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OAS Anti-Corruption Mechanism Released Report on Suriname

The Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) of the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted the Suriname report on the implementation of this treaty in the framework of the Fourth Round of Review of the Mechanism, during its Twenty-Fourth Meeting held last week at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution in Washington, D.C.

The report provides a  review of the structure, operation and results of four of the main oversight bodies in Suriname responsible for preventing, detecting, punishing and eradicating corruption: the High Court of Justice, the Public Prosecutions Department, the Ministry of Justice and Police (MJP), and the Central Government Auditing Bureau (CLAD, by its Dutch acronym.)

The review was carried out taking into account Suriname’s response to a questionnaire, information gathered by the MESICIC Technical Secretariat, under the OAS, and, as a new and important source of information, the on-site visit conducted, from March 31 to April 2, 2014, by a committee of representatives of Brazil, Paraguay and the Technical Secretariat. During the visit of the review team, meetings were held with representatives of the aforementioned governmental bodies, as well as with representatives of civil society, the private sector, professional associations, academics and researchers.

Overall, regarding oversight bodies, the report recommends providing them with the resources necessary for the proper performance of their functions.  In relation to the High Court of Justice, the report suggests considering the resumption of the process of appointing judges; the implementation of a job description and post classification manual for judges, as well as the development of disciplinary procedures and a code of ethics for judges.

As regards the Public Prosecutions Department, it is recommended to consider strengthening the oversight body by providing it with sufficient human and financial resources; creating an anticorruption unit within the Police Department to work in coordination with the Public Prosecutions Department, and strengthening the financial autonomy of the Public Prosecutions Department.

With respect to the Ministry of Justice and Police, the report suggests considering the implementation of measures to officially assign the function of preventing corruption to the MJP or some other governmental body; the development of regulated decision-making processes and the strengthening of internal controls mechanisms.

With regard to the Central Government Auditing Bureau (CLAD), it is suggested to consider introducing the obligation to relay cases that disclose evidence of corruption directly to the Public Prosecutions Department for investigation and prosecution and updating the standards governing the CLAD.

Some of the recommendations made to Suriname during the First Round, which are still pending, address issues such as the strengthening of the implementation of the provisions on conflicts of interest for public servants; the establishment of mechanisms that specifically require public servants to report to appropriate authorities acts of corruption in the performance of public functions, of which they are cognizant.

This is the fourth such report adopted by the MESICIC in reference to the implementation of the Convention in Suriname.  The report outlines the best practices on which Suriname provided information, one of which refers to the Ministry of Justice and Police’s awareness-building programs on corruption prevention intended for the media.

During its Twenty-Fourth Meeting, the MESICIC adopted similar reports on Belize, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which are available here.

The MESICIC is a cooperation mechanism between states, with the broad participation of civil society organizations, 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 initiative in the context of the OAS, which has strengthened even more so this reciprocal review mechanism.  For more information, please visit the Anti-Corruption Portal of the Americas.

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

Reference: E-384/14