COMMISSIONER PRESENTS CICIG´S 2012-2013 WORK PLAN AT UN HEADQUARTERS

Guatemala, September 6, 2012. Today, at the UN Headquarters in New York, Francisco Javier Dall´Anese Ruiz, head of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), presented the CICIG work plan for 2012 to 2013 before representatives of donor countries and other nations interested in contributing to the judicial system in Guatemala. The plan centers around four thematic areas.

The Commissioner was joined by Roxana Baldetti, Vice President of the Republic of Guatemala; Thelma Aldana, President of the Supreme Court of Justice; Gudy Rivera, President of Congress; Claudia Paz y Paz, Attorney General of the Nation; and Mauricio López Bonilla, Minister of the Interior.

The four strategies of the plan are as follows:

1. Contribute to reducing impunity rates: For 2013, plans are afoot to prepare investigation reports and conduct police investigations with the aim of fulfilling this objective. Furthermore, criminal analysis products and financial investigation products will be finished and procedural activities will be carried out. (To date, the following have been completed: 55 investigation reports, 12,010 police investigation activities, 1,450 criminal investigation reports, 102 financial investigation products and 441 procedural activities.)


2. Contribute to coordinating the State in the fight against criminality: This objective has been achieved and will continue to be achieved up until 2013 through the offering of technical assistance, training programs and the transfer of capacities to the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP), the National Civil Police (PNC), the Judiciary (OJ) and other government institutions. (To date, 1343 law enforcement officials have received training in the areas of criminal investigation, criminal prosecution and security.)


3. Contribute to implementing strategies to eradicate and prevent the re-emergence of illegal security forces and clandestine security organizations (CIACS): To achieve this objective, strategic partners will be identified to take steps towards developing a plan to raise awareness among Members of Congress, an outreach strategy will be implemented regarding the need for legislative reforms, and elements will be identified that are conducive to the presentation of new legal reforms to fight the CIACS. (This has been achieved to date through the presentation of 15 legal and institutional reform proposals on security and justice; 4 have been approved: the Arms and Ammunition Law, the Law to Strengthen Criminal Prosecution, the Law on Criminal Jurisdiction in High-risk Proceedings and the Anti-organized Crime Law. Furthermore, legal and institutional reforms have been encouraged.)


4. Contribute to raising awareness regarding the impact of impunity upon a democratic society: Up until 2013, this objective will be met through the drafting of thematic reports, work reports and reports on selection processes for public office-bearers. (To date, the following have been completed: 3 thematic reports on the activities of the CIACS, 398 CICIG accountability reports and 11 profile reports. In addition, assistance has been provided in nine selection processes for public office-bearers.)

CICIG has progressed greatly with regard to the investigation and criminal prosecution of cases of corruption, money laundering, extra-judicial killings and drug trafficking that involve high-ranking State officials and former State officials, businesspersons and illegal drug traffickers. This has led to 135 persons being linked to proceedings on different charges.

The progress and accomplishments of CICIG´s strategic plan depend up the support and commitment of its Guatemalan counterparts: the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP), the Judiciary (MP) and the Congress of the Republic.