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

From April 22-24, 2014, Grenada 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 Ms. Jane Ley, Consultant of the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Kevin Driscoll, Prosecutor of the U.S. Department of Justice, and by Ms. Monica Rueda, Advisor to the Secretariat of Transparency of the Presidency of Colombia, who represented their respective countries in the review subgroup for Grenada, 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 Grenada of the provision of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption regarding oversight bodies, specifically the Audit Department, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Public Service Commission, and the Integrity Commission. It also obtained information on the implementation of the recommendations that were formulated ​​by the MESICIC to Grenada in the first round, pertaining, among others, to the prevention of conflict of interest, preservation of public resources, and civil society participation.

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 civil society organizations, 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 Grenada’s country report by the Committee at its next plenary meeting to be held in September 2014, 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, please visit the Anti-corruption Portal of the Americas.