Transcript Fight Against Corruption:

Fight Against Corruption:
The Ombudsman and the Latin
American Experience
Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
(Ombudsman - Peru)
[email protected]
http:www.ombudsman.gob.pe
BACKGROUND
• 1977 - USA legislation against bribery.
• 1980’s - AID Programs to enhance budget
management and transparency
in control authorities.
• 1994 - Summit of the Americas.
- Poverty
- Market economy
- HHRR
- CORRUPTION
1998 CORRUMPTION
PERSEPTIONS INDEX
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20 Chile
27 Costa Rica
41 Peru
42 Uruguay
46 Brazil
51 El Salvador
56 Mexico
59 Guatemala
61 Argentina
61 Nicaragua
69 Bolivia
77 Ecuador
77 Venezuela
79 Colombia
83 Honduras
84 Paraguay
INTERNATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS
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OAS Anti Corruption Convention 1996
OCDE Convention
LIMA Declaration 1997
UN and OAS resolutions
Catholic Bishops declarations (CELAM)
ANTI CORRUPTION
INITIATIVES
• Governments
• Parliaments/Constitutional Assemblies
• Judiciary
• Civil Society
GOVERNMENTS
• Reform of the State (customs, taxation)
• Deregulation of the economy
• Flexible administrative rules
• Special Units to combat corruption
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
• Constitutional tribunals
• Judiciary councils
• National Prosecutor’s Office
• Ombudsman Institution
PARLIAMENTS
• Ratification of the OAS and/or OCDE
conventions
• Legislation on:
Integrity
Disclosure of assets/income
Illicit enrichment
JUDICIARY
• Reform of procedures
• Internal control within the judiciary
• Alternative systems of problem resolution:
arbitration, conciliation, indigenous systems
of justice, OMBUDSMAN
CORRUPTION SPECIAL
UNITS
• Ethics departments within central
government:
• Argentina
• Ecuador
• Nicaragua
• Honduras
• Peru (General Accountant Office)
CONSTITUTIONAL
PROVISIONS LEGISLATION
• Venezuela
• Dominican Republic
• Chile
• Colombia
CIVIL SOCIETY
• NGOs / Watchdogs to combat corruption
and to promote integrity: Argentina (Poder
Ciudadano)
• Coalitions: Bolivia
Nicaragua
• Private enterprise commitment: Peru VIII
IACC Lima 1997
• More than 21 TI chapters
• Active investigative journalism
OMBUDSOFFICES
Latin American
• “Defensor del Pueblo”: Argentina, Bolivia,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile (?), Ecuador,
Panama, Peru, Venezuela (?)
• “Procurador / Comisionado de Derechos
Humanos”: El Salvador , Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua,
• “Protecteur du Citoyen”: Haiti
OMBUDSOFFICES
The Caribbean
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Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas
Belize (1/2?)
Santa Lucia
Surinam
Trinidad & Tobago
OMBUDSDEFINITION
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Independent office
Receives and investigates complaints
MALADMINISTRATION
In Spain and Latin America ABUSE OF
HUMAN RIGHTS
• MALADMINISTRATION + HHRR
(hybrid model excluding the Caribbean)
MALADMINISTRATION
• Excess / omission contrary to law, rules or
regulations
• Abuse of power, discrimination, injustice,
arbitrariness, for reasons of corrupt or
improper motives
• Neglect, inattention, delay
OMBUDSMANDATE
• Supervision of the administration
(Maladminstration + corruption)
• Protection of Human Rights
• Good Governance and transparency
• Strengthening of the rule of law
• Bridging role citizen- civil society administration (networking)
OMBUDSFEATURES
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Constitutional institution
Fully independent (2/3 majority vote)
Accessible to the public
Empowered to investigate
Accountable through Parliament to society
Basically persuasive / moral authority
OMBUDSBRIDGING
• Open to the Public
• Links with grass roots organizations
(networking)
• Voice of the unprotected
• Solution oriented approach
• Concerned with natural law (“Equidad”
“Espiritu de la ley”) rather than with the
letter of the law
OMBUDSROLE IN
CORRUPTION
• Individual cases / collective remedies
• Administrative responsibilities; auditor
general/anti-corruption commissions
• Criminal responsibilities; general prosecutor
• Fight against impunity
• Promotes legislation, codes of conduct and
standards of administrative behavior
OMBUDSCOMMITMENTS
• International Ombudsman Institute (IOI)
• Ibero American Federation of
Ombudsman(IFO/FIO)
• IACC Lima Declaration 1997
• IFO/FIO Tegucigalpa Declaration 1999
• IX IACC - Durban, South Africa’s
commitment and monitoring scheme
OMBUDSCONCLUSION
• Unique opportunity profit from independent
investigation capable of supervising /
controlling anti corruption authorities
• Fills the gap between “nice laws” and “ugly
reality”
OMBUDSCONCLUSION
• Partnership with anti corruption movement:
- Need to enhance regional approach to
focus on basic issues:
(a) access to information,
(b) transparency and
(c) accountability
- Establish follow up and monitoring
mechanisms to Durban commitment