A FORUM to tackle corruption featuring participation of local Members of Parliament (MPs) has opened at the Guyana Marriott, Kingston, Georgetown.
The forum provides a platform for the provision of technical assistance and expertise to the sub-committee on the draft Code of Conduct, in addition to the exploration of the principles behind the United Nations Convention against corruption and its relevance to parliamentarians here.

The seminar was also organised to examine and build understanding of the role of parliamentarians in scrutiny, oversight and legislation with relation to corruption; and to promote knowledge exchange and discussion between the UK and Guyana on issues of corruption, standards in public office and parliamentary codes of conduct.

On Thursday, Speaker of the Guyanese National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland said the forum, which is a timely intervention, will enable parliamentarians to better recognise the signs of corruption and take bold steps to combat it.

In Guyana, he said significant progress has been made to combat corruption. In addition to ratifying the United Nations Convention against Corruption in April 2008, the National Assembly in 2003 passed a resolution for the recreation of four sectoral committees which were established in keeping with Article 119 of the Constitution.

They are: the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources and the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations.

Dr Scotland explained that the committees have the responsibility to scrutinise all areas of Government Policy and Administration.

Additionally, he pointed out that the Public Accounts Committee has the power to exercise general supervision over the functioning of the office of Auditor General.
Though progress has been made, the Speaker said there is still room for improvement.

Sir Kevin Barron, Member of Parliament in the UK Parliament expressed the hope that the forum will serve to strengthen the Parliament of Guyana.

The forum opened on Wednesday with meetings with the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Work Group with the sub-committee on the draft Code of Conduct.

The meetings will conclude today