TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT OF THE OAS ANTICORRUPTION MECHANISM PARTICIPATES IN THE IV MEETING OF THE LATIN-AMERICAN PARLIAMENTARY PRO TRANSPARENCY NETWORK

On July 23 and 24, 2013, the Fourth Meeting of the Latin-American Parliamentary Pro Transparency, Access to Information and Integrity Network was successfully held in Bogota in the Senate of the Republic of Colombia. The meeting was jointly organized by the Senate of the Republic of Colombia and the Bicameral Commission on Transparency of the Congress of the Republic of Chile.

It brought together legislators from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru, and had as its main objective to examine the results achieved in this Network a year into its establishment, and to propose lines of action for its strengthening.

The Technical Secretariat for the Follow-up Mechanism on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC), under the responsibility of the OAS Department of Legal Cooperation, was invited to participate and share with the members of the Network the developments undertaken in the MESICIC with respect to hemispheric cooperation in preventing and combating corruption. Taking into account the extent of these developments, particularly as they relate to the role of the Legislative Branches in fighting corruption, the participants agreed on the importance and usefulness of further strengthening cooperation between the Network and the MESICIC.

The Latin American Parliamentary Pro Transparency, Access to Information and Integrity Network was established in January 2012 and the meeting of Colombia generated a very rich and productive exchange with a view to driving toward its consolidation and institutionalization.