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

From October 8 – 10, 2013, Guyana 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 said Mechanism, carried out in accordance with the Methodology adopted by consensus by its Member States.  

The Commission was composed of the Director General of the Unit for Combating Corruption (ULCC) of Haiti, Col. Antoine Atouriste, the Director of Operations of the ULCC, Mr. Joseph Jean Figaro, and the Head of the Legal Department of the ULCC, Ms. Yvlore Pigeot, as well as the Legal Advisor to the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs. Joan Ramnarine-Furlonge, who were supported by General Secretariat of the OAS in the visit. 

During the three days of work, the members of the Commission met with the top authorities and other representatives of the Audit Office, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Public Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Integrity Commission, the Office of the Commissioner on Information and the National Procurement and Tender Administration, among others, in order to obtain objective and complete information and reveal potential difficulties in the implementation of the Inter-American Convention. It also provided an opportunity to facilitate the obtaining of information related to best practices, and provided Guyana the opportunity to benefit from or to request technical assistance.   

The Commission also had the opportunity to meet with civil society organizations, private sector organizations and professional associations, in order to address issues related to the challenges facing the investigation, prosecution, and punishment of acts of corruption in Guyana; civil society’s views on the role of oversight bodies in Guyana; conflicts of interest; systems for registering income, assets and liabilities; access to public information; as well as mechanisms to encourage participation of civil society in efforts to prevent corruption.

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 Guyana country report by the Committee at its next plenary meeting to be held in March 2014, in Washington DC at OAS Headquarters. 

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.


Edition N° 149 - October 2013

What is the MESICIC?

The Mechanism For Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, known as MESICIC for its Spanish acronym, is a tool to support the development of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption through cooperation between States Parties.

Read more here


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