COVID-19 Emergency Powers Heighten Corruption Risk in the Americas – Report of the Vance Center’s Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights

Investigations and allegations of corruption in public procurement directly linked to the official COVID-19 response already have arisen throughout the Americas, according to a report by the Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice. Corruption in Times of COVID-19: a Regional Perspective on Public Procurement, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, summarizes the exceptional legal measures of governments in response to the pandemic, particularly in public procurement, and highlights the resulting corruption risks. The report cites notable civil society and media initiatives to monitor government responses to the pandemic.

The Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights brings together private practice law professionals in the Americas to combat corruption and to support the rule of law and the work of the civil society. The Lawyers Council consists of 18 lawyers from 14 countries, distinguished in private legal practice nationally and regionally, with demonstrated civic commitment.

The report undescores that, despite genuine efforts, existing mechanisms to combat corruption in the region are insufficient. Most countries already had serious corruption risks, and relaxing controls over public procurement has created new vulnerabilities to corruption. Indeed, at a time when society most needs credible institutions to marshal national resources to confront the health and economic consequences of the pandemic, loosening existing safeguards threatens a further loss of legitimacy and squandering of limited resources. The reports also highlights the work of civil society organizations and the media to identify and make public the misuse of resources designed to combat the pandemic. In several countries, allegations of corruption have already resulted in resignations and dismissals of high-level elected and public officials, the report found, although these cases remain the exceptions that signal the increased risks.

In the report, the Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights calls on the legal community throughout the region, including lawyers in the private sector (at both law firms and companies), bar associations, pro bono clearinghouses, and law schools, to be vigilant and active in support of anti-corruption efforts relating to COVID-19 and to work in support of civil society actors who are leading the fight for transparency and fairness.

Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/corruptioncovidVCLC

About the Vance Center

The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice of the New York City Bar Association advances global justice by engaging lawyers across borders to support civil society and an ethically active legal profession. The Vance Center is a unique collaboration of international lawyers catalyzing public interest innovation that brings together leading law firms and other partners worldwide to pioneer international justice initiatives and provide pro bono legal representation to social justice NGOs.www.vancecenter.org

About the Association

The mission of the New York City Bar Association, which was founded in 1870 and has 24,000 members, is to equip and mobilize a diverse legal profession to practice with excellence, promote reform of the law, and uphold the rule of law and access to justice in support of a fair society and the public interest in our community, our nation, and throughout the world. www.nycbar.org