A few weeks ago, this column ran three articles on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption to which Guyana acceded in 2008. There is an earlier convention which Guyana ratified in December 2000, that is, the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (IACAC). Today, we begin our examination of IACAC.
Preamble
The preamble to IACAC makes some important points about corruption. It states that corruption undermines the legitimacy of public institutions and strikes at society, moral order and justice, as well as at the comprehensive development of peoples. Representative democracy, an essential condition for stability, peace and development of the region, requires, by its nature, the combating of every form of corruption in the performance of public functions. In addition, fighting corruption strengthens democratic institutions and prevents distortions in the economy, improprieties in public administration and damage to a society’s moral fibre.
Corruption is often a tool used by organized crime to accomplish its purposes. In some cases, corruption has international dimensions, which requires coordinated action by States to fight it effectively. There are steadily increasing links between corruption and the proceeds generated by illicit narcotics trafficking which undermine and threaten legitimate commercial and financial activities, and society, at all levels. There is therefore a need for an international instrument to
