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OAS Anticorruption Committee Concluded its Biannual Meeting with Advances in Assessment and Cooperation of the Countries of the Region in the Fight Against Corruption

The Committee of Experts of the Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) of the Organization of American States (OAS) held its twenty-fifth meeting at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution, where it noted progress in the evaluation and cooperation of member countries in the fight against corruption.

First, the Committee approved the reports on Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, the United States, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Venezuela from the Fourth Round of Analysis, in which the countries that make up the mechanism were given specific recommendations to fill gaps and inadequacies found in their legal frameworks relating to the functioning of the organs of control charged with preventing, detecting and punishing acts of corruption.

This round also included an evaluation of the progress made by countries in implementing the recommendations that were made to them in the first round, on the prevention of conflicts of interest; the preservation of public resources; mechanisms for access to information; stimulating the participation of civil society in the fight against corruption; and international legal cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of corruption.

In the fourth round, for the first time, on-site visits were made to states that gave their consent, which constituted an innovation in the process of analysis. The visits allowed for an understanding in the field of how the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption is being implemented, while strengthening interaction with authorities and civil society organizations or other private sector organizations, professional associations, academics, and others interested in combating corruption. Of the 31 countries that currently make up the MESICIC, 30 gave their consent and were visited during the Fourth Round, and on-site visits are planned during the Fifth Round for countries that have given their consent.

The reports of the 31 countries analyzed in the Fourth Round and the Hemispheric Report are available on the Anti-Corruption Portal of the Americas. The report was also adopted by the meeting of the Committee and allows for a clear appreciation of the main recommendations and the progress made by all countries in the implementation of the recommendations that were made to them in the first round.

In addition, the Committee decided to begin the Fifth Round, which will include discussion on how to instruct public servants in understanding their responsibilities and ethical standards, and preventive measures to take into account the relationship between equitable compensation and probity in public service. The recommendations made by the Committee in the Second Round will also be monitored. Documents relating to these decisions are also available on the Anticorruption Portal of the Americas.

The Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the Committee of Experts of MESICIC was opened on Monday March 16 by the OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, who in his presentation urged states to decisively combat corruption to defend democracy in the Hemisphere.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-099/15