As nations across the world observed International Anti-Corruption Day on Wednesday under the theme, “Your right, your role: say no to corruption, ” U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch registered her support, and that of her home country, for Guyana’s fight against corruption. But with the South American nation emerging as the world’s newest oil and gas hotspot, the envoy said the country’s anti-corruption framework will also have to adapt and become stronger.
Towards this end, she recommended that the government take on initiatives that would insulate the oil sector’s earnings from abuse with the implementation of a Natural Resource Fund legislation that offers both transparency and clear oversight. The Ambassador said it is in the interest of the citizenry for this piece of legislation to benefit from a meaningful and inclusive process of stakeholder engagement.
The American envoy said too that a strong anti-corruption stance now, “will show Guyanese citizens, and the rest of the world, that the government is committed to transparent institutions that utilize the country’s resources to the long-term benefit for all Guyanese.”
The Ambassador was keen to remind that International Anti-corruption Day provides all nations with “an annual opportunity to bring attention to the continued importance of combating corruption, ensuring accountability, and fostering transparency.” Around the world, the Ambassador said corruption threatens security, hinders economic growth, and siphons away public and private resources.
It is on this premise that the USA has been supportive of Guyana’s fight against corruption. Speaking to the work of her home country here, Ambassador Lynch said the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has focused on training and mentoring those in the criminal justice sector to build their capacity to fight corruption. In 2018, the Ambassador recalled that the Guyana Public Service Commission was reconstituted after a 13-year hiatus while adding that this was a step towards ensuring fairness and transparency in the public service system. The American official also said the Guyana Government had passed the Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower) Act in 2018, which seeks to protect persons making disclosures from retribution from others, including within the public service. Lynch said these kinds of legislative reforms are necessary parts of a successful plan to fight corruption.
In the United States, Ambassador Lynch said politicians and corporations alike know there are consequences ranging from jail time to hefty fines if they engage in corrupt activities or violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. She was keen to note as well that her country’s engagement through multilateral bodies, including the region’s main anti-corruption body – the OAS’ Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption – helps to build strong international anti-corruption standards and ensures countries stay true to their obligations around transparency, accountability, and integrity.
In conclusion, the Ambassador said governments and institutions around the globe cannot allow corruption to flourish. She stressed that constructing a legislative framework that deters corrupt practices and promotes transparency is an essential step in addressing corruption. The USA, she said, is looking forward to seeing how the government will continue to build on its existing work to mitigate corruption.
