DATE=12/24/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-42234 TITLE=CORRUPTION / CARTER CENTER BYLINE=GEORGE MEEK DATELINE=RIO DE JANEIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: THE U-S BASED "CARTER CENTER", HEADED BY FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, IS BRANCHING OUT FROM ITS INTERNATIONAL ELECTION-MONITORING TO A NEW ACTIVITY -- HELPING GOVERNMENTS FIGHT CORRUPTION. CORRESPONDENT GEORGE MEEK IN RIO DE JANEIRO REPORTS THE PROJECT IS INITIALLY FOCUSING ON LATIN AMERICA. TEXT: THE CARTER CENTER SAYS FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS ARE BECOMING ROUTINE IN LATIN AMERICA, BUT MANY GOVERNMENTS IN THE REGION ARE UNDERMINED BY CORRUPTION. THE BERLIN-BASED MONITORING GROUP CALLED "TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL", WHICH MAKES AN ANNUAL RANKING OF CORRUPTION AS PERCEIVED BY BUSINESS, RATED 85 COUNTRIES THIS YEAR. IT PLACED FIVE LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS AMONG THE NINE MOST CORRUPT IN THE WORLD. THE DIRECTOR OF THE CARTER CENTER'S LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN PROGRAM, JENNIFER MCCOY, SAYS THE CENTER'S ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT IS WORKING INITIALLY WITH ECUADOR AND COSTA RICA AT THE REQUEST OF THOSE GOVERNMENTS. ! // FIRST MCCOY ACT // WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON TRANSPARENCY AS A MEANS TO ENHANCE GROWTH AND INVESTMENT IN LATIN AMERICA, STRENGTHEN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PUBLIC IN THEIR OWN INSTITUTIONS, AND TO MAKE LATIN AMERICA A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT IS EXCLUSIVE TO LATIN AMERICA; IT IS GLOBAL. // END ACT // MS. MCCOY SAYS THE CARTER CENTER IS HELPING THE COUNTRIES DIAGNOSE THEIR WEAKNESSES TO DEVELOP A LONG-TERM ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGY, FOR WHICH THEY WILL SEEK INTERNATIONAL FUNDING. IN THE SHORT-TERM, THE CENTER WILL WORK WITH EXISTING AGENCIES, SUCH AS ECUADOR'S CIVIC COMMISSION FOR THE CONTROL OF CORRUPTION. // SECOND MCCOY ACT // THIS IS AN ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION THAT IS DRAWN FROM CIVIL SOCIETY AND WILL BE INDEPENDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. IT WILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE SPECIFIC CASES AND REFER THEM TO THE COURTS. THEY HAVE ASKED US TO WORK WITH THEM AS STRATEGIC PARTNERS TO DEVELOP THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN AND TO SOLIDIFY THEIR INSTITUTIONAL BASE. // END ACT // MS. MCCOY SAYS ONE TOOL TO COMBAT CORRUPTION IS LIFTING THE VEIL OF SECRECY SURROUNDING MUCH GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND AWARDING OF CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS. // THIRD MCCOY ACT /// IN SEVERAL OF THE COUNTRIES THEY HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN DEVISING METHODS TO MONITOR PRIVATIZATION AND PUBLIC CONTRACTING PROCESSES TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY IN THOSE, AND TO HELP TO RAISE CONFIDENCE IN THESE TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS. WITH THE HELP OF TRANSPARENCY, INTERNATIONAL AND OTHER EXPERTS WE WILL BE DEVELOPING METHODS FOR MONITORING THEM. // END ACT // THE CARTER CENTER OFFICIAL, WHO IS ALSO A PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAYS THE CENTER ENCOURAGES RATIFICATION OF THE ANTI-BRIBERY CONVENTION OF THE "ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT", AND "THE INTER-AMERICAN ANTI-CORRUPTION CONVENTION". SHE SAYS THESE TWO INSTRUMENTS WOULD PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL BACKING FOR GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE AGE-OLD PROBLEM. // REST OPTIONAL // MS. MCCOY SAYS THE ISSUE WILL BE DISCUSSED AT A MEETING TO BE HELD IN A FEW MONTHS IN ATLANTA. // FOURTH MCCOY ACT // IN MAY OF 1999 WE WILL HOLD A MAJOR CONFERENCE AT THE CARTER CENTER IN CONJUNCTION WITH C-N-N'S WORLD REPORT, WHERE C-N-N, BASED IN ATLANTA, BRINGS THEIR OWN REPORTERS AND TELEVISION EXECUTIVES FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO DISCUSS A VARIETY OF THEMES. ONE IS THIS ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY AND CORRUPTION. // END ACT // MS. MCCOY SAYS THE CONFERENCE WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO APPLY THE ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGIES DEVELOPED BY ECUADOR AND COSTA RICA WITH THE HELP OF THE CARTER CENTER. (SIGNED) NEB/GM/RAE 24-Dec-98 10:59 AM EST (1559 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .