Honduras government, ASJ and Transparency International sign agreement for transparency
During her visit to Honduras, Transparency International´s Chair met with civil society organisations and government representatives
Transparency International (TI), its national chapter in Honduras, Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ), and the Government of the Republic of Honduras signed a collaboration agreement today aimed at promoting and encouraging transparency and accountability, combatting corruption in the country and strengthening the institutions that make up the national integrity system.
The initiative began when President Juan Orlando Hernández was elected in November 2013. In this context, the President, Transparency International and ASJ signed a letter of intent aiming to establish a tripartite alliance to improve the performance of the state´s institutions, guarantee citizens’ participation and combat corruption in areas of vital importance for all Hondurans: health, education, security, infrastructure projects and tax administration.
The process reached a key milestone today, when President Hernández, Transparency International´s Chair Huguette Labelle and Carlos Hernández, Chair of ASJ, signed the Collaboration and Good Faith Agreement for the promotion of transparency, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of the integrity system.
Public officials, ambassadors, and representatives of international institutions and civil society were present at the signing ceremony that took place at the Presidential Palace.
Transparency International and ASJ will be responsible for the process of tracking and monitoring the progress and degree of implementation of the commitments included in the agreement and any others that all parties agree to add.
By signing this agreement, the Honduran Government emphasises its commitment to institutionalising transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption, as well as creating a wide space for civil society participation.
The government’s actions to implement the agreement will have the backing and technical support of Transparency International as a global organisation and its national chapter in Honduras, ASJ. These will exert social control and citizen oversight to the government’s commitments.
During his participation in the signing ceremony, Carlos Hernández, Chair of ASJ stated: “Citizens play a key role in monitoring public administration. It not only guarantees a government that avoids corruption, but it also allows for the improved performance of government institutions and the efficient use of public budget expenditure as well as effective international cooperation”.
President Juan Hernández said: “We are going to work hand in hand with Transparency International. We want to take a significant step in transparency and for the government to be an example, so that we can ask others to act like we do and change the culture”.
In this regard, Huguette Labelle, Transparency International´s Chair, stressed how important it was for the government to work together with civil society to promote a country with an environment where accountability, integrity and transparency prevail.
Transparency International is the civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. It is present in 114 countries worldwide and has a very trustworthy track record. In Honduras, Transparency Intenational´s national chapter is ASJ, an organisation committed to the fight against corruption nationally.
Transparency International´s Chair Huguette Labelle has a PhD in philosophy and has chaired the organisation for nine years. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the Ordre de la Pléiade and has been awarded honorary degrees from twelve Canadian Universities as well as the Vanier Medal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada and the McGill Achievement Award in Management.
For almost two decades ASJ has worked toward a just society, especially for the most vulnerable. ASJ does this through working towards fair legislation and implementation as well as encouraging equal participation from civil society, the Church and the state. In the anti-corruption field, ASJ has always stressed that collaboration between civil society and the state is essential for implementing holistic and focused measures to sustain public administration processes, making them more transparent and strengthening governance.
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