Initiative: Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH-OAS)

The MACCIH-OAS fights corruption and impunity by supporting the reform of the Honduran Criminal Justice System and the dismantlement of corruption networks, mainly through "active collaboration" - which means that Mission engages directly with Honduran institutions to implement an anti-corruption agenda. Under this approach, the MACCIH-OAS strengthens the rule of law, the institutions of the Honduran State and confidence-building among leaders and citizens.

Activities: The Mission has a four year mandate (2016-2020) and implements its activities through four programmatic divisions, which work complements each other:

1. Experts of the Division for Preventing and Combatting Corruption are tasked with: i) providing embedded collaboration and advisory support to Honduran investigators, prosecutors and judges in the investigation and trial of major corruption cases; ii) drafting anti-corruption legislation or reforms covering both corruption in the public and private sectors; and iii) Preparing a National Action Plan to implement the recommendations made to Honduras by the Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC).

2. Members of the Division of Criminal Justice System Reform provide recommendations to improve the overall quality and effectiveness of the Honduran Justice System. They also engage and partner with civil society organizations to implement an Observatory that tracks, monitors and evaluates the progress of this system.

3. The Division of Political-Electoral Reform supports drafting legal norms and their respective implementation mechanisms for controlling the flow of illegal money into political parties, candidates and campaigns, because it facilitates corruption that could subsequently transfer to the State level.

4. The Division of Public Security supports the implementation of recommendations proposed by the GS/OAS in its evaluation reports of the Honduran National Public Security System (SNSC), in particular by supporting the restructuring and vetting of the National Police and penitentiary system; and in the establishment of regulatory mechanisms to protect justice officials.

Website: http://www.oas.org/es/sap/dsdme/maccih/new/default.asp

Beneficiaries: Honduran citizens, including diverse social, political and economic actors. Institutions of Honduran Criminal Justice System, specifically those charged with combating and preventing corruption and impunity.

Partnerships and Financing: United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Chile, Peru, Switzerland, Sweden and the European Union.

The Universal Civil Identity Program in the Americas (PUICA) supports Member States in their efforts to eradicate under-registration, in order to ensure recognition of the right to civil identity for all persons in the region. Currently under registration in the Americas affects 3 million children (6% of all children under age five) and a similar number of adults.
All activities of PUICA are geared towards fulfilling the five objectives set by the Inter-American Program for Universal Civil Registry and the Right to Identity: 1) Universalization and accessibility of civil registration and the right to identity, 2) Strengthening policies, public institutions and legislation, 3) Participation and awareness, 4) Identification of best practices and 5) International and regional cooperation.
From 2010 to the present, PUICA has implemented projects in a total of 19 Member States of Central, South America and the Caribbean. Through PUICA projects more than 19 million birth certificates or national identification cards have been issued and delivered to citizens of the Americas.

Projects implemented during 2017 includes:
1. Promoting Civil Identity in the Central America's northern triangle (Guatemala - Honduras - El Salvador).
2. Supporting the Civil Registry and Identification Department of Ecuador to implement a quality management system under the ISO 9001 standard.
3. Supporting the Haitian state in organizing an identification campaign for Haitian migrants residing in the Dominican Republic
7. Supporting to the Council of Latin America and the Caribbean on Civil Registry, Identity and Vital Statistics (CLARCIEV) and its XIV Annual Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
8. Online course on civil registration procedures for Honduran civil registrars.

Beneficiaries: Civil Registries (central and local level) and Identification institutions from member states in Latin America and the Caribbean
Partnerships: UNICEF, UNDP, United Nations Statistics Division, Inter-American Development Bank.
Financing: Spain, Ecuador, European Union, International Development Research Centre

The Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC)

The MESICIC is an inter-governmental body established within the framework of the OAS. It supports the States Parties in the implementation of the provisions of the Convention through a process of reciprocal evaluation, based on conditions of equality among the states. In this mechanism, recommendations are formulated with respect to those areas in which there are legal gaps or in which further progress is necessary.

Currently the MESICIC is analyzing the implementation of the recommendations made to States Parties in the Second Round of Review referring to: i) systems of government hiring; ii) procurement of goods and services; iii) protecting public servants and private citizens who in good faith report acts of corruption; and iv) criminalization acts of corruption.

Likewise an analysis of the implementation of the provisions of the Convention selected by the Committee for the Fifth Round was carried out, related to: i) training to public servants to ensure an adequate understanding of their responsibilities and the ethical standards that govern them; and ii) the study of preventive measures that take into account the relationship between equitable compensation and probity in public service.

Activities:

The 26th Plenary Meeting of the Committee on March 11, 2016 adopted the country reports from: i) Bolivia ii) Uruguay iii) Paraguay and iv) Peru. The 27th Plenary Meeting on September 15, 2016 adopted the country reports from: i) Costa Rica ii) Ecuador iii) Mexico and iv) Honduras. The 28th Plenary Meeting on March 17, 2017 adopted the country reports from: i) Argentina ii) Panama iii) Chile and iv) El Salvador. The 29th Plenary Meeting on September 14, 2017 adopted the country reports from: i) Colombia ii) Dominican Republic and iii) Canada.

On-site visits scheduled for the Fifth Round of Review were conducted to the following States Parties: i) Costa Rica: April 19-21, 2016 ii) Ecuador: April 5-7, 2016 iii) Mexico: April 5-7, 2016 iv) Honduras: April 18-20, 2016 v) Argentina: October 4-6, 2016 vi) Panama: October 18-20, 2016 vii) Chile: October 4-6, 2016 viii) El Salvador: October 18-20, 2016 ix) Colombia: April 4-6, 2017 x) Dominican Republic: April 4-6, 2017 xi) Canada: April 25-27, 2017 xii) Grenada: October 11-13, 2017 xiii) Brazil: October 3-5, 2017 xiv) Guyana: September 26-28, 2017 and xv) Jamaica: September 26-28, 2017.

Website: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic_intro_en.htm

Beneficiaries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Partnerships and Financing: Voluntary contributions of States Parties to the MESICIC

Electoral Technical Cooperation

Implement projects and activities that contribute to the modernization and improvement of the quality of services provided by electoral bodies, and to the strengthening of electoral processes, based on the recommendations delivered by OAS Electoral Observation Missions or due to specific requests of Member States and electoral bodies.

Activities:
- Support electoral authorities in their efforts to generate reliable electoral registries
- Provide cooperation to electoral authorities in the design, support and analysis of technological systems and processes.
- Implement projects to support institutional strengthening of electoral bodies.
- Provide assistance on electoral legal reforms.


Website: http://www.oas.org/en/spa/deco/cooperacion.asp

Beneficiaries:
- Electoral Management Bodies
- Electoral Courts
- Political Parties
- Citizens
- Civil Society

Partnerships and Financing:
OAS Member States and Permanent Observers, Electoral Bodies

Electoral Observation Missions

OAS International Electoral Observation Missions are deployed at the request of Member States. It consists of an organized group of individuals from outside the host country who systematically carries out a series of activities to observe an electoral process in a direct, complete, and precise manner. The subject of the observation is the process.

Activities:
- Organize and deploy Electoral Observation Missions.
- Systematization of the information gathered by OAS/EOMs.
- Provide recommendations to Member States to better electoral processes.
- Follow-up of the recommendations emitted by OAS/EOMs.
- Inter-institutional exchanges with organizations involved in international electoral observation.

Website: http://www.oas.org/eomdatabase/default.aspx?lang=en

Beneficiaries:
-Electoral Management Bodies
-Political Parties and candidates
-Civil Society
-Citizens

Partnerships and Financing: OAS Member States and Permanent Observer Missions.

Initiative: Mission to Support Peace Process in Colombia MAPP/OAS

The MAPP/OAS was originally established to verify the ceasefire and the termination of hostilities, as well as the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of illegal armed groups. However, due to the changes that the political and social context of Colombia have experienced, the MAPP/OAS have expanded its functions. The efforts of the Mission are now oriented to a) monitor the security conditions, impacts and contexts of armed conflict and social conflict; b) monitor and accompany the implementation of the Justice and Peace process and other Transitional Justice tools, and the prosecution of members of illegal groups; and c) monitor and accompany a comprehensive redress for victims.
By the end of this initiative, the Mission expects to strengthen its peace building efforts on those territories where it has presence.
Activities: MAPP/OAS delivers recommendations on peace building key issues such as the implementation of the Justice and Peace Law under the integral reparation policy; the implementation of Transitional Law mechanisms; the effects on the communities as a result of actions perpetuated by illegal armed groups; the armed conflict dynamics; social conflict, and the reconfiguration of new violence phenomena, among others.
Website: www.mapp-oea.org
Beneficiaries: Victims of the Colombian internal Conflict, Non-governmental organizations. The Colombian State in general and specifically government agencies in charge of implement the Colombian peace policy.
Partnerships and Financing:
United States (USAID), Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Korea, Argentina, Turkey, Switzerland and the European Union.

Iniciative: Electoral Technical Cooperation
Electoral Technical Cooperation Projects contribute to the modernization and improvement of the quality of services provided by electoral bodies. These include projects related to electoral technology, electoral registry, residential vote, electoral mapping, legal reform, electoral organization, institutional strengthening, quality management and certification against ISO Standards, and citizen participation.

Activities: Due to the diversity of the projects we implement, each contain different activities. For instance, an audit is different from a quality assessment against ISO standards.

Website: http://www.oas.org/en/spa/deco/cooperacion.asp

Beneficiaries: Electoral Management Bodies

Partnerships and Financing: OAS Member States and Permanent Observer Missions.

Initiative: Electoral Observation Missions (EOMs)
International election observation can be defined as a process whereby an organized group of individuals from outside the host country systematically carries out a series of complex actions and activities to observe an electoral process in a direct, complete, and precise manner.

Specific objectives of EOMs include: 1) To observe the performance of the principal actors in the electoral process in order to verify compliance with election laws and regulations in place in the host country; to analyze the development of the electoral process in the context of standards adopted by the OAS Member States; and to take note of what is observed and inform the Secretary General and the Permanent Council; 2) To work with governmental and electoral authorities, and with citizens in general, to ensure the impartiality, transparency, and reliability of the electoral process; 3) To make recommendations in order to help improve the electoral system; among others.

Activities:
- Receipt of Invitation from OAS Member State.
- Acceptance and preparation for the Mission: (fundraising, recruitment of observers, political-electoral analysis).
- Appointment of Chief of Mission
- Preliminary Mission
- Deploy International Electoral Observers to monitor the Pre-Electoral Period, Election Day and Post-Election phase.
- Preliminary Statement (after election day).
- Observation of post-election phase until declaration of results.
- Report to Permanent Council
- Post EOM Visit to host country to follow up with recommendations.
- Final Report distributed to OAS Member States

Website: http://www.oas.org/en/spa//deco/default.asp

Beneficiaries:
OAS Member States
Electoral Management Bodies
Political Actors
Citizens and civil society

Partnerships and Financing: OAS Member States and Permanent Observer Missions.
*The host country cannot provide funding for an EOM deployed in its territory.

Initiative: Open Government and Access to Information
In helping realize the mandate of promoting open government and access to information as key tools for achieving greater transparency, better public administration, citizen participation and social inclusion, the Department for Effective Public Management (DEPM) carried out three initiatives.

1. As a means of disseminating the importance of the right of access to information, the DEPM organized a Short Film Contest, inviting university students to submit 2-minute films that highlighted the relevance of access to information in everyday life.
2. Considering that this right can only be fully exercised if states have a rational information management system, the DEPF also participated in the elaboration of a Model for Information Management.
3. Finally, during 2015 the Department carried out the first edition of The OAS Fellowship on Open Government in the Americas, a program that aims at creating a network of young leaders that develop joint collaborative project to address the challenges of Open Government in the hemisphere.

Activities: 1.1 Launching of the Short Film Contest, aimed at Universities of the Access to Public Information Network (RTA, Red de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública) member states (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay). October 2014.
1.2 Printing of posters and brochures as dissemination material in Spanish and Portuguese. October 2014. Material was sent to all participating members to be distributed in universities, public institutions and events.
1.3 Dissemination phase and submission period. November 2014 to February 2015.
1.4 Pre-selection of submitted short films and convening of the jury members. March 2015.
1.5 Selection of the three winners. March and April 2015.
1.6 Award ceremony during the International Conference of Information Commissioners, which took place in April 21-23, 2015 in Chile. In addition, winners participated in a workshop co-organized alongside the School of Communications from the “Universidad del Desarrollo” in Santiago de Chile, where they discussed the importance of cinema and arts in promoting the Right of Access to Information. April 2015.
1.7 Results-dissemination phase. Along with RTA partners in AGESIC, the DEPM has prepared a document with basic guidelines that provide RTA member countries orientations on how to proceed for promoting and facilitating the dissemination of the short films in official websites, official social networks, institutional newsletters, public (and if possible, private) broadcasting stations, and to the universities that were invited to participate in the contest. June 2015 - present.

2.1 Presentation by the DEPM and EUROsociAL of two proposals to conduct a study on Information and Archives Management during the VI Annual Meeting of the Transparency and Access to Information Network (RTA for its acronym in Spanish). Members of the RTA decided that a joint collaboration between OAS, EUROsociAL and RTA would render the best result for the study. April 2014.
2.2 Agreement between OAS and EUROsociAL to carry out the study. May 2014.
2.3 Open call to select the institution responsible for carrying out the study and hiring of a consultant for the OAS to work on the Model for Information Management that complies with the OAS Model Law of Transparency and Access to Information. May 2014.
2.4 Elaboration of a draft document based on best international practices. Presentation of a diagnosis of the situation in the region and of the draft document in a workshop in Colombia. June 2014.
2.5 Visits and elaboration of in-depth diagnoses in all RTA member countries on the situation of their information and archives management systems. June to October 2014.
2.6 Presentation of the final document of the Model at the VI Annual Meeting of the Transparency and Access to Information Network. Feedback received from member states. November 2014.
2.7 Revision of the document and publication of the final version of the Model for Information Management (see link in Website section). December 2014 to February 2015.
2.8 Presentation by DEPM and EUROsociAL of the final document at the V International Seminar on Transparency (Chile) and at the II Meeting of High Level Authorities of the Inter-American Mechanism for Effective Public Management (Mexico). April and May 2015.

3.1 Launching of the first edition of The OAS Fellowship on Open Government in the Americas. December 2014.
3.2 Application period, open to young leaders aged 25 to 40 from all OAS member states. December 2014 to January 31st 2015.
3.3 Pre-selection of 50 applications, out of the 657 received, to be reviewed by an independent Selection Committee. February 2015.
3.4 Meeting of the Selection Committee and selection of the 24 participants. Participants represent 16 countries from all across the Americas. February 2015.
3.5 Participants take a two-week online course, provided by the Virtual Campus within the DEPM, on Open Government Strategies. March 2015.
3.6 Celebration of First Seminar with the participation of the 24 fellows in Osprey Point, Maryland, and Washington, DC. During one week, fellows participate in capacity-building seminars and workshops, attend networking events in Washington, DC, and form groups that will work in joint projects during the next six months.
3.7 Project Phase (home-based). The six groups formed during the first seminar work on the development of projects regarding Open Government in the region. They participate on monthly online coaching sessions provided by the GovLab at New York University. April-September 2015.
3.8 Celebration of the Second Seminar, which takes place in Mexico City from the 24th to the 31st of October.
3.9 External evaluation of the first edition (pilot phase) of the project. November 2015.

Website: Short Film Contest: http://www.oas.org/es/sap/dgpe/concursoinformate/ and bit.ly/1Ktp08t
Fellowship: http://www.oas.org/es/sap/dgpe/OpenGovFellowship/
Modelo de Gestión de Información: http://mgd.redrta.org/modelo-de-gestion-de-documentos-y-administracion-de-archivos-para-la-red-de-transparencia-y-acceso-a-la-informacion/mgd/2015-01-23/093820.html

Beneficiaries: RTA member states (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay), and specially the universities that participated of the contest and the agencies that oversee issues of transparency and access to information.
OAS member states, especially those countries represented by the fellows (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay)
OAS member states that are willing to establish an Information Management System.

Partnerships and Financing: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Government of Canada; the Government of Mexico; EUROsociAL; CEDDET; RTA (Red de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública); Avina Foundation; The Carter Center; CEPAL; Hivos.

Initiative: Strengthening of Public Institutions
In helping realize the mandate of strengthening democracy, transparency, integrity and efficiency in public administrations, and the creation of conditions that enable the involvement of citizens in the entire public policy cycle, the Department for Effective Public Management (DEPM) carried out three initiatives.

1. Supporting the Secretary of Governability and Modernization of the State in El Salvador in implementing organizational development and management tools in public institutions.
2. Strengthening Paraguay’s Secretary of Public Function.
3. The Department for Effective Public Management has worked closely with several institutions during the last five years in order to offer them tools to strengthen their capacities through strategic planning, process management and organizational development. This experience has been systematized in a document, Methodology for the Strengthening of Public Institutions, which contains basic guidelines for institutions that are seeking to implement these managerial tools to enhance their efficiency and transparency with the aim of providing better services to the citizens.

Activities: 1.1 Beginning of the project “Supporting the Secretary of Governability and Modernization of the State in El Salvador in implementing organizational development and management tools in public institutions”. October 2012.
1.2 Appointment of staff that would participate in the different workshops and activities and then act as multipliers. Among the selected beneficiary institutions were: the National Academy of Public Security; the National Civil Police; the Migration General Office, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Governance, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Work and Social Security, and several agencies and institutes. November 2012.
1.3 Organization of several workshops focused on capacity building regarding the following management tools: strategic planning; process management, process mapping and modelling, process automation, and organizational development. January 2013 to February 2014.
1.4 Support in the implementation of these tools in the different institutions, as well as support in the creation of an Inter-institutional Network that allows staff from the different ministries to exchange ideas and practices regarding the implementation of Strategic Planning and Process Management. March and April 2014.
1.5 Evaluation of the program by participants. May 2014.

2.1 Beginning if the project “Strengthening Paraguay’s Secretariat for Public Function”. The National Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and the Secretariat for Information and Communication were invited to beneficiaries of this technical assistance. May 2014.
2.2 Workshops on Process Management, with attendance of 21 public servants. The evaluation of the workshop by the participants was very positive. May 2014.
2.3 Workshops on Process Modelling, with attendance of 21 public servants. June 2014.
2.4 Workshops on Organizational Development and Process Automation with participation of staff from the three institutions. July 2014.
2.5 Workshops with the Ministry of Women to enhance the capacity of public institutions to incorporate a gender perspective in the whole cycle of Process Management. September 2014.
2.6 Oversight of the implementation of the Process Management tools in five institutions: Secretariat for the Public Function, Cabinet of the Public Function, Secretariat for Anti-Corruption, Secretariat for Information and Communication, Ministry of Women. Also, support in the creation of an Inter-institutional Network (similar to the experience in El Salvador) that allows staff from the different ministries to exchange ideas and practices regarding the implementation of Strategic Planning and Process Management October 2014 to May 2015.

3.1 Consultations with the expert that carried out workshops and seminars in Paraguay and El Salvador. August 2014.
3.2 Consultations with members of the institutions that had participated in these programs. August 2014.
3.3 Elaboration of the four chapters of the Methodology, and revision of content and design. September 2014 to June 2015.
3.4 Request for feedback from the Department of Planning and Evaluation. July 2015.
3.5 Editing of the final document. August 2015 - present.

Beneficiaries: Paraguay (Secretariat for the Public Function, Cabinet of the Public Function, Secretariat for Anti-Corruption, Secretariat for Information and Communication, Ministry of Women)
El Salvador (National Academy of Public Security, National Civil Police, Migration General Office, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Governance, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Work and Social Security)
All OAS Member States and their institutions can benefit from the compilation of these management tools in the Methodology for the Strengthening of Public Institutions.

Partnerships and Financing: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Government of Canada.
Government of El Salvador.
USAID, through Casals & Associates.

Initiative: Universal Civil Identity Program in the Americas (PUICA)
The Universal Civil Identity Project in the Americas (PUICA) supports Member States in their efforts to eradicate under-registration, in order to ensure recognition of the right to civil identity for all persons in the region. Currently under registration in the Americas affects 4 million children (8% of all children under age five) and a similar number of adults.
All activities of PUICA are geared towards fulfilling the five objectives set by the Inter-American Program for Universal Civil Registry and the Right to Identity: 1) Universalization and accessibility of civil registration and the right to identity, 2) Strengthening policies, public institutions and legislation, 3) Participation and awareness, 4) Identification of best practices and 5) International and regional cooperation.
From 2010 to the present, PUICA has implemented projects in a total of 19 Member States of Central, South America and the Caribbean. Through PUICA projects more than 19 million birth certificates or national identification cards have been issued and delivered to citizens of the Americas.

Activities: Projects implemented during 2015 includes:
1. Modernization and Integration of Haiti’s Civil Registry – Support to the Legislative and Local Elections Process in Haiti.
2. Promoting Civil Identity in the border areas of Bolivia-Paraguay, Peru-Ecuador and Ecuador - Colombia.
3. Promoting Civil Identity in the Central America's northern triangle (Guatemala - Honduras - El Salvador).
4. Strengthening the Bedside Registration System of the National Civil Registry in Honduras.
5. Implementing audit recommendations at the National Civil Registry in Guatemala - Support to the 2015 elections.
6. Supporting the Civil Registry and Identification Department of Ecuador to implement a quality management system under the ISO 9001 standard.
7. Support to the Council of Latin America and the Caribbean on Civil Registry, Identity and Vital Statistics (CLARCIEV) and its XII Annual Meeting in Asuncion, Paraguay.
8. Online course on civil registration procedures for 30 Civil Registries Staff.

Website: http://www.oas.org/es/sap/dgpe/puica.asp

Beneficiaries: Civil Registries (central and local level) and Identification institutions from member states in Latin America and the Caribbean

Partnerships and Financing: Partnerships: UNICEF, UNDP, United Nations Statistics Division, Inter-American Development Bank.
Financing: Governments of Canada, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, IDB, UNDP.

Initiative: Inter-American Cooperation Mechanism for Effective Public Management - MECIGEP

MEGICEP is an institutional mechanism for regional cooperation to facilitate peer dialogue, exchange of experiences, and technical cooperation strategies to support the pursuit of national goals and priorities set by each OAS member state.

It stems from two (2) Organization of American States General Assembly mandates in resolution AG/RES 2788 (XLIII-O/13), “Effective Public Management Strengthening and Innovation Initiative in the Americas”; and AG/RES. 2838 (XLIV-O/14) “Assistance to Member States Effective Public Management Strengthening and Innovation Initiative in the Americas”.

Activities: 1. The realization of 6 Rounds of Analysis of the Inter-American Cooperation Mechanism for Effective Public Management (MECIGEP);
2. The organization and realization of three International Seminars on Innovation for Effective Public Management
3. Two Meetings of Authorities of the Policy and Planning Institutions on Public Management for the follow-up of the MECIGEP;
4. Three Editions of the Inter-American Award on Innovation for Effective Public Management
5. Publication of 2 Studies on public management
6. Observatory of Public Policies with information of 30 OAS countries

Website: http://www.oas.org/es/sap/dgpe/mecigep/
http://www.oas.org/en/spa/depm/gemgpe/

Beneficiaries: - Ministries and executing agencies in charge of public management in participating OAS member states.
- Governments of OAS member states
- Citizens in OAS member states participating in MECIGEP

Partnerships and Financing: Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development from Canada

Initiative:
Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption

The Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) is an inter-governmental body established within the framework of the OAS. It supports the States Parties in the implementation of the provisions of the Convention through a process of reciprocal evaluation, based on conditions of equality among the states. In this mechanism, recommendations are formulated with respect to those areas in which there are legal gaps or in which further progress is necessary.

On March 30, 2015, MESICIC started its 5th Round of Review. In this Round, the Mechanism will review the implementation of the provisions in Article III, paragraphs 3 and 12 of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, which refer to the needed instruction to government personnel to ensure proper understanding of their responsibilities and the ethical rules governing their activities, and the study of preventive measures that take into account the relationship between equitable compensation and probity in public service.

Moreover, the Committee will analyze the follow-up on the recommendations formulated to the States Parties in the Second Round, on topics such as public procurement, hiring of public servants, whistleblower protection and the criminalization of acts of corruption under the Convention.

Activities:
- On-site visits to the Republic of Peru (September 8-10, 2015), to the Republic of Paraguay (Sept. 30 - October 2, 2015), to the Eastern Republic of Uruguay (October 6-8, 2015) and to the Plurinational State of Bolivia (October 14-16, 2015) in the framework of the Fifth Round of Review of MESICIC.

- Preparation of Draft Country Reports (Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia) on the Implementation of the Recommendations Formulated and the Provisions Reviewed in the Second Round, and on the Convention Provisions Selected for the Fifth Round.

- Preparatory meetings for the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of States Parties to the MESICIC, which will take place December 14-15, 2015 at OAS Headquarters.

- Publication of the Hemispheric Report on the Fourth Round of Review of the Committee of Experts of the MESICIC (Available at: http://www.oas.org/juridico/PDFs/mesicic_hem_rep_final_4_round.pdf).

- The MESICIC has also provided technical expertise and support to recently established Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH).

Website: http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic_intro_en.htm

Beneficiaries:
31 MESICIC Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela).

Partnerships and Financing:
Governments of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and Chile.

Equitable Access to Public Information
This project focuses on the local implementation of the Model Inter-American Law on Access to Public Information. For those OAS Member States which currently have legislation on access to information, this means to examine the current legal framework to gauge whether it complies with the Model Law, and to update the system in case it does not. For those OAS Member States without legislations on access to information, this means assistance in drafting new legislation that incorporates the standards of the Model Law.

This assistance in both types of States will go a long way in helping ensure access to public information across the Americas. Participants countries will have the necessary tools to enact modernize or strengthen their legal framework in this subject. At the end of the project these countries will have a clear understanding of the areas that need improvements, the aspects that need to be addressed and a possible solution to solve these challenges created on the basis of the Model Law.

Activities:
This project focuses on the local implementation of the Model Inter-American Law on Access to Public Information. For those OAS Member States which currently have legislation on access to information, this means to examine the current legal framework to gauge whether it complies with the Model Law, and to update the system in case it does not. For those OAS Member States without legislations on access to information, this means assistance in drafting new legislation that incorporates the standards of the Model Law.

This assistance in both types of States will go a long way in helping ensure access to public information across the Americas. Participants countries will have the necessary tools to enact modernize or strengthen their legal framework in this subject. At the end of the project these countries will have a clear understanding of the areas that need improvements, the aspects that need to be addressed and a possible solution to solve these challenges created on the basis of the Model Law.

Direct Beneficiaries:
Six/seven participant’s countries.
Legislators, advisors, executive branch, public information officers and other public officials that participate in the project and perform duties related to the law-making processes and the support of legal and administrative reforms in public administration.
Public information officers and other public officials that participate in the administration and enforcement of access to public information agencies.

Indirect Beneficiaries:
Civil Society Organizations that works in issues such as civil society participation, democracy, transparency, human rights and gender issues.
Population that requires access to public information.
Local Economic Actors that requires access to public information.
Foreign Investors that requires access to public information.
Trade Partners that requires access to public information.

Partnerships: Alianza Regional para la Libertad de Pensamiento, Expresión e Información, other NGOs to be identified in each particular country.
Transparency International, Carter Centre, Open Society.
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Inter-American Network on Government Procurement
The INGP supports the institutions responsible for government procurement at the central government level, in their efforts to become more transparent and efficient by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by information and communication technologies.
www.ricg.org

Activities:
- Technical workshops
- Research
- Technical advise
- Hemispheric coordination
- Horizontal technical cooperation
- Online training through the OAS Virtual Campus

Beneficiaries: Managers and government officials working at offices responsible for government procurement in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Partnership: - Inter-American Development Bank, IDB - International Development Research Center, IDRC
Financing: Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA, Inter-American Development Bank, IDB
International Development Research Center, IDRC

The Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC), an inter-governmental body established within the framework of the OAS, has adopted Reports of Canada, the United States, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guatemala, to strengthen their laws in order to help competent authorities detect funds paid for corruption when said funds are used to obtain favorable tax treatment.

The reports examine the legal and institutional framework of the states and make specific recommendations for their improvement. Some areas addressed are the denial or elimination of favorable tax treatment for expenditures made in violation of anti-corruption laws, the prevention of the bribery of domestic and foreign government officials, transnational bribery, illicit enrichment, and extradition. There are now 31 States that form part of the Mechanism.

The OAS has contributed to the de-escalation of situations that could have posed a threat for peace and democratic stability in the region, the reduction of violence in specific conflict areas, and the improvement of support provided by state institutions to populations affected by conflict.

Following the interruption of the democratic order in Honduras in June 2009, OAS supported negotiations which led to the signature of the Tegucigalpa-San José Accord by forming a High Level Commission to evaluate the situation in Honduras, presenting a report to the Assembly in July, and provided technical assistance to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission since May 2010. In Colombia, the Mission to Support the Peace Process (MAPP) of the OAS concentrated its recent efforts on projects to support victims, with a particular emphasis on indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. The Mission’s mandate was renewed for three years (2011-2014) and includes new areas of responsibilities, in particular the monitoring of the land restitution process.

The OAS also continued supporting the peaceful resolution of the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala. The OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone conducted over 200 verifications in the past two years. The OAS facilitated the creation of the High Level Working Group between the two countries which met for the first time in March 2010 to assess the implementation of confidence-building measures, analyze specific incidents and discuss bilateral issues. In addition, the mission implemented a program to foster a culture of peace among Adjacency Zone communities.

Pursuant to the commitments on the topic assumed at the Fifth Summit, and in response to mandates from the General Assembly, the OAS coordinated the drafting of a Model Inter-American Law on Access to Public Information, with the participation of the organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS, the member states, and civil society organizations. In addition, in order to provide the legal framework necessary to ensure access to information in the region, the OAS General Assembly adopted resolution AG/RES 2607 on the Model Law in June 2010, with the final text of it attached thereto. Following that resolution, the OAS organized a special meeting of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs on the topic and an international seminar on the Model Law in Mexico City. As a result of those efforts, several states have taken the Model Law and its Implementation Guide into account in enacting or amending their regulatory frameworks, including Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.