In 2002 the UPD continued to strengthen its electoral mission to respond to the Summits mandates.  The UPD sent electoral observation missions to the presidential elections in Colombia (May 26th), Bolivia (June 30th), and Ecuador (October 20th).  In addition, electoral missions were also sent to observe the regional elections in Peru (November 17th), Nicaragua (February 2nd), and the Dominican Republic (May 16th). 

Similarly, 2003 was a busy electoral year.  The OAS was at the forefront of electoral observation missions in the presidential elections of Argentina (May 27th), Paraguay (May 27th) and Guatemala (November and December), as well as the general elections in Grenada (November 27th). 

In 2004, this important work continued in the presidential elections in El Salvador (March 21st), the Dominican Republic (May 16th), and Panama (May 2nd).  Likewise, the UPD observed for the first time the electoral processes for referendums in Bolivia and Venezuela. 

The UPD sent an observation mission to Bolivia for the referendum on the export of natural gas proposed by the Government of Carlos Mesa, which took place on July 18th.  The UPD also participated in the process of compiling signatures (two phases: December 2003, and May 2004) to solicit a Recall Referendum against the president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez. 

Electoral observation missions have been essential for the role of the OAS in promoting and strengthening democracy in the Hemisphere.  The OAS has not only affirmed the transparency of presidential elections, but it has also promoted citizen participation in electoral processes such as the election of local authorities and popular consultations on issues of national interest.  In the last 15 years the OAS has carried out approximately 70 electoral observation missions in more than 20 member states with the participation of approximately 3500 observers. 

*For more information on the reports of these missions, please visit the web page of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy.

Some 80 electoral delegates from 20 member states of the OAS met on March 13, 2003 in Panama in order to analyze the future challenges in electoral technology. The meeting was organized by the Electoral Tribunal of Panama (TOE), with the support of the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD/OAS). Among the subjects discussed were the new challenges in electoral technology. In addition, the meeting addressed the experience of the automated voting in Brazil and horizontal cooperation carried out through the OAS, in order to implement such technology in Paraguay.

On December 4-6, 2002, the Second Inter-American Forum on Political Parties took place in Vancouver, Canada. The purpose of the meeting was to consider the various aspects of political party financing, management and reform within the hemisphere, as well as exchange experiences and best practices in this regard. This meeting was attended by over 100 representatives from 23 countries, including leaders of political parties, political institutions, leaders of organized civil society, and academics. 

The discussion centered around three fundamental themes: the financing of electoral and political party campaigns, the analysis of the national studies on the party modernization (Canada, Guatemala, Colombia, and Mexico), and the participation of the women in politics. The forum was also the proper stage to promote the work of institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), The Carter Center, International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Dutch Institute of Multi-party Democracy, the Inter-American Network for Democracy, and the International Institute for Governance of Cataluña, among others. Also, the multi-sector character of the forum was consolidated by permitting the different institutions to present their initiatives and contribute through their experience to the solution of problems that the political parties suffer in our region.

On August 26-27, 2002, a working session was held with political party internationals, foundations and institutes in Santiago, Chile. The meeting took place in the framework of the Inter-American Forum on Political Parties of the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (OAS/UPD), in collaboration with the Government of Chile. The discussion was focused on strenthening political parties in the hemisphere and identifying means for cooperation among the participants in the Forum with the UPD/OAS in order to consolidate democracy and contribute to the resolution of several political crises in the hemisphere.

Forum participants concluded that it is necesary to strengthen the existing political party structure by adopting significant measures. The Forum analized the OAS areas of action and the potential contributions that the Organization could make with regards to political parties. It was concluded that the issue of political parties could be divided into external factors (electoral systems, party systems, party and campaign financing, among others), and internal factors (transparent management of political parties, participation of women and youth in politics, as well as matters which do not involve ideology or competence between political parties). The importance of periodic meetings was recognized in order to follow up and incorporate new strategies and objectives in favor of reform and modernization of political parties in the hemisphere.

For more information on this meeting, please click here.

In the Quebec City Summit that took place in April 2001, the Heads of State and Government stated that they "will continue strengthening electoral mechanisms, using information and communication technologies, when possible, with the aim to effectively guarantee the impartiality, promptness and independence of institutions, tribunals and other entities responsible for the organization, supervision and verification of national and local elections, and will strengthen and facilitate, with the Organization of American States (OAS) and other regional and international organisms' help, the hemispheric cooperation and legislative and technological exchange of experience and the sending of electoral observers when solicited."

As a response to this mandate, the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) carried out several different electoral observation missions (EOM). The first one took place in Guyana on March 19, in its presidential and parliamentary elections. On the 28th of the same month, a mission for parliamentary elections took place in San Vincente y las Granadinas. On April 8th, in Peru, the second round of presidential was also observed, and finally, on November 4th , the last mission of 2001 took place in the presidential and parliamentary elections of Nicaragua.

In 2002 the UPD continues advancing in order to strengthen its objective and respond to Summit mandates. The UPD has undertaken observation missions for the presidential elections that took place on May 26, 2002, in Colombia, and on June 30, 2002 in Bolivia. For more information on the reports of these missions please visit the page of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy.

In the area of electoral technical assistance, the UPD has given support in the modernization of information systems to keep accurate statistics, and monitoring elections in several countries. The nations that have received this technical assistance include Honduras, Nicaragua and Ecuador. In Honduras, for example, the telecommunications network was designed to link the country’s thirty largest civil registry offices, so as to facilitate access to information on registration, changes and certifications. This not only allows all offices to access all information, but it also prevents the chances of the same person being registered twice. For more information, please refer to the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) website at www.upd.oas.org.

The Inter-American Forum on Political Parties Conference took place in Miami on December 13-14, 2001, in compliance with a Quebec City Summit mandate. Discussions focused on strengthening the pillars of democracy and governance by way of building party plurality, increasing political participation, and improving the transparency and accountability of political parties. Key among discussion items was the need for modernization of the party system in the Hemisphere to adjust to an increasingly transnational process of policy development. For more information please click here.

The Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) facilitated a horizontal cooperation project between the Superior Electoral Tribunal of Brazil and the Superior Tribunal of Electoral Justice (TSJE) of Paraguay.  The objective of this project is to share with the TSJE of Paraguay the experience and technology of Brazil in the use of voting machines.  This initiative will be developed through a pilot program in five municipalities in Paraguay during their elections on November 18, 2001.

On July 30-31, 2001, the Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations (ACEO) held its Second General Assembly in Kingston, Jamaica. Taking place after the Third Summit of the Americas and in response to the mandates that emanated from its Plan of Action, the ACEO General Assembly strengthened its commitment to increasing transparency and promoting citizen participation in Caribbean electoral systems. At the meeting, election officials and international experts participated in workshops that focussed on voter registration technology and the role of both civil society and political parties in the electoral process. This event was co-sponsored by the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD).

The Second Plenary Meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) took place on February 20-21, 2003 in Panama City, Panama. Over 200 parliamentarians attended the meeting to analyze issues in security and trade. The meeting also addressed progress in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the state of democracy and human rights in the continent. 

The meeting was attended by parliamentarians from Uruguay, Brazil Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Surinam, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama.

Discussions were divided into three Panels, as follows:

First Panel: In this Working Group, parliamentarians analyzed how new trade liberalization could be better incorporated in tax reform and invigorate social and economic development. Recommendations were made regarding concerns in these areas and for reducing the impact of globalization on fiscal policies in countries of the Americas. The Working Group also presented a general panorama of the different tax systems in the Americas and evaluated the relationship between fiscal policies and trade competitiveness, economic growth and social development.

Second Panel: This Working Group debated the causes and effects of economic and financial crises.  The Group formulated recommendations to address these concerns and examined the globalization process with a view to improve the role of democracy in economic, political and social development. The Group also presented the latest news on financial and economic crises that are currently gripping the region and analyzed the role of multilateral organizations such as the IMF in anticipating and preventing such crises. Furthermore, the group analyzed the adverse effects on countries classified as high risk due to such crises and the political instability generated by economic upheaval.

Third Panel: In this Working Group, parliamentarians analyzed the progress made in FTAA negotiations with a view to prepare recommendations for Negotiating Groups. Particular attention was paid to minimizing distortions to trade in the Americas and the establishment of transparent, just and effective mechanisms to resolve trade disputes, based on the example provided by other free trade agreements.

For more information on this and other FIPA activities, please click here.

The Community of Democracies held the Second Ministerial Conference in Seoul, Korea on November 10-12, 2002. The guiding theme of the Conference was “Democracy: Investing for Peace and Prosperity.” The Conference was attended by ministers of foreign affairs and civil society representatives from around the world.

Ambassador Denise Antoine, the President of the OAS Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Granada to the OAS made a presentation at the Roundtable on "Regional Cooperation to Promote Democracy" entitled “The Role of the OAS in the Defense and Promotion of Democracy.”  Ambassador Antoine informed participants of the hemisphere’s gradual transition to democracy during the last thirty years and highlighted the essential elements of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

The Conference included four Roundtables, on “Consolidating Democratic Institutions,” “Regional Cooperation to Promote Democracy,” “Media and Democracy,” and “Coordinating Democracy Assistance.” The participants reaffirmed the democratic principles of the Warsaw Declaration, the Charter of the United Nations and other international instruments on human rights.  They adopted the “Seoul Plan of Action”, which provides guidelines for “the worldwide protection and consolidation of democracy and fostering cooperation for upholding democracy against emerging threats of the twenty-first century.”

For more information on the Second Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies please click here.

The representatives of the OAS, the United Nations and the Carter Center traveled to Venezuela on September 9-13, 2002. The primary purpose of the visit was to analyze, together with government representatives, the opposition, the Catholic Church, mass media, private sector and civil society, the consolidation of democracy in Venezuela by renewing the suspended dialogue between the government and the opposition in Venezuela.

Following the initial meetings, President Chávez affirmed that there exists a possibility of stepping down from the presidency based on the results of a referendum, and that there is a possibility of establishing a permanent mission to Venezuela. The opposition also agreed to the proposal.

The mission left Venezuela on September 13, 2002, having submitted a negotiation proposal for permanent follow-up and consultation.

On May 29-31, 2002, a workshop on peace-building experiences in Central America was carried out in Guatemala.  Co-sponsored by the UPD Special Program for the Promotion of Dialogue and Conflict Resolution and the Collaborative for Development Action, Inc. (CDA), this workshop is a part of the Reflecting on Peace-building Practices (RPP) Project and was the first of the series to take place in Latin America.  RPP is a collaborative effort of over 100 agencies worldwide focused on peace and conflict that are seeking to collect, analyze and compare peace programs and interventions in situations of conflict escalation, open conflict and post-conflict reconstruction.  Participants at the Guatemalan workshop included government representatives from the national and local levels, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other donors involved in post-conflict and peace-building activities.  They were asked to provide feedback on RPP findings regarding what kind of interventions are effective for building peace and democracy in the region.

For more information on the RPP Project, please click here.  

On March 13-16, 2002, the first plenary meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) took place in Mexico City, with the participation of approximately 100 parliamentary delegates, representing more than twenty-one countries from the hemisphere. The meeting "Security in the New Millennium: the Role of Legislators in Enhancing Security in the Hemisphere" realized part of its work through the following working groups: legal mechanisms in the area of security, organized crime, migration and the FTAA.

This meeting also emphasized the importance of FIPA as a mechanism for discussion and the exchange of experiences in the parliamentary framework on common themes in the hemisphere.

The plenary session launched the "Virtual Parliament of the Americas" project, which was initiated in its first phase by the UPD, and which will subsequently be coordinated by the Parliamentary Center, the Institute for Connectivity and Belanet, in Canada. On the other hand, the working groups analyzed the legal instruments related to security issues, studied the draft of the Inter-American Convention for the Prevention and Elimination of Terrorism and discussed problems associated with organized crime, migration and the FTAA.

Finally, they agreed to meet again at Panama City on 2003.

On the request of the FIPA Chairman, the General Secretariat of the OAS was present at the meeting, through the participation of the UPD and five officials from distinct areas of the Organization (Trade Unit, CICAD and a Special Advisor to the Secretary General). This group lent technical support to the Chairman and the Working Groups.

For more information, please refer to the UPD website www.upd.oas.org. 

On November 29 through 30, 2001 the Electoral Technical Assistance area of the UPD sponsored a roundtable discussion called "Securing the Civil Registries of the Caribbean" in Grenada with assistance from the National Office of the General Secretariat of OAS. The Civil Registries will be responsible to keep records on births, deaths and marriages of Member States, which will be an interchange of communication and experiences that are vitally important to UPD projects. This roundtable discussion permitted maximum flexibility to encourage the representatives of the registries to be open in their exchanges of information, opinions and discussions of ways to resolve similar challenges.

In the conference each participant from the twelve OAS member States that attended described their registries so that they could determine the next step to provide better services to citizens, strengthening the registries through improved records management and computerization.

On the general conclusions in the conference, an urgent need to reform the legislation was identified relating the civil registries of each participant State with the purpose of creating an operative system to fulfill the present needs and to maximize financial capacity, human resources and autonomy.

OAS considered funding a regional study of civil registries with the goal of modernizing legislation and at the same time establishing parameters based on model legislation of civil registries, drawing on the experiences of Jamaica, Barbados and Honduras.

For more information refer to the web page www.upd.oas.org

The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) organized the Hemispheric Summit of Justice and Freedom of the Press in Washington DC, from June 20-22, 2002. Over forty Supreme Court judges and dozens of journalists participated in the Summit, creating a dialogue between judges and journalists on the issues of freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. The Summit addressed the conflicts that both judges and journalists face when disclosing information and stressed the necessity for both judicial independence and freedom of the press in supporting democracy. The Summit was attended by journalists from throughout the Americas and justices from the Supreme Courts of the following countries: Argentina, Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, and Uruguay.

The UPD and Georgetown University have worked jointly to introduce the new Political Database of the Americas. This free access database has information about political constitutions, electoral systems, political parties, and on the three branches of power (executive, legislative and judicial). It can be accessed through the following address: www.georgetown.edu/pdba

An editorial in the New York Times on April 4, 2002 highlighted the contributions of the Organization of American States in ensuring the freedom of the press in Latin America.  The article spoke about the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (CIDH) and Court, and the decisions that have been taken to reverse unjust judicial decisions against journalists in their countries.  This topic connects directly to the III Summit of the Americas, which ensures that the media is free from arbitrary interventions by the state, and specifically, works to remove legal or regulatory impediments to media access by registered political parties.  To read this article, please see the website www.nytimes.com/2002/04/04/opinion/_04THU3.html

The Ninth Meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) took place March 27-31, 2006, at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. On this occasion, the experts met to consider and approve the preliminary reports of Brazil, Belize, Suriname, Grenada and Guyana, thus finalizing the first round of evaluations of the Mechanism.

Likewise, the States Party to the MESICIC approved the questionnaire for the Second Round of Analysis, which will analyze the implementation by the States Party of the following resolutions of the Convention: Article 3, paragraph 5 (systems for the contracting of public officials and for the acquisition of goods and services on the part of the State) and 8 (systems to protect public officials and private citizens that denounce, in good faith, acts of corruption); and Article 6 (acts of corruption).

In addition, the Committee of Experts of the MESICIC determined the sequence for the analysis of the information corresponding to the States Party in the framework of the second round, in accordance with the following procedure: first, the States that volunteered were included in the following order: Argentina, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Honduras. Next, they included the other States Party, in chronological order of ratification of the Convention.

The Tenth meeting of the MESICIC will take place December 11-16, 2006, at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC.

For additional information, please visit the website of the Office of Legal Cooperation of the OAS

Seventh meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Follow Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption
The seventh meeting of the committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism of the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (MESECIC) was held March 7-12, 2005 in the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC.
The experts, presided by the President of the Committee and Expert from Bolivia, Guadalupe Cajías, met to review and approve the projects of the preliminary reports of Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. At the request of Grenada, and due to the disaster provoked by the flooding that occurred in the country, they conceded to submitting their report August 20, 2005 at the latest, in order to be presented to the other Member States in the ninth Committee reunion.
In the meeting, the States gave information on the advances given in the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, in agreement with Article 20 of the Rules and considered the Working Program of the Committee for 2005. The President, Guadalupe Cajías, expert from Bolivia and the Vice-President, Michael Hylton, expert from Jamaica, were re-elected for the following term.

Meeting of Experts on Cooperation with Respect to the Denial of Safe Haven to Corrupt Officials and those who corrupt them, their Extradition, and the Denial of Entry and Recovery of the Proceeds of Corruption and their Return to their Legitimate Owner
The meeting of Experts on Cooperation with Respect to the Denial of Safe Haven to Corrupt Officials and those who corrupt them, their Extradition, and the Denial of Entry and Recovery of the Proceeds of Corruption and their Return to their Legitimate Owner was held in the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC on March 28 and 29, 2005.
During the meeting government experts, the international organisms, and civil society from the Hemisphere, in the themes of extradition and the recuperation of assets, exchanged information on experiences, challenges, necessary instruments and initiatives for the fight against corrupt officials, their extradition and the recuperation of assets. To finalize their deliberations, the meeting’s official gave tending recommendations to the improvement of the themes included in the REXCOR/doc.2/05rev.1 document.
 

 The meeting of Experts on Cooperation with Respect to the Denial of Safe Haven to Corrupt Officials and those who corrupt them, their Extradition, and the Denial of Entry and Recovery of the Proceeds of Corruption and their Return to their Legitimate Owner was held in the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC on March 28 and 29, 2005.
During the meeting government experts, the international organisms, and civil society from the Hemisphere, in the themes of extradition and the recuperation of assets, exchanged information on experiences, challenges, necessary instruments and initiatives for the fight against corrupt officials, their extradition and the recuperation of assets. To finalize their deliberations, the meeting’s official gave tending recommendations to the improvement of the themes included in the REXCOR/doc.2/05rev.1 document.

The sixth Meeting of Experts of the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption took place on July 26-30, 2004 in the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC.  

The experts met to analyze and approve the draft reports – on the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention selected in the framework of the first round- in relation to the following Member States: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Peru and Venezuela. Also, the experts analyzed the topic of collective interest on the procedure for the consideration of exchange of information, experiences and best practices to prevent acts of corruption in the processes of public procurement. 

In the morning of July 26, representatives from civil society of Bolivia, Costa Rica, Peru and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela commented on the achievements and obstacles in the fight against corruption in the region in an informal meeting. 

Finally, the following presentations took place: “First Meeting of the Conference of States Parties within the MESICIC Framework”, “Conclusions and Recommendations on Concrete Measures to Strengthen MESICIC”, “Declaration of Quito on Social Development and Democracy, and the Impact of Corruption”, “Meeting of States Parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and Declaration of Managua” and “Plan of Action of Managua on Additional Concrete Measures to Increase Transparency and Combat Corruption within the Framework of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption”.

The reports of Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Bahamas will be discussed during the Seventh Experts Meeting that will take place on March 7-11, 2005 in Washington, DC. The Committee of Experts agreed that the deadline for the presentation of documents from civil society on the reports to be presented in this meeting is August 30, 2004, according to Article 33, section b) of the Rules.

For more information, please click here.

The Meeting of the States Parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption took place on July 8 - 9, 2004 in Managua, Nicaragua. This meeting was held in fulfillment of a mandate from the Special Summit of the Americas, held in Monterrey, Mexico on January 12 – 13, 2004, where the Heads of State and Government of the Hemisphere issued the Nuevo Leon Declaration, in which they entrusted the States Parties Members of the Convention to propose concrete measures to fortify the Follow-up Mechanism of this Convention (MESICIC) and to consider additional measures to increase transparency and fight corruption. The 31 State Parties to Convention were represented in this meeting.

The inaugural ceremony was presided by the President of Nicaragua, Ingeniero Enrique Bolaños and by the OAS Secretary General, Cesar Gaviria. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Nicaragua, Norman Caldera, was elected President of this meeting.

For more information on this convention, please click here

During the Meeting of States Parties to the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, which took place on July 8-9, 2004 in Managua, Nicaragua, the Government of Nicaragua and the Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the Organization of American States organized an informal meeting with civil society representatives and delegates of the participating States.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 11 civil society organizations and by delegates from the United States, Canada, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Nicaragua, and representatives from the Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the OAS.

For more information, please click here

The Summits of the Americas Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Permanent Mission of Nicaragua to the OAS organized a Panel on Corruption, which took place on May 20, 2004 at the OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., in preparation for the meeting of State Parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, to be held in Managua, Nicaragua in July 8-9, 2004. 

The Panel was comprised of well-known experts on the fight against corruption, who not only shared with the audience their insightful knowledge on the subject, but also provoked an interesting debate stimulated by their original approaches to fighting corruption. 

The Panel included representatives from Transparency International, the Heritage Foundation, the Inter-american Development Bank and the World Bank.

Panel on Corruption: Photo Gallery

The Fourth Meeting of Experts on the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption took place on July 14-18, 2003 at the OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. The experts met in order to analyze the evaluation process designed to measure progress in the fight against corruption in the hemisphere and the advances of the member countries in the implementation of the Convention. During this meeting, the Experts Committee revised and approved the implementation reports for Paraguay, Colombia, and Nicaragua. To see the reports of Paraguay, Colombia and Nicaragua, please click here.

The Experts Committee also agreed to hold an informal meeting, before the Fifth Meeting of the Committee of Experts, on Monday, February 2, 2004 with civil society organizations. The purpose of the informal meeting is to listen to verbal presentation by civil society organizations that had previously presented documents before August 18, 2003, in accordance with article 33b of the Rules of the Committee.

The reports of Uruguay, Panama, Ecuador and Chile will be discussed during the Fifth Experts Meeting that will take place on February 2-6, 2004 in Washington, DC. 

On May 8th 2003, the city of Brasilia hosted a national conference on incorporating the national conference is part of a hemispheric initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS), in compliance with the mandates of the Summit of the Americas, aimed at promoting the adjustment of national criminal legislation to the provisions of the Convention and facilitate its application and implementation.

Organized jointly by OAS and the Brazilian Ministry of Justice through its Secretariat of Legislative Affairs, the conference brought together members of the Federal Congress, the Judiciary and officials from the Attorney General's office, control agencies, the federal government and civil society organizations.

For more information on this conference, please click here

The Third Meeting of Experts on the Follow Up Mechanism to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption took place on February 10-13, 2003 at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Experts met to analyze the evaluation process designed to measure the progress in the fight against corruption in the hemisphere and the advances in the implementation of the Convention by member countries. To date, 28 out of the 34 member countries of the OAS have ratified the treaty, which commits them to adopt concrete actions against corruption.

In this meeting, the Committee of Experts agreed to adopt, at the country's discretion, Argentina's analysis report, which will serve as a guide to the rest of the country reports, in the framework of the first round of analysis. In the next Committee meeting that will take place on July 14- 18, 2003 the reports of Colombia, Paraguay, and Nicaragua will be considered. Furthermore, the project for annual activity report of the Committee, including the work plan for 2003 was presented in this meeting.

On September 19-20, 2002, the Government of Mexico and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) hosted a conference in Mexico City, “Implementing the OECD Convention Against Corruption: Working with the Private Sector”. The Conference is within the framework of the 1997 OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, which declared illegal the bribery of foreign officials in order to benefit from international business interests.

The purpose of the Conference was to establish penalties for businesses and individuals who offer bribes to foreign officials in order to benefit from foreign business interests. Furthermore, the Convention examined preventative measures such as the adoption of internal controls and sound corporate management, as well as the enhancement of dialogue and strengthening cooperation within the business community.

On August 30, 2002 the national conference on corruption took place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The central issue of the event was the "Adapting of the Penal Legislation of the Dominican Republic to the Inter-American Convention against corruption." The Inter-American Convention against corruption was adopted in Venezuela in 1996 and has been ratified by 27 of the 34 member countries.

The OAS, the Department of Prevention against Administrative Corruption (DEPRECO), the Institutionalization and Justice Foundation (FINJUS), and the Catholic University of the Dominican Republic sponsored the meeting.  The conference is part of the hemispheric initiative of the OAS, in fulfillment with the Summit of the Americas and General Assemble mandates.

In August of this year, Transparency International (TI) released the  Corruption Perception Index for the year 2002. The TI index for the year 2002 classifies 102 countries and is developed on the basis of polls and interviews that measure the levels of corruption, especially bribery in the public sector. According to this index, the region with the highest levels of perceived corruption is Latin America. 

The CPI is extracted from 15 interviews and research done by various institutions. The CPI is based on a scale from 1 to 10, from most to least corrupt. It is important to note that Chile obtained one of the lowest corruption levels in the region, with a score of 7.5, placing the country in the 17th place worldwide., Paraguay, on the other hand, is perceived as the most corrupt country in the region, with a score of 1.7, placing it in 98th place worldwide, sharing its place with Angola and Madagascar.

On July 22, 2002, the OAS organized an Anti-Corruption Conference in Barbados – the first in a series to be held throughout the Caribbean.  The purpose of these meetings is to promote the ratification and implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption by those countries who have not already done so.  Countries that participated in the conference included Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. 

The Inter-American Convention against Corruption was adopted in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1996.  Since then, the OAS, through its Department of Legal Cooperation and Information, has worked with countries in the Americas towards its ratification and implementation.  The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) financed this July conference, with the cooperative support of Barbadian government’s Office of the Attorney General.

The Second Meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Follow-Up Mechanisms for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption took place on May 20 - 24, at the OAS main building in Washington, DC. Experts from the 22 countries that have ratified the Convention and that are members of this Mechanism discussed various subjects that will serve as guidelines for the first round of analysis of the different countries.

First of all, the countries presented the country reports on the advances of each in the implementation of the Convention. The OAS General Secretariat also presented a report on the dissemination of documents, projects on methodology, a scheme of decisions to be decided on during the meeting and a work plan for 2002. On the other hand, The Department of Legal Cooperation and Information of the OAS established the Inter-American Anti-corruption Network, a network between experts and the General Secretariat of the OAS where the individuals and institutions that are committed to the fight against corruption can interact virtually.

Also, the methodology and the questionnaire for the implementation of the dispositions of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption that have been selected within the framework of the first round were approved. During this meeting Mr. Faustino Collado, Director of the Division of Prevention Of The Corruption Department of Dominican Republic, was elected as Vice-President of the Expert Committee of this Follow-Up Mechanism.

The methodology for the review of the implementation of the provisions of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption will be done within the framework of the first round of the Convention and will be based on the Document of Buenos Aires and on the Rules of the Committee. The methodology includes the subject of review within the framework of the first round (Article III, paragraphs 1,2,4, and 11; Article XIV and Article XVIII), the general and specific criterias to guide that review, the possibility of follow-up visits, considerations with respect to the scope of the review of the provisions selected, sources of information, the review process, and the recommendations and their follow-up.

Finally, the work program for 2002 was approved, where they decided that there would be six meetings during the year, in which four countries would be analyzed by session. The order or sequence for the analysis of the information of each country was defined first by eight countries that volunteered and then by the date of ratification of the Convention for the rest of the countries. Each country will be analyzed by two countries, and at least one of the countries must have the same judicial tradition as that of the country being analyzed. The selection of the subgroups of analysis was done randomly. The next meeting of the Committee will take place in January of next year in the OAS in Washington, DC.

On April 15-16, 2002, a conference on Mexico against Corruption took place in Mexico City.  At the conference, participants discussed the causes and effects of corruption and reiterated the commitment of the various national and international actors in this fight.  The Organization of American States took part in this meeting and presented the advances made in the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (CICC) and its implementation mechanism, highlighting them as direct products of the Summits of the Americas process.  As the conference progressed, the following issues were considered:

• The role of the media in the fight against corruption;

• Tools for making government contracting more transparent;

• Civic education as a tool for fighting corruption;

• Prevention of and fight against corruption at the local level: empowering civil society;

• Accountability in Mexico;

• Strengthening the system for administering justice;

• The role of academic institutions in the fight against corruption; and

• The role of multilateralism and the CICC.

The President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, spoke at the conference’s closing, noting that the commitments agreed to at the Summits have become the Presidents’ duty to carry out.  He also emphasized the need to build alliances between governments, parliaments, justice, press, civil society, international organizations, financial institutions, sub-regional banks and cooperation agencies in order to overcome corruption, calling it a social evil that affects democracy in the region.

To see the speech given by Jaime Aparicio, Director of the Office of Summit Follow Up, at this Conference, please click here (Spanish only).

The first meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption took place on January 15-18, 2002 at the OAS main building, in Washington DC. 

At the meeting, a Practical Analysis Seminar on the International Monitoring Mechanisms was carried out, in which the international monitoring mechanisms of the following groups were presented: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GRECO); Financial Action Task Force (FATF); and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD-OAS). The objective of this presentation was to inform on the structure and operation of each  international monitoring mechanism.  It also promoted a greater understanding of the experiences and knowledge obtained by those who operated the mechanisms.  In this way, the Committee of Experts on the Follow-Up Mechanism can use these experiences as a basis for their decision-making process.

The group then carried out the First Working Session of the Committee of Experts, in which the Rules of Procedure and Other Provisions were considered and approved.  At the same time, the expert representing Uruguay, Dr. Carlos Balsa D’Agosto, was elected the President of the Committee.  The Committee moved to elect the Vice President at the next experts meeting.

Finally, the group selected the provisions of the Inter-American Convention that the States Parties are to implement in the first round of meetings: Article III (sections 1,2,4,9,11), Article XIV y Article XVIII.  In order to analyze these provisions, the Secretariat will prepare a proposal for a questionnaire that the Committee will approve in the next meeting, which is planned for the end of April, 2002.  In this next meeting, the Committee shall select those States Parties that will be subject for review by the Committee in the first round and will approve the 2002 Work Plan.

On June 26-28, 2001, Peru celebrated its First National Anti-Corruption Conference. The meeting was organized by the Instituto de Prensa y Sociedad, the Asociación de Exportadores, Transparencia, and the Comisión Andina de Juristas, and was coordinated by Peru's Ministry of Justice. Among other issues, the Conference addressed the following topics: "Diagnostic of Corruption and a Strategy to Fight It," "Corruption in the Media," "United States and Corruption in Latin America," and "International Experiences in the Fight against Corruption." A report was also presented on the advances made in the Montesinos case.

On June 4, 2001, twenty-one countries officially adopted a follow-up mechanism for corruption, taking an important step in their fight against it in the hemisphere. At the last OAS General Assembly, which took place in San José, Costa Rica, the State Parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption signed a resolution that reinforces their commitment to this fight in the region. This mechanism will be impartial and objective in its use and evaluation. It will guarantee fair application and equal treatment to all States party to it, as well as establish an appropriate balance between the confidentiality and transparency of its activities. Along with these characteristics, the follow-up mechanism will not imply the adoption of sanctions.

For more information on follow-up to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, please click here.

On May 2-4, 2001, the States Party to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption met in order to establish a follow-up mechanism for the implementation of the Convention. This mechanism will promote the implementation of the Convention and contribute to the achievement of the purposes established in Article II thereof;  follow up on the commitments made by the States Party to the Convention and analyze the manner in which they are being implemented; and facilitate technical cooperation activities, the exchange of information, experience, best practices and the harmonization of legislation of the States Party.  

Delegations from the following States Party participated: Argentina, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, , the United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Representatives from the following non-States Parties participated: Brazil, Guatemala, and Haiti, and representatives from the IDB and the OECD were also present. 

The General Secretariat of the OAS provided the secretariat support for this first meeting of the Conference, and it is the result of the work undertaken within the Group on Probity and Public Ethics of the OAS, on the basis of OAS General Assembly Resolution 1723 (XXX-0/00).  

As a result of the debates that took place in Buenos Aires, the first meeting of the Conference of the States Parties reached a consensus that is reflected in the "Document of Buenos Aires on the Follow-up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption," which was approved on occasion of the XXXI Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly, in San Jose, Costa Rica, between June 3 and 5, 2001.

The Second Meeting of Ministers and High Level Authorities Responsible for Policies on Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen Participation was held in Mexico City on September 24 to 26, 2003, complying with commitments made at the Summit of the Americas and resolutions of the General Assembly of the OAS.  Delegations from 23 Member States of the OAS (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, San Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela) participated in the meeting along with the permanent observers of the OAS and numerous regional organizations and agencies, including local government associations and civil society groups.

The meeting resulted in the adoption of the "Action Plan of Mexico City on Decentralization and Strengthening of Regional and Municipal Administrations and Citizen Participation," through which the highest authorities on this issue will approve strategic guidelines and priority areas of action.  Moreover, those present approved the formation of a multi-representative technical advisory Group for international cooperation. 

Mexico and Brazil assumed Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, of the High Level Inter-American Network on Decentralization (RIAD), and appointed the following sub-regional Vice Chairs: Jamaica for CARICOM; Guatemala for Central America, Mexico for the North American region and Peru for South America.  The Chair and Vice Chair of the RIAD will be in charge of the follow-up and completion of activities set out by this Plan of Action and will provide periodic progress reports as well as reports on the implementation of the Summit of the Americas mandates. These will be presented at the Special Summit of the Americas in Mexico in January 2004 and at the IV Summit of the Americas in Argentina in 2005.

The OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, as Technical Secretariat of RIAD, has been providing technical support to the process.

The working group for the High-Level Inter-American Network on Decentralization, Local Government, and Citizen Participation (RIAD) met in Cancun on September 10- 11, 2002.  

The purpose of this meeting was to analyze the current decentralization process and present strategy and common methodology proposals to produce further progress in the hemisphere through the support mechanisms. The meeting also served as an opportunity to consult with member countries of the Inter-American Network on Decentralization, Local Government, and Citizen Participation (RIAD) on basic aspects of the next ministerial meeting scheduled foe 2003.  The RIAD was established in the first meeting of ministers and high authorities responsible for decentralization, which took place in La Paz, Bolivia in July, 2001 in fulfillment of the Quebec Summit mandates and OAS General Assembly mandates.

The meeting was sponsored by the Mexican Government through the National Institute for Federalism and Municipal Development, an institution that currently acts as RIAD's vice-president. It also had the support from the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy of the OAS.

For more information on this event and other Ministerial Meetings, please click here (Spanish only)

On August 28-30, 2002 the international seminar "The Institutionalization of the Political Parties: Best Practices in America" took place in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This seminar is part of the UPD's Democratic Values and Political Management program in Guatemala, which has been developing a new strategic focus. This meeting of political leaders representing the differing viewpoints of the hemisphere is intended to share experiences and identify "best practices" for party institutionalization. It focused on the need for institutionalizing political parties, political organizations and party systems as a whole.

The VIII Inter American Conference of Mayors and Authorities took place on June 11-13, 2002 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Miami, Florida. This conference was organized by the Florida International University and sponsored by the government of Miami-Dade County. The theme of the Conference was: "Creating a Secure, Prosper, and Democratic Hemisphere: The Role of the Local Governments". The conference included subjects such as the role of local governments in the creation of a prosperous hemisphere, education and training for the strengthening of the local governments and the protection of the security of the community, among others. The conference constitutes a forum for the representatives of local, regional, and national governments, NGO's, institutions and international cooperation agencies and all those interested in the strengthening of local governments in order to share experiences, information, and practices, as well as for discussing common objectives in the promotion of local democratic governments.  

During this Conference, the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for the Summit Process of the OAS, Mr. Jaime Aparicio, made a presentation on this subject.

At the Third Summit of the Americas, governments agreed to support "convening a meeting in Bolivia of ministers or authorities at the highest level responsible for policies on decentralization, local government and citizen participation in municipal government." In fulfillment of this mandate, ministers and high-level authorities in this area met in La Paz, Bolivia, from July 29-31, 2001. The meeting was held in Bolivia, because significant progress has been made there to enhance power at the level of its 314 local municipalities.

At the meeting, countries drafted and signed a Declaration of La Paz, in which the governments committed themselves to strengthening regional and municipal administrations and increasing civil society participation in matters of public policy. Through this Resolution, countries agreed to the creation of a High-Level Inter-American Network on Decentralization, Local Government and Citizen Participation (RIAD). RIAD establishes a common frame of reference through which the countries of the Hemisphere can work in cooperation with each other on decentralization and citizen participation.

This Network will contain information on this and future Inter-American meetings, as well as implementation activities and actions of high government officials and experts towards strengthening local and regional governments. RIAD will also serve as a point of connection between high officials and governmental experts responsible for these issues, along with citizen participation and civil society. Moreover, it will promote other virtual networks to increase the dissemination of material in the area of decentralization and will establish ties with other academic, local governmental or cooperation agencies' networks.

Countries also agreed that the Technical Secretariat for this process, the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD), will have a Web site through which relevant information on decentralization activities and instruments will be made available. Finally, it was decided that the Network would have Inter-American meetings at the highest level to address decentralization policies, along with progress made and challenges encountered in this area, at least every two years.

Delegates from twenty OAS Member States, along with members of the UPD, the Office of Summit Follow-Up and other international and academic institutions, participated in this important event. For more information on this meeting, please see the Program Agenda, a speech given at the event and the Declaration, which was signed at its conclusion.  The Chair Summary is also available, but only in Spanish.

On July 16, 2001, a forum entitled, "Building Democracy from the Grassroots," took place at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, with the support of the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) and the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). The meeting included the participation of the Bolivian Minister of Sustainable Development and other important experts, such as Professor Lester M. Salamon, from the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and Professor Neville C. Duncan, from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Participants also included experts in the area of public policy design and representatives from Civil Society, academia and international agencies, as well as other actors that promote development in the region.

The group analyzed the issue of local governance and its importance as a promoter of development and in the consolidation of democracy. At the same time, participants discussed the impact of decentralization policies in the development of an appropriate mechanism to facilitate and promote this process. Mr. René Canjura, mayor of Nejapa, El Salvador, gave a discourse on the achievements and lessons learned from his experiences in building democracy from the grassroots in his region. He emphasized the importance of joint work between local and central governments, Civil Society, local foundations and the private sector, saying that it was an indispensable tool in the development of a successful program.

More information on this Conference can be found by clicking here. 

The Seventh Inter-American Conference of Mayors and Local Authorities: "Local Governance in the Americas: Political, Financial and Organizational Challenges" took place in Miami, Florida, from June 26-28, 2001. Around 510 local officials participated in this conference, among them the mayors of Monterrey, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; Monrovia, CA; Ithaca, NY; Baruta/Caracas, Venezuela; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; and San Guillermo, Argentina. Representatives of international organizations, academic institutions and civil society organizations also participated in the Conference.

The following issues were discussed during this important meeting:

• governance in the Americas, democratic and effective local governments including an analysis of the political, administrative and financial challenges;

• the relationship between local governments, civil society and the private sector;

• the significance of the Summit of the Americas 2001 for Local Governments;

• the international community and the building of local governments in Latin America;

• financing a municipal investment plan;

• decentralization, regionalization and citizen participation;

• the emerging role of local governments insuring public safety;

• effective budgeting and financial management;

• new technologies for local governments; and

• the role of local governments in economic development and poverty reduction.

Finally, in the closing session, strategies for making the Summit Plan of Action a reality were analyzed.  For a more specific view of the issues addressed, please see the agenda from the meeting.

The local officials who participated in the Conference issued a Declaration supporting the Ministerial meeting on this issue, to be held in Bolivia at the end of July, and urging the participants for that meeting to consider the recommendations of this Conference. Also, they proposed to create a network of local governments to follow-up the decisions taken at the Inter-American Conferences of Mayors and Local Authorities as well as the mandates of the Summit of the Americas regarding this issue. In this Declaration, they exhort the Heads of State and Government of the Americas to strengthen and consolidate the processes of decentralization in their countries. Finally, this Declaration calls upon the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank and other entities for international cooperation to work directly with municipal governments.