The 8th Summit of the Americas concluded on April 15 in Peru with a strong stance against corruption with the approval of the Lima Commitment, which demands the strict control of incomes and expenses of political organizations and parties, particularly during election campaigns, to ensure the licit origin of their financial resources and penalizing the “acceptance of illicit contributions.”
The Heads of State advocated for transparency in taxes and accountability, to prevent corruption in public works, public procurement, and contract awarding, in addition to international legal cooperation to fight crimes such as bribery, international corruption, organized crime, and money laundering.
The Summit concluded in Lima, with the attendance of 33 retinues from the 35 countries of the continent.
The Lima Commitment outlines 57 items to fight corruption and protect access to information, human rights, and freedom of expression.
The theme of the 8th Summitt was the “Democratic Governance against Corruption,” also promoted the “broadest possible cooperation among judicial, police, and prosecutorial authorities, financial intelligence units, and administrative authorities in investigations and procedures related to offenses of corruption, money laundering, and transnational bribery and corruption.”
Moreover, it was agreed to foster codes of conduct for public officials and urge the private sector to develop similar codes.
Source: El Universal