GUATEMALA ADVANCES PLAN TO IMPLEMENT OAS MESICIC RECOMMENDATIONS

Under the joint auspices of Guatemala’s Secretariat for Transparency and Combating Corruption (CTCC) and the General Secretariat of the OAS, through the Department of Legal Cooperation, under the Secretariat of Legal Affairs, a workshop was held in Guatemala City on the 12th and 13th of April, 2010, in which the content and reach of the Guatemalan Plan of Action was discussed. The Plan is a tool which monitors the implementation of the recommendations formulated for Guatemala by the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC).

The Action Plan, written by a Guatemalan expert in Corruption and Transparency matters, assesses the degree of implementation of the MESICIC recommendations made during the First and Second Rounds of Review. These recommendations have a wide scope, covering a gamut of topics such as structural protective measures for whistleblowers, standards for the procurement process of public positions, and methods to disseminate and release public information in order to encourage a culture of transparency. The action plan program is a key tool in ensuring that the recommendations made during the MESICIC meetings generate concrete actions.

The diversity and large number of the workshop participants reflected the action plan’s importance. Over fifty representatives appeared in order to review the action plan and suggest ways in which the implementation of MESICIC recommendations in Guatemala could be facilitated. Their sector-specific knowledge allowed them to insightfully evaluate the timeframe, indicators, key institutions, and proposed legislation mentioned in the Action Plan. With firsthand knowledge of anti-corruption measures in Guatemalan society, each representative had the chance to agree with, modify, or suggest an alternative to the Action Plan’s methodology of implementing each measure.

Their pertinent recommendations will be integrated into the final plan of action, ensuring that civil society and the public sector have equal weight in combating corruption and in encouraging transparency in Guatemala. In fact, the diversity of actors is an essential component to the national workshop’s success. With representative from Guatemalan Ministries, Congress, development organizations, and NGOs, the workshop was a resounding achievement for the OAS and the CTCC.

The Plan of Action process is an essential part of the MESICIC because it recognizes the necessity of the implementation of recommendations. By evaluating the compliance with the Convention (CICC) in individual countries and making specific plans for their implementation, the MESICIC takes on added validity and importance as an inter-American tool in combating corruption throughout the hemisphere.

Upcoming MESICIC workshops will take place in Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Bolivia.

What is the MESICIC?

The Mechanism For Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, known as MESICIC for its Spanish acronym, is a tool to support the development of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption through cooperation between States Parties.

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