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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 8, 2002

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
May 7, 2002

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman:)

Pursuant to the resolution of advice and consent to ratification of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption adopted by the Senate on July 27, 2000, the President must submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations an annual implementation report each year for a 5-year period, beginning after the initial report was filed in April 2001.

This second report to the Congress, prepared by my Administration, indicates that 28 of the 34 members of the Organization of American States have signed the Convention (Barbados and Belize signed in the past year), and 25 members deposited their instruments of ratification with the Organization of American States.

Since the last report, the realization that corruption threatens political and economic stability, undermines democracy, and can create conditions ripe for terrorism has focused governments on the need to actively combat this international scourge. The Inter-American Convention contributes to this fight in the Americas and serves as a model to other regions. With the development of an effective evaluation mechanism, the Convention will help establish a new level of transparency and accountability. This report also outlines the steps taken to establish an evaluation mechanism, known as the Committee of Experts, to oversee implementation of the Convention.

I look forward to working with you to ensure that we continue to combat corruption in our hemisphere and across the globe.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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