Guatemala, July 15, 2011. The Government of Sweden reiterated support for the work of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), entering a cooperation agreement with the United Nations in Guatemala worth GTQ 16 million.

The agreement was signed by Michael Frühling, Ambassador of Sweden; Francisco Javier Dall'Anese Ruiz, CICIG Commissioner; and René Mauricio Valdés, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Guatemala.

"Sweden, as a friend of Guatemala, has supported CICIG since it began in Guatemala; the support has been political, moral and economic. In consequence, today we are donating GTQ 16 million to support the work led by Commissioner Dall'Anese," said Ambassador Frühling.

The diplomat stated that international support is aimed at helping to reduce impunity levels in Guatemala, but to be successful the Government institutions will have to provide efficient and concrete responses.

"Nothing can substitute the efforts and national responsibilities of the justice institutions in fighting this scourge, but leaders of politics, the business world, civil society, and social media also have a part to play," he said.

The Ambassador expressed his satisfaction with the work of the Commission and Guatemalan institutions, which are working in a coordinated fashion: "We are satisfied with the manner in which the Attorney General is leading her team and efficiently coordinating with CICIG and other State bodies to achieve progress and lay down clear precedents in the fight against impunity in Guatemala."

The Commissioner indicated that the support of the Government of Sweden had once again demonstrated the solidarity and sense of justice that characterizes the country: "This contribution is an example of the international sense that impunity should not be tolerated in any country in the world." He added that when institutions are not "judicially aggressive" in delivering justice, the international community has a special public prosecution office that oversees bringing certain individuals before an international court. In consequence, he expressed his hope that the State of Guatemala will ratify the Rome Statute in order to enter into the system.

"The presence of CICIG reflects the international sentiment that impunity must be tackled, and it was requested by Guatemala as part of dealing with this scourge. The support of the Swedish Government will enable the Commission to continue supporting Guatemalans so that justice is in line with the law," stressed the Commissioner.

The Commissioner highlighted the investigation work of the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) and the National Civil Police (PNC), especially in the cases of the murder of a series of mayoral candidates and the murder of Argentine singer, Facundo Cabral.

"I am pleased that the Attorney General [Claudia Paz y Paz] adopted very good prosecution policies, and the Commission backed her, but it was the MP officials who worked day and night that made it possible to streamline the investigation of the Cabral case. These efforts give hope that judicial institutions will assume their rightful place and thereby cause Guatemalans to begin to believe in their institutions and democracy," he said.

René Mauricio Valdés, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guatemala, expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Frühling for the economic support, stating that even with the backdrop of the economic downturn, there has been a strong investment in the work of the Commission, leading to a series of cases being solved.

"On behalf of the international community and the United Nations, allow me to acknowledge and praise the work being conducted by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of the Interior to achieve progress in high-impact cases. It has been a joint effort with CICIG that has made it possible to provide important technical and scientific support to speed up investigations," he said.