BELIZE LOOKS AT RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION

March 11, 2010

Monica Bodden reporting.....

The Organization of American States in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General is hosting a two day workshop to review the draft Action Plan for the Implementation of the recommendations formulated by the Committee of Experts for the Inter-American Convention against Corruption. Love News spoke with Kim Osborne, OAS Representative to Belize.

Kim Osborne, OAS Representative to Belize

“What we are doing here today is we are looking at the national action plan for Belize as far as the implementation of the Inter American Convention against corruption. Belize as you know ratified the convention, the Inter American Convention against corruption and as each member state is requested to put together an action plan for the implementation of the convention. Belize has its action plan in draft, we have convened a group of stakeholders from both the private sector, civil society, the public sector to review the draft national action plan and to prioritize if you will the recommendations for implementation.”

The opening ceremony for the workshop was held this morning where Minister of Public Service Honorable John Saldivar addressed the participants.

John Saldivar – Minister of Public Service

“This workshop to consider Belize’s draft plan of action on its implementation of the Inter American Convention against corruption comes at the middle of the collaborative process between the department of Legal Cooperation of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs of the OAS and the Attorney General’s Ministry for the development and implementation of a national action plan. It also comes at a time when our Police Department has come under severe criticism relating to possible corruption involving a few, and I stress a few of its officers. This ironically occurring during the tenure of a Government that was swept into power on an anti corruption platform and whose cabinet of ministers has been able to completely reverse the image of institutional corruption that prevailed under the previous administration. Though the naysayers have offered hefty rewards for information that would confirm the existence of corruption at the highest level of government, none has been forthcoming. Instead what we see is what I characterize as the legacy of corruption left by the previous government where a few, and I repeat a few rogue public officers including policemen, customs officers, immigration officers, accounts clerks and others seem determined to operate as if nothing has changed since February 8, 2008. As Government we remain committed to our principles and ideals as expressed in our manifesto and we will work tirelessly to restore the integrity of and confidence in the Belize Public Service.”

Osborne says Belize needs to look at concrete measures towards implementation of the convention.

Kim Osborne, OAS Representative to Belize

“Essentially, it makes no sense to sign onto a convention if you are not going to implement so we need to look at concrete measures towards the implementation of the convention. It’s not enough to sign, we need to go a step forward so this group, we have had a consultant present the recommendations that came from the group of experts who met in Washington in 2008; they have made recommendations for Belize. The group today will review those recommendations, see where Belize has already made progress, there are areas where you are already implementing and then see where we as a country move towards setting priorities for implementation."

 Monica Bodden - Reporter

Who are the people taking part in this workshop?

Kim Osborne, OAS Representative to Belize

“We have judges, magistrates, we have the Ombudsman, we have people from the public service, the attorney general’s office, from the NGO’s, SPEAR and others from civil society who are all a part of the discussion. As an organization the OAS is very keen on ensuring that all members within our member states have some kind of say in something that is so critical to the national interest and regional if you will, because the convention also speaks to having mutual agreements across borders, with other countries of the hemisphere so we thought it important to have everybody discuss this, to have their input into this, to have their input in setting the priority for Belize as far as the implantation of the convention goes.”

After the draft plan of Action for the implementation of the recommendations is being reviewed, the final National Plan for Belize will be put into effect.

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