the meeting with civil society organizations, may be viewed here.

The MESICIC (Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption), is an instrument for cooperation between States, established within the framework of the OAS, and with the participation of civil society organizations, within 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

For more information, visit the Anticorruption Portal of the Americas.