Across Latin America and the Caribbean, governments are confronting a complex set of challenges, from low productivity growth and fiscal constraints to rising security concerns, environmental risks and growing societal demands. In this context, strong public institutions grounded in integrity and accountability have become a strategic investment for economic resilience.
Over the past decade, the region has demonstrated remarkable leadership in advancing integrity and open government reforms. Building on a long tradition of regional engagement, from the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption to the Lima Commitment and the OECD LAC Action Plan on Integrity for Good Governance, countries have increasingly moved beyond reactive approaches focused on combating corruption towards comprehensive strategies aimed at fostering a culture of integrity and transparency. At the same time, the region has not only adopted international standards but has also emerged as a source of innovation and inspiration, pioneering approaches in citizen participation, open government, integrity mainstreaming, inter-institutional co-ordination and the use of data and technology for integrity.
Nonetheless, important implementation gaps remain. Evidence from the OECD Public Integrity Indicators shows that, while countries in the region have established increasingly robust legal and institutional frameworks, translating these advances into effective implementation and tangible outcomes continues to be a challenge. Drawing on almost 25 years of OECD engagement in the region, this publication takes stock of progress achieved with a focus on the past 10 years, identifies remaining obstacles and highlights six priority areas where action is needed to strengthen impact, sustain reform momentum and reinforce public trust.
This report is launched on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the OECD-IDB Public Integrity Network for Latin America and the Caribbean, marking a decade of strategic partnership between the OECD and the Inter-American Development Bank in support of integrity and transparency reforms across the region. By sharing experiences, evidence and practical policy orientations, this regional brief deepens peer learning and policy dialogue, with the leadership of the OECD Working Party on Public Integrity and Anti-Corruption, the OECD Working Party on Open Government to foster integrity as a driver of trust, democratic resilience and economic development.