Fight Against Corruption:

The Ombudsman and the Latin American Experience

Jorge Santistevan de Noriega

(Ombudsman - Peru)defensor@ombudsman.gob.pe

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

• 20 Chile 56 Mexico

• 27 Costa Rica 59 Guatemala

• 41 Peru 61 Argentina

• 42 Uruguay 61 Nicaragua

• 46 Brazil 69 Bolivia

• 51 El Salvador 77 Ecuador

77 Venezuela 79 Colombia

83 Honduras

84 Paraguay

INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

• 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

OMBUDSOFFICESLatin 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

OMBUDSOFFICESThe Caribbean

• Antigua & Barbuda

• Bahamas

• Belize (1/2?)

• Santa Lucia

• Surinam

• Trinidad & Tobago

OMBUDSDEFINITION

• 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

• 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