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UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTES ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO THE OAS TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN THE HEMISPHERE

The government of the United States today presented a donation of $1,042,750 to the Organization of American States (OAS) to assist member states in the fight against corruption and impunity in the region. During a ceremony at OAS headquarters, Secretary General José Miguel Insulza José Miguel Insulza highlighted the hemispheric institution’s efforts in this area, as he thanked the U.S. government for its important contribution.

“Corruption and the lack of transparency is one of the biggest threats to economic growth and also attacks the moral fiber of our societies,” said the Secretary General, underscoring the OAS role in battling this problem.

Insulza recalled that in 2002 the member states began a follow-up process to examine how the countries are complying with the provisions of the 1996 Inter-American Convention against Corruption, the first treaty of its kind in the world. Twenty-eight OAS member states currently participate in the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (known by its Spanish acronym, MESICIC), a process that also recommends concrete measures to improve compliance with this international treaty.

The donation, presented by Ambassador John Maisto, Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS, will contribute to the program that support member states in carrying out the recommendations of the MESICIC process.

“The OAS Anti-Corruption Fund will offer a strong ‘helping hand’ and incentive to those member states that are prepared to take responsibility for the fight against corruption and impunity in their territory,” Ambassador Maisto said. “The OAS, with its hemispheric reach, respected impartiality and acknowledged expertise, is in an ideal position to coordinate and assist member states working to strengthen good governance.”

The OAS Secretariat develops and has been carrying out a technical cooperation program to support countries in several areas, including the development of national Plans of Action to facilitate know-how, and effective coordination and implementation of the proposed recommendations. The program has been implemented in its initial phase in the first four countries studied by the MESICIC (Argentina, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Colombia), with the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The U.S. donation will allow the expansion of the program to other countries that participate in this process.

“The OAS is not an NGO that can just denounce and expose corruption; we have to do something about it,” Insulza said, adding that by establishing these programs, the OAS will help to “improve both the legislation and the enforcement capacity of member states to apply the law.”

The Secretary General emphasized that the OAS anti-corruption efforts and transparency programs should play as important a role in the region as the institution’s international electoral observations, anti-drug programs and the promotion of human rights. “This is something that can characterize our Organization, and I’m very happy that the United States government is willing to support this priority we give to the fight against corruption in the hemisphere,” Insulza said.

The Inter-American Convention against Corruption states that “fighting corruption strengthens democratic institutions and prevents distortions in the economy, improprieties in public administration and damage to a society’s moral fiber.”

Among other provisions, the treaty requires parties to adopt domestic laws criminalizing certain activities, including the acceptance or solicitation of bribes by public officials. It also establishes extradition requirements and calls for mutual assistance and cooperation in investigating and prosecuting acts of corruption. Parties to the treaty agree to consider an extensive list of measures to prevent corruption, such as registering the income, assets and liabilities of officials in certain public posts; assuring honest, open systems for government hiring and procurement; and establishing measures to deter bribery by publicly held companies.

Reference: E-179/06