RNI ‘s participation in the OAS General Assembly “Citizen Security in the Americas”

By Camila Alarcón and Alma Aguilar (RNI)

La Red Nacional por la Integridad (RNI) was selected among other organizations from the civil society to participate in the XLI General Assembly of the Organization of American States, held in the first week of June. The theme for this particular General Assembly in El Salvador was “Citizen Security in the Americas." 

Over 100 civil society organizations from all of the continent participated. The civil society was invited to participate in order to keep promoting the relationship between this sector and the OAS. 
Given the subject of security the issues of corruption, impunity and justice took an important role during the entire dialogue. The active role that the civil society has taken in relation to the public arena was highlighted as an important tool for nation building. In many countries the experiences of social organizations have been positive for the strengthening of democracy, mainly because of the increase in political participation. Many social organizations have served as watch dogs for various political process, especially during campaigns and elections, thus magnifying the importance of these organization in the public life of their countries. 

The role that we were able to play during this event was very active in the first two days and observant in the subsequent days. The first two days served as dialogue spaces between the civil society and the members of the OAS. During this time we were able to attend and participate in a dialogue hosted by Secretary General Miguel Insulza. Mr. Insulza highlighted all the progress that had been made by the different conventions of the OAS, as well as the agenda and issues that would be addressed at this years General Assemblée. 

During this session, the organizations of the civil society also shared their different experiences, areas of work and their main concerns related to citizen security. Although the diversity of issues was highlighted, given the different areas of specializations, the concern of corruption was raised by most organizations. The conclusion was that corruption had to be eliminated from all levels of society in order to promote a real citizen security that would in turn solidify the democratic systems of the region. The civil society was also able to work together on the different issues and the assembly’s agenda and present their propositions to the representatives of the member states. 
The final days were when the General Assembly took place during this time the civil society could only be involved as observers. During the main event, the member states with their different commissions and representatives negotiated the resolution points in the agenda.  

Although all the member states were given a chance to participate during this time none of the recommendations given from the civil society were addressed. We believe that in upcoming OAS events the civil society should be given the opportunity to voice their concerns during the main event of the General Assembly. If the social organizations are only mere observers during this event, the changes won't be transcendental and our participation is very superficial. Many participants believed that during the assembly the civil society should have a commission, like the rest of member states and should be allowed to participate in the negotiation process. 

During the General Assembly the issue of corruption was addressed during the follow-up on the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption and on the Inter –American Program for Cooperation in the fight against corruption. The committee revolved:

1. To urge those states parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption that have not yet done so to participate in the Follow-up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC or mechanism); and to urge all states parties to the Mechanism to fund it through voluntary contributions. 
2. Also to encourage those member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to, as the case may be, the United Nations Convention against Corruption (Mérida Convention) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Convention). 
3. To urge the states parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption to take the measures they deem necessary, within their own institutional systems, to adapt their domestic law and regulations in order to comply with the commitments they undertook upon ratification of or accession to the Convention and, in this regard, to continue working toward compliance with the recommendations of the Committee of Experts of the MESICIC corresponding to the first, second, and third rounds of review of implementation of the Convention. 
4. To express its satisfaction with the adoption and effective implementation by many states parties to the Inter-American Convention against Corruption of national anti-corruption legislation or plans.
5. To express once again its support for strengthening the MESICIC and, in that regard: 
   a.    To express its satisfaction with the progress made by the Committee of Experts of MESICIC in the third review round, with support from the General Secretariat, which is reflected in the adoption of the reports on Argentina, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela; as well as in the preparation of the reports on Belize, Brazil, Grenada, and Suriname to be considered and adopted at the next  meeting of the Committee of Experts to be held in Washington, D.C., from September 12 to 16, 2011;
   b.    To express its satisfaction with the workshops held in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, in implementing the cooperation project being undertaken by the General Secretariat to support the states parties to the MESICIC in the implementation of the recommendations made to them by the Committee of Experts, through the adoption of national action plans to that effect; 
   c.    To express its satisfaction with the approval by the MESICIC Committee of Experts of the First Progress Report on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (SG/MESICIC/doc.263/10 rev. 2), which reflects the advances made in this process by the MESICIC member states; 
   d.    To express its satisfaction with the work session by international experts, in the framework of the MESICIC technical cooperation project, on the model legislation to protect persons who report and/or witness acts of corruption, held in the city of Lima, Peru, on April 6 and 7, 2011. 
   e.    To support the holding of the Second Conference on Progress and Challenges in Hemispheric Cooperation against Corruption, which will be held on June 21 and 22, 2011, in the Republic of Colombia, in cooperation with the Government of that country, which will facilitate an exchange of good practices and experiences with the issues examined in the MESICIC framework and thus contribute to implementation of the Mechanism’s recommendations and to strengthening inter-American cooperation against corruption. 
   f.    To suggest to the MESICIC Committee of Experts that it consider placing on its agenda, as a collective interest issue, quality management in the public sector.
   g.    To request the General Secretariat to continue identifying sources of funding within the OAS, such as the Regular Fund, as well as sources of external funding, such as international and regional financial institutions and national government agencies, among others, for the adequate functioning of the MESICIC and, when applicable, for the full and effective implementation of its recommendations and of the activities of the countries at which such recommendations are directed;  
   h.    To invite the Conference of States Parties to the MESICIC to continue reporting to the Permanent Council on the implementation of concrete measures to strengthen the MESICIC, as well as on other topics submitted to it for consideration; 
   i.    To request the General Secretariat to continue, through the Department of Legal Cooperation of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs, to provide technical secretariat services to the Conference of States Parties to the MESICIC and to the Committee of Experts of that mechanism; and 
   j.    To request the General Secretariat to continue, through the Department of Legal Cooperation of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs and in accordance with the provisions of section I.2.g of the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption, designing and conducting a training program for members of the Committee of Experts of the MESICIC, aimed at the implementation of both the methodology of the Mechanism and the recommendations it has made regarding the provisions of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. 
6. To thank the Government of Brazil for its successful organization of the Third Meeting of the Conference of States Parties to the MESICIC, held in Brasilia, Brazil, on December 9 and 10, 2010. 
7. To endorse the recommendations of the Third Meeting of the Conference of States Parties to the MESICIC (MESICIC/CEP-III/doc.4/10 rev. 1), which are a valuable contribution to the continued strengthening of the Mechanism, and, in that regard, express its support for the measures necessary to implement them, including the holding of on-site visits as of the Fourth Round of Review of the Committee of Experts of the MESICIC, with the prior consent of the respective state, in accordance with the methodology that the Committee adopted by consensus at its last meeting held in Washington, D.C., in March 2011, the text of which is contained in the document SG/MESICIC/doc.276/11 rev. 2.
8. To invite the States Parties to the MESICIC to express their consent for holding on-site visits during the Committee’s Fourth Round of Review, in keeping with provision 5 of the Methodology for Conducting On-site Visits adopted by the MESICIC Committee of Experts.
9. To recognize the contributions made by civil society organizations in the implementation process of the MESICIC recommendations, in accordance with provision 8 of the Report of Buenos Aires and Article 34 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee, as well as in the new opportunities for participation set out for these organizations in provisions 26 and 27 of the methodology adopted by the Committee for on-site visits, which advance the objectives of the pertinent recommendations of the Third Meeting of the Conference of States Parties of the MESICIC.
10. To express its satisfaction with the approval, at the Third Meeting of the Conference of States Parties to the MESICIC, of the strategy in relation to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (MESICIC/CEP-III/doc.4/10 rev. 1), in accordance with the provisions contained in Chapter VII of the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption (MESICIC/CEP-II/doc.5/06 rev. 2). 
11. To request the General Secretariat to continue providing, through the Department of Legal Cooperation of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs and pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Inter-American Program for Cooperation in the Fight against Corruption, the technical support needed to implement that program within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources. 
12. To encourage member states and other donors to consider contributing, in accordance with Article 74 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat, to the OAS specific fund “Inter-American Anti-Corruption Fund” to assist member states in implementing the Inter-American Convention against Corruption and the MESICIC country report recommendations and to support operations of the MESICIC itself, including the on-site visits.