“As part of the last review, Saint Lucia would have developed an anti-corruption policy. This policy would have been facilitated through the participation of a number of stakeholders inclusive of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, other departments of government, and the integrity commission. In that policy, we would have developed a number of action plans that the various agencies had committed to doing. For the part of the Attorney General’s Chambers, the issue of witness protection would have come up, and I am happy to report that the government is currently in the throws now of finalizing that legislation. In fact, that legislation has been circulated to stakeholders for feedback and consultation will be undertaken thereafter.”
Tanja Santucci, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), explained that her office serves as the Secretariat for the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and its implementation review mechanism. She highlighted that this review is part of a global process in which each state party to the convention undergoes a peer review assessment. Saint Lucia’s review is being conducted by Grenada and Brazil, with oversight and support provided by the Secretariat to ensure a comprehensive and objective evaluation.
“The review is always hosted and organized by the state under review, and the purpose of the exercise is to support states in more fully implementing the UN convention against corruption. So, the principles of the convention are the ones that are being reviewed. The idea is to strengthen the legal and institutional framework within Saint Lucia and in all other countries as well that participate in the process.”
The review is conducted in two cycles: the first focuses on the criminalization of corruption and international cooperation, while the second examines corruption prevention and asset recovery. Alberto Martinez Garcia, Associate Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), elaborated on the multi-layered approach used to tackle corruption, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive strategies that address both enforcement and prevention.
“Preventing corruption is very broad. The convention, which is basically the basis for the review, lays out a number of measures that all states have to comply with. It comes from the independency of the Judiciary and anti-corruption policies; for example, it also talks about public procurement and all the measures you put in implementing that. So it’s not easy, there is a lot to be done in all the states but of course that’s why we’re here to try to gather all the information for the reviewers to see whether Saint Lucia can do better or whether Saint Lucia can implement all of the convention.”
A diverse group of government departments, agencies, and civil society representatives participated in this country review, offering feedback on existing mechanisms, identifying potential gaps, and providing recommendations to strengthen the current framework.