New Network of Integrity Links in the Exercise of Public Functions

On September 17, through Decree No. 650/2019 and Administrative Decision No. 797/2019, published in the Official Gazette on September 18, the Argentine Executive established a network of Integrity Links for the different jurisdictions and decentralized agencies that comprise the Argentine Public Administration.

These measures reinforce the guidelines provided in Decree No. 258/2019, which approves the “Argentine Anti-Corruption Plan (2019-2023)”, and the recommendations made by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) within their study on Integrity in Argentina (2019), regarding the implementation of contact and cooperation points in matters of public integrity.

1. Main developments

The regulations establish that the heads of the organizational units in charge of the management and administration of human resources of the entities that comprise the Argentine Public Sector —in light of section 8, paragraphs a) and b) of Law No. 24,156— with the exception of those corresponding to the President’s office and the Decentralized Agencies operating within its jurisdiction, must act as “Integrity Links”.

The main functions of the Integrity Links are:

• To implement strategies to raise awareness and provide training on transparency, anti-corruption and ethics within their agencies, following up on the matters referred to them by the Argentine Anti-Corruption Office; and

• To promote compliance with international obligations and recommendations with regard to the fight against corruption, reporting to the Argentine Anti-Corruption Office on its level of progress.

In addition, the Argentine Anti-Corruption Office will be in charge of coordinating the activity of the Integrity Links, promoting their training and updating their areas of competence. This is in line with the strategic role given to the Argentine Anti-Corruption Office in fulfilling the Government’s objectives of transparency, public ethics and the fight against corruption.

Finally, the regulations invite provincial, municipal and the City of Buenos Aires’ governments to adopt similar measures in their respective jurisdictions.

2. Concluding Remarks

Through these new measures, the Argentine Government reinforces the fight against corruption, the promotion of public ethics and the culture of integrity and transparency in the Argentine Public Sector as a main priority. It will be important to follow closely the evolution and effective functioning of the Integrity Links in the fulfillment of these objectives.