The Organization of American States (OAS) approved this Friday to reform its code of ethics after an investigation concluded that the Secretary General, Luis Almagroviolated some provisions by maintaining a sentimental relationship with an official of the agency.
The report prepared by an external firm, to which EFE had access on Tuesday and which was officially presented today, maintains that Almagro violated the rules on “common sense and good judgment” but not those that regulate supervisory obligations, salary increases, intimidation or conflicts of interest.
Based on the findings and suggestions of the report, the member countries asked this Friday during a meeting of the OAS permanent council to carry out a reform that updates the organization’s code of ethics.
In turn, they called on OAS officials to adhere to the “highest ethical standards regardless of the lack of specificity of the existing rules”.
The member states ordered the General Secretariat and the Commission for Juridical and Political Affairs of the organization to present a list of proposals to update the ethical norms, according to the resolution.
In turn, they asked that the results of the report be made public on the agency’s website, something that has not yet been done.
The resolution had the consensus of the majority of members for its approval, except for El Salvador.
The permanent representative of Mexico to the OAS, Luz Elena Baños, very critical of Almagro, joined the consensus despite the fact that she considered that the resolution is “extremely limited and does not correspond to the seriousness of the violations that occurred” and reiterated the need for a general secretary who “do not use your privileges to further your personal ends”.
“It is very unfortunate that we have had to spend US$120,000 on an investigation that was obviously unnecessary given the public confession that the Secretary General made in this Permanent Council.Baños added.
Almagro, who was Foreign Minister of Uruguay between 2010 and 2015, has been in charge of the OAS since 2015. He was subjected to an investigation to determine if, in the framework of that sentimental relationship, he violated OAS regulations.
The organization approved last November to hire the services of the Miller & Chevalier law firm to carry out that investigation.
The controversy over the intimate relationship broke out shortly after the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) decided in September by majority to dismiss its president, the American of Cuban origin Mauricio Claver-Carone, for having a “affaire” with a subordinate, something that the latter denied.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
