EVENT HELD IN NEW YORK ON THE FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY IN GUATEMALA

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Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium at United Nations Headquarters in New York
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

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Guatemala, April 16, 2010. The United Nations General Secretariat, through its Department of Political Affairs, the Office of the United Nations System Resident Coordinator in Guatemala, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), are organizing an event on the fight against impunity in Guatemala, with special reference made to the role played by CICIG. The activity will take place in New York on April 20 and 21, 2010.

The informative and analytical event will include a distinguished group of national leaders invited by the UN to share their views on the Commission’s work in the current socio-political context of Guatemala, its contribution to strengthen justice and the role that the National Agreement for the Advancement of Security and Justice can play in the sustained fight against impunity in the country. Discussions are expected to address the tasks that the Commission should undertake in the second period of its mandate to consolidate accomplishments and optimize the experience gained.

The event will include a meeting with UN Member States to address aspects of the Commission’s organization and operation, accomplishments and challenges and financial and technical support requirements to complete the 2010-2011 period.

Taking into consideration the recommendations of the diplomatic missions in Guatemala that support CICIG’s work, various events have been organized in order to allow the Permanent Missions at the UN in New York, other members of the international community and high UN officials to hear, first hand, the opinions of different members of Government and Guatemalan Society about the Commission, its work and its impact in the country.

Other activities include a colloquium on the fight against impunity in Guatemala, to be conducted at the headquarters of the "Open Society Institute". Several member of the delegation who have been invited to share their view on the matter, will participate in this event.

Additionally, a press conference will be offered on April 20 at 12:00 noon at the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium at United Nations headquarters in New York.

The Guatemalan Delegation includes:
Roberto Alejos
President of the Congress of the Republic
César Barrientos
President of the Supreme Court of Justice’s Criminal Chamber
Francisco Jiménez
Technical Secretary of the National Security Council
Rigoberta Menchú Tum
Nobel Peace Laureate 1992
Eduardo Stein Barillas
Former Vice President of Guatemala
Raquel Zelaya
Executive Secretary of ASIES and former Secretary for Peace
Peter Lamport
Businessman, former Minister of Finance and former Guatemalan Ambassador to Washington, DC
Gonzalo Marroquín
Director of the daily paper Prensa Libre and Vice President of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA).
Anabella Sibrián
Member of the NGO Consortium Dutch Platform

Travelling with the delegation are:
Carlos Castresana
CICIG Commissioner (International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala).
René Mauricio Valdés
United Nations System Resident Coordinator in Guatemala

Contact for the media:
Jared Kotler, Press and Public Affairs, UN Department of Political Affairs, at kotler@un.org, 917-367-5264
Diego Alvarez, Press Officer, CICIG, alvarez4@un.org, 011-(502)43915046.