Bolivian politician and leading international expert in anti-corruption Ronald MacLean Abaroa gave a lecture in Union of Municipalities of Marmara (Istanbul/Turkey) on 1st of July 2009. Ronald MacLean Abaroa has been Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Planning in Bolivia, but is worldwide known for his successful mayoralty in the capital La Paz. First democratically elected mayor of the capital of Bolivia, Mr Maclean Abaroa has revolutionned the municipality, saving it from severe corruption.

Mr. Maclean Abaroa is the co-author of the book "Corrupt Cities - a Practical Guide to Cure and Prevention" written together with Robert Klitgaard and Lindsey Parris, which is translated all over the world in 18 languages. In this book, he describes the successful experience in treating and preventing corruption in his local government and city. Currently, Ronald MacLean Abaroa serves as senior advisor of the World Bank and also collaborates as Associate Professor with Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He has been the founder and the first president of Transparency International in Latin America.

During the conference in Istanbul, Mr. Maclean Abaroa presented to Turkish mayors and municipal officials his successful experience in La Paz.

Mr Maclean Abaroa's experience and publications have given inspiration to numerous projects against corruption at local level all over the world. Thus, a project supported by World Bank Institute and Open Society Institute/Local Government Initiative has been implemented successfully in 2009 in 20 countries. The project entitled "Programme for Anticorruption Practitioners" was run by the Romanian Partners Foundation for Local development (FPDL). In the second half of the conference in Istanbul, Mrs Ana Vasilache, President of FPDL, presented the results of this program, in which Union of Municipalities of Marmara has also taken an active part.

Source: http://www.marmara.gov.tr/newsdetail.aspx?newsId=382