The influence of civil society organisations in the follow-up process

The Follow-up Mechanism to the OAS Inter-American Convention against Corruption contemplates the role of civil society in submitting information to the Committee of Experts regarding the application of the Convention in their countries and in collaborating on certain matters. Many civil society organisations (CSOs) have worked to raise awareness about the Convention and have fought to see it effectively implemented.

The activities of civil society which relate to the Follow-up Mechanism include:

• Making proposals to the Mechanism regarding: which provisions to review in the Rounds, methodology, and the questionnaire.
• Submitting independent reports about the implementation of the Convention in their countries when their countries are under review.
• Submitting reports on collective themes of general interest indicated by the Committee of Experts and presenting formally on them in front of said Committee. (For more information, see Articles 33, 34, and 35 of the Rules of the Committee of Experts).

In addition, those organisations that have submitted independent reports and meet certain formal requirements outlined in the Buenos Aires Report may participate in an informal session during the review meetings of the Committee of Experts. Nonetheless, the possibilities for the organisations to participate are restricted since they cannot attend the working meetings of the Committee of Experts, nor can they formally meet with the Committee to present information which may be useful for its work.

Transparency International national chapters and partners in the Americas participate in these informal meetings by submitting recommendations and demanding a more transparent Mechanism, by presenting the situation of the countries under review, and by supporting other organizations so that they attend and present on the degree of implementation of the Convention.