DURATION OF CICIG MANDATE

Guatemala, January 17, 2012. The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) communicates the following:

The Agreement on the establishment of CICIG, entered into between the United Nations and the Government of Guatemala, remains in force, as envisioned in Article 14 therein. Said article stipulates the start and end date of the mandate of the Commission.

The agreement was ratified by the Congress of the Republic on August 1, 2007, and it entered into force on September 4, 2007. Therefore, the current mandate is a temporary extension of the agreement.

The extension of the agreement does not constitute a new agreement. It is the implementation of the pre-existing agreement, which has not been modified in any way and as stipulated in Article 14 therein: "It shall have a duration of (2) years and may be extended by a written agreement between the parties." (And not through a new mandate or legislative approval).

CICIG also reports that since the beginning of its activities, a number of different campaigns have been used to attempt to exclude it from certain important cases. Such campaigns seek to perpetuate the current impunity affecting the Guatemalan justice system. The actions taken by Moisés Galindo fall under this bracket.

CICIG will continue to work towards achieving the goals set forth in its mandate so long as the Government of Guatemala or the United Nations consider necessary.

Article 14 of the founding agreement of CICIG reads as follows:

"Article 14. Entry into force.
This agreement shall enter into force on the date on which the State of Guatemala officially notifies the United Nations that it has completed its internal procedures for approval and ratification. It shall have a duration of (2) years and may be extended by a written agreement between the parties."

See agreement