today was the first day of the 12th international anti-corruption conference, being held this year in Guatemala. officials from all over the globe have gathered in Guatemala to discuss the anti-corruption pact that has been signed by several Central American leaders in an effort to acknowledge and address deep-seated institutional corruption. A BBC article (found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6153088.stm) discusses the resistance that some feel towards the conference, stating that it is "simply a cynical attempt to paint themselves as whiter than white while corruption continues unabated at home." the article goes on to discuss corrupt leaders and situations in Central America.
The theme of the conference this year is: "Towards a fairer world: why is corruption still blocking the way." the conference website is found at www.12iacc.org. a mission statement on the conference website discusses the idea that "There is an urgent need to reflect and regroup, to look beyond our traditional coalitions, to find new voices and new faces, to energise this vital fight, upon which justice and the welfare of the global community depends."
on paper this seems well and good. how can fighting corruption be bad? the challenge is clearly getting the ideas off paper and into action, which will be beyond challenging. i couldn't find anything relating to how participants are accountable to the committee, which to me is key to the level of commitment that can be expected from nations and their leaders. the cynic in me is really doubtful that this is possible, but hey, there's nothing wrong with a conference, and at least the topic is being acknowledged and recognized as an important issue that needs attention.
the conference ends on the 18th. maybe we'll have time to discuss it in class on monday, as the subject matter seems pretty relevant to our recent readings.

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