Saint Lucia
Capital
Castries
Territory
610km²
Population (2020)
183,629
GDP Total (2020)
1.703B USD
GDP Per Capita (2020)
9,276 USD
Icome Group
Upper middle income
Convention Implementation
Corruption Resilience
Convention Implementation
Score by thematic sections and measures
Anti-corruption conventions timeline
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|
Conventions
- IACAC - Inter-American Convention Against Corruption
- UNCAC - United Nations Convention against Corruption
- OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
Key events
- Signed
- Ratifed / acceded
- Review rounds
Convention Implementation Analysis
Saint Lucia ratified the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (IACAC) on January 23, 2003. It is a State Party to the Follow-Up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) since April 4th, 2018. Accordingly, Saint Lucia has undergone one round of review under MESICIC, covering the provisions selected for review within the framework of the second and fifth rounds. The country also acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) on November 25, 2011; however, there is no available information concerning the country’s participation in its review mechanism. Saint Lucia’s record in implementing its commitments to IACAC exhibits only failures.
With an overall score of 30.9, the measures adopted place the country at the lowest level of compliance with international norms, behind Suriname (31.7), Dominica (38.4), and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (46.7). While implementation efforts may be said to be well distributed among the available sections—preventive and criminalization—the few preventive measures reviewed, the lack of measures concerning international cooperation, and the lack of progress in any single measure reflect a general state of deficit.
Regarding the prevention of corruption, the country’s absence from the MESICIC until 2018 does not allow for the assessment of most preventive measures. However, the three reviewed measures—transparency in government contracting (14.8), the training of public officials (28.9), and the study of preventive measures related to equitable compensation (35.9)—produce an average section score of 26.6 (“core-deficient”). Concerning government contracting, the report of the fifth round of review of MESICIC (adopted in 2020) highlights several deficits in the legislative framework and institutional mechanisms, including the fact that “although the Public Service Commission may remove persons from office under its purview, the legislative framework does not enable, as the oversight body for government hiring in the Public Service, to revoke and, where appropriate, take corrective measures, in relation to appointments that have been found to be irregular, improper or made through fraudulent means.” Similarly, “[w]ith respect to the internal and external audit, control and oversight of the government system for public procurement, the Committee notes that the legislative framework in place does not explicitly contemplate such control and monitoring mechanisms.”
In terms of criminalization and law enforcement, Saint Lucia shows equally poor results, with all measures within this section classified as core-deficient or unimplemented. These are: the protection of those who report acts of corruption (i.e., whistleblower protection) (3.1); and the criminalization of active and passive public bribery, abuse of functions, money laundering, and extended forms of involvement in the commission of corruption offenses such as participation and attempt, all of which receive a score of 39.1. Concerning whistleblower protection, MESICIC declines to make a further assessment of the country’s actions due to the lack a comprehensive legislative framework, pointing out that “[a]lthough citizens may report acts of corruption to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and the Integrity Commission, these mechanisms are inadequate for promoting the purposes of the Convention.” Saint Lucia’s record in promoting and engaging with international cooperation were not reviewed by MESICIC.
Finally, the review of implementation and/or enforcement activities contained in this report could not be elaborated on due to the lack of information. Saint Lucia is cited by the MESICIC as providing no statistical information to assess the level of implementation of legally adopted measures. While lack of monitoring and data collection mechanisms is not solely found in Saint Lucia, the issue is worth emphasizing in order to support a more detailed and effective assessment.
Corruption Resilience
Score by indicator
Corruption Resilience score over the time
Analysis
Saint Lucia's social context indicator score dropped in 2020 by 4.53 points from the previous year. Despite the country's drop in indicator score, Saint Lucia substantially exceeds the Western Hemisphere country average of 64.89 by 18.54 points. Throughout the decade, Saint Lucia's indicator score has been consistently high among the Western Hemisphere countries and the Caribbeans. Within the Caribbean, Saint Lucia is among the three top-performing countries concerning the social context indicator. The country's score has varied over the years, and wherein 2016, it achieved its highest score of 89.09, and in 2020 it achieved its lowest score. Saint Lucia's score falls within the 75th percentile for the Western Hemisphere countries indicator scores in 2020. Saint Lucia’s social context indicator score is mainly attributed to the guaranteed and respected civil liberties and political rights within the country. In addition, the constitution guarantees freedom of expression and communication, and the media's freedom is respected within the country.
With regard to the quality of governance and institutions, Saint Lucia’s 2020 indicator score increased by 4.55 points from the previous year. The country's score has varied throughout the decade and consistently remained within the 50 and 60 range. The Western Hemisphere country indicator average was 50.63 for 2020, and Saint Lucia's score exceeded the average by 6.78 points. Saint Lucia achieved the highest indicator score of 65.76 in 2013, and its lowest score of 52.86 in 2019. Compared to its Caribbean counterparts, Saint Lucia's indicator score falls within the top percentile for the subregion. The country’s 2020 indicator score was largely attributed to issues of corruption and inadequate transparency.
Saint Lucia's rule of law indicator score for 2020 declined by a slight 0.11 points from the previous year. The Western Hemisphere country indicator average was 51.15 for 2020, and Saint Lucia's score substantially exceeded the average by 19.53 points. Saint Lucia's score began to improve in 2013, where it increased by 9.90 points from the previous year and continued to do so over the decade. The country achieved its lowest score for the indicator in 2012 with 45.10 and its highest score for the indicator in 2016 with 71.58. Saint Lucia's score is mainly attributed to the independence and effectiveness of the country, as it remains impervious to the influence of politicians and business elites.
In terms of the country’s business stability, Saint Lucia’s 2020 indicator score increased by 0.70 points from the previous year, resulting in a score of 61.56. Throughout the decade, the country’s indicator score has varied, but consistently remained within the 60-point range. Saint Lucia's score exceeds the Western Hemisphere countries average of 50.53 for 2020 by 11.03 points. The country achieved its lowest score (45.10) for the indicator in 2012 and its highest score (71.58) for the indicator in 2016. Saint Lucia's business stability score for 2020 is mainly attributed to the country’s effective legal and regulatory framework which supports business activity.
Lastly, with regard to the violence and stability indicator, Saint Lucia's 2020 score declined by 13.89 points from the previous year. The country's score falls just below the Western Hemisphere average of 55.04 by a slight 0.11 points. Between 2015 and 2016, the country achieved its highest scores of 81.59 and 90.89, respectively. Throughout the decade, the country's score has fluctuated but always remained above 50.76.