Concerned that the institutional framework to combat corruption is not yet sufficiently strong and effective, the UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR) yesterday called on Guyana to take a raft of measures including protection of whistleblowers.
Guyana came under intense questioning on March 18-20 on its periodic report by the Geneva, Switzerland-based committee on the Convention on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR).
In its concluding observations yesterday, the Committee said that it took note of the adoption of several laws and regulations by the State party to combat corruption, along with measures such as the creation of a Special Organiz-ed Crime Unit for investigating financial crimes. However, the Committee said it remains concerned that the institutional framework to combat corruption is “not yet sufficiently strong and effective in practice to adequately prevent or prosecute corruption, including in the police force and of high-level public officials”. For example, the Committee said it is concerned about reports that: (a) the Com-missioner of Information does not address all requests from the public; and (b) the Protected Disclosures and Witness Protection Act has not yet entered into force.
