Topic: Political Corruption in Latin America
Country: Philippines
Delegate Name: Leah Palladino
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Philippines position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Latin America is experiencing extreme political corruption. Corruption effectively diverts resources, reduces income from tax and customs fees, increases the costs of contracts, lowers quality, distorts policies, reduces investment, and subverts companies and NGOs. Following the independence of many Latin American countries, autocratic governments were in place and there was often a lack of transparency and accountability to limit abuse of power or the taking of bribes by government officials. In recent years, corruption in the region has become linked to organized crime units, most commonly international drug cartels. An example of political corruption in Latin America is in Venezuela, where the ruling party that once won elections fairly has stripped parliament of power in response to opposition victories, stacked courts with political loyalists, and eliminated virtually all independent media.
The present Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption (PCAGC) in the Philippines, which was established in February 1994, is an anti-graft and corruption investigation agency. In 2006, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004, applied a new philosophy toward foreign aid, granting $21 million to the Philippines for a program addressing corruption in revenue administration. As of 2003, the Philippines became a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). This convention is a multilateral treaty negotiated by member states of the United Nations and promoted by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which assists member states in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism. It is one of the legally binding international anti-corruption agreements. The UNCAC requires that state parties of the treaty implement several anti-corruption measures that focus on main areas of prevention, law enforcement, and international cooperation. The combat against corruption continues with initiatives from various sectors, including government agencies, NGOs, private business, and international organizations. The Philippines is working through various treaties and efforts to root out corruption, open economic opportunity, and invest in health and education. This philosophy should be directed to suffering countries in Latin America.
The Philippines recommends that the Special Political committee resolve this corruption crisis in Latin America by appealing to anti-corruption countries to provide well-supervised foreign aid to weak governments, improve government function and accountability, and limit corruption-driven organizations such as drug cartels. To quote our President, "I will stop corruption. I have been firing officials left and right every day. Undersecretaries, chiefs of offices, education officials, all of them." Duterte pledges to end crime and corruption and has let go 21 officials and accepted the resignation of seven. The United Nations must support willing countries in Latin America to eliminate corruption and crime, for it is imperative to the success of a nation. This can be done through monetary and security aid. The UNCAC must reinforce the importance of transparency in Latin American countries. The governments of Latin American countries should implement strengthened institutions and legislation, and this must be done with consent in order to not violate sovereignty. The Special Political committee must work to collaborate with Latin American countries and eliminate corruption.
