OAS SECRETARY GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS PROGRESS OF THE HEMISPHERIC ANTICORRUPTION COOPERATION MECHANISM (MESICIC)

In his remarks to the 23rd Meeting of the MESICIC Committee of Experts, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza underscored the importance of the work of this Mechanism in making progress with respect to democratic governance, which is one of the OAS’s priority goals.  In addition, Secretary General Insulza stated that the honesty of public servants and transparency in public administration are indispensable elements for maintaining or restoring the public’s faith in their respective governments, and that the recommendations of the MESICIC contribute to that end.

The OAS Secretary General also highlighted the relationship between the activities of the MESICIC and the principles of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, with respect to the preservation of the democratic institutions.

He also spoke of the impressive number of actions taken by the countries to effectively fight corruption, in response to the recommendations formulated by the MESICIC Committee of Experts, and which are reflected, among others, in two progress reports on the implementation of the Convention and in hemispheric reports corresponding to the first three Rounds of Review that have been approved by the Committee.

He also noted the high quality of the work carried out within the Committee, making particular reference to the Model Laws on public servants’ declarations of net worth and on the protection of corruption whistleblowers, both of which were duly adopted by the OAS General Assembly at its most recent regular session.

He further noted the recognition that the MESICIC has received for its high level of openness towards civil society organizations, mentioning that in an analysis done by the “U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre" the MESICIC is identified as the mechanism that "contains the strongest formal requirements regarding the participation of civil society".

He described the progress to date in the Fourth Round, during which the Committee is analyzing the oversight bodies charged with preventing, detecting, punishing, and eradicating acts of corruption.  In addition, he noted that the Committee has conducted numerous on-site visits with the consent of the countries being examined.

Finally, he reiterated the OAS General Secretariat’s support for the MESICIC, calling it a mechanism that brings satisfaction and pride to the OAS.

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