TI´s Chair, Huguette Labelle, Transparencia Venezuela’s Executive Director, Mercedes de Freitas, and the Ambassador from Canada, Renate Wielgofz, inaugurated the conference. During the two days, representatives from several Latin American governments, TI national chapters, civil society organisations (CSOs) and experts of the IACAC monitoring mechanism discussed issues such as access to information and citizen participation. On the theme of public integrity, a TI study was presented giving an overview of the laws and practises pertaining to issues of conflicts of interest, whistleblower protection and asset declaration in nine Latin American countries. The conclusion of the study stated an urgent need to show more development in the implementation of existing laws.

A final declaration (link) summarized the areas where improvement and more straight forward action from governments would be required, including: removing all obstacles for civil society participation as an independent and qualified observer in the implementation of the IACAC; reporting at the OAS 2007 General Assembly on any developments in the implementation of the IACAC; generating and disseminating official statistical information to better monitor the implementation of the IACAC.

All documents and presentations from the Conference can be downloaded at: www.transparencia.org.ve/areas_accion.php?id_area=20