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Background

At its 34th Meeting, the MESICIC will advance in its consolidation as a hemispheric forum for anticorruption cooperation

Where and when is the meeting?

From March 9^th to 12^th, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS), Washington D.C.

Who is meeting?
The Committee of Experts of the MESICIC.

Meeting objectives
Continue advancing in developing anticorruption cooperation tools, the exchange of best practices, and the presentation by each State on the progress made in the implementation of MESICIC recommendations for preventing and fighting corruption.

Meeting content

Mandates of the 8^th Summit of the Americas

Following the mandates of the 8^th Summit of the Americas, the Committee will continue its work in developing a Proposed System of Indicators to Prevent, Detect, and Tackle Impunity in Acts of Corruption. This tool will assist Member states in measuring impunity risks in order to prevent and address them.

Exchange of best practices

The MESICIC is the forum for States to present and exchange their anticorruption best practices. During this meeting, Chile, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States will present their best practices. These will be posted on the Anticorruption Portal of the Americas, a website of the OAS that promotes and provides greater access to the work carried out by the Mechanism.

Adoption of Anticorruption Reports

During this meeting, the Fifth Round of Review of the Mechanism will conclude, with the adoption by the Committee of the country reports of Nicaragua and Saint Lucia. Along with these two reports, 31 Anticorruption Reports will have been adopted in this forum, which serve as a tool to guide each country in modifying or implementing laws and policies for preventing and fighting corruption. In addition, the Hemispheric Report for the 5^th Round of Review will be adopted, and decisions taken to commence with the 6^th Round, which will review the implementation by States of the provisions of the OAS Anticorruption Convention regarding private sector responsibility and bank secrecy.

About the OAS Anticorruption Mechanism

The MESICIC (Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption) is the OAS forum in which Member states work to exchange and develop tools to prevent and fight corruption in the Americas. With this objective, and in keeping with the Mandates of the 8^th Summit of the Americas, the Conference of States Parties, and in addressing the needs and challenges of the region, this Mechanism:

• Reviews national legal frameworks and institutions in the light of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and makes recommendations to improve their effectiveness in combating corruption.
• Promotes the participation of civil society and the exchange of best practices between State Parties. As a result, the best practices of one State could be of use for the challenges faced by others.
• Develops tools such as corruption indicators and model laws for States to use them in their efforts in the prevention and fight against corruption.

Additional information about the meeting available here

Reference: S-011/20