Chile’s Struggle with Transparency and Anti-Corruption Efforts Underfunded

Introduction

Santiago, Chile - A recent report by Fundación Multitudes highlights the country’s struggle to implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), citing underfunding as one of the main obstacles. The organization has called for urgent action to address the lack of transparency and anti-corruption measures in place.

Challenges Implementing UNCAC

The report analyzed Chile’s performance in implementing UNCAC and revealed that while some progress has been made, significant challenges remain. One major obstacle is limited financial and human resources, which hinder intersectional investigations, particularly in areas such as drugs and public corruption.

Private Sector Transparency

Private sector transparency is also a concern in Chile, as there is no law regulating private sector transparency. Information is often scarce and depends on the will of the private sector, leading to conflicts of interest being sanctioned by the courts. While some progress has been made in anti-money laundering efforts, significant gaps remain, including a lack of communication and coordination among public institutions.

Asset Recovery

The report also highlighted issues with asset recovery, citing the lack of a centralized system for collecting data on seized assets and the absence of an asset recovery office or adequate mechanism for custody and administration. Chile’s authorities have been commended for promoting the implementation of policies aimed at increasing the seizure and confiscation of assets derived from money laundering and terrorist financing.

Recommendations

In response to these findings, Fundación Multitudes has issued a series of key recommendations for priority actions to be taken by the Chilean government:

• Promote transparency in the private sector: Implement a legal framework to generate models of prevention, transparency, and monitoring of crimes in the private sphere.
• Establish systematization mechanisms: Implement a systematization mechanism for codes of ethics, internal controls, and audits to certify good practices, prevent crimes, and typify those that incur in irregularities.
• Strengthen the Anticorruption Alliance Chile: Generate more structure within the alliance and adopt an appropriate guideline for creating a working group integrated transversally into public administration, private entities, academia, civil society organizations, and international organizations.

Conclusion

The report has sparked widespread concern among anti-corruption advocates, who are calling on the government to take urgent action to address these issues. “Chile’s struggle with transparency and anti-corruption efforts is a stark reminder of the need for sustained commitment and resources,” said a spokesperson for Fundación Multitudes. “We urge the government to prioritize these recommendations and work towards building a more transparent and accountable society.”

Accessing the Report

The full report can be accessed on the Fundación Multitudes website, including an English translation.

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