MEETING OF THE COMMISSIONER AND DIPLOMATS IN NEW YORK

Guatemala, 10 July 2009. On 8 July, Commissioner Carlos Castresana met in New York City with approximately 30 Ambassadors and State officials that support Guatemala. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an overview of CICIG’s substantive activities and economic activity during the first two years of the Commission’s work, present a new budget for the next period and solicit the renewal of the donors’ pledges to finance the Commission.

B. Lynn Pascoe, Assistant Secretary-General for the UN’s Department of Political Affairs, presided over the meeting, and Gert Rosenthal, the Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the UN, was also present.

During the meeting, the there was practically unanimity among the Ambassadors in recognition of the work being carried out by CICIG, under the direction of Commissioner Carlos Castresana. The Ambassadors also considered the meeting to be a positive response to the public demands made by Guatemalan civil society just days before. The meeting affirmed the commitment of all of the countries that support Guatemala to continue providing political and financial support to CICIG in order to ensure the continuity of its work as CICIG is an essential institution for the preservation and improvement of the rule of law in Guatemala.

According to Castresana, the Ambassadors focused on the political importance of CICIG, the Commission’s work and the necessity to reinforce the physical and legal protection of CICIG personnel as well as the Commission’s legal status, in order to allow CICIG to realize its work without administrative or security concerns.

The Ambassadors agreed that CICIG is doing its work in conformity with its mandate and that the Commission is not creating problems but is bringing to the surface already existing problems that had been buried. “That is the only manner, so that one day Guatemala will unravel itself from impunity” expressed the Commissioner.

After congratulating Castresana for his dedication and commitment to CICIG’s work, the Ambassadors acknowledged that the international community must give important consideration to sustain and improve the support that CICIG will receive over the next two years. They also emphasized the credibility and respect that CICIG has gained in Guatemala and at the international level.

It was also noted that the negative pressure CICIG is receiving means that its work is having an impact on Guatemalan society as well as the clandestine interests and organizations that have acted with total impunity in the past but are now implicated in cases investigated by the Commission. The intimidation and harassment of CICIG by certain sectors and individuals are the result of the Commission’s work. The Ambassadors expressed that CICIG’s work is an essential component to foster security and maintain the rule of law in Central America.

Gert Rosenthal emphasized that even more than the social recognition, the Commission’s concrete results were significant as CICIG had provoked a change in the mentality of Guatemalans, who for the first time understood that impunity could be combated and defeated. Rosenthal summarized CICIG’s efforts with a resounding “Yes we can”.

During the meeting, the participants confirmed their desire for CICIG to continue strengthening its role in its investigations and prosecutions as well as to continue providing capacity building and technical assistance. Moreover, some Ambassadors expressed the importance of continuing to work to combat impunity in order to continue having an effect on the citizens of Guatemala as well as the clandestine groups, who are reacting because they see the privileges and impunity that they have always enjoyed threatened.

All of the participants agreed that CICIG requires additional support from the United Nations in order to guarantee its security, stability and capacity to fulfil its mandate.