Guatemala, August 4, 2011. "Forum with CICIG: Main responsibilities of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala and its support for the justice sector" was the name of the event where Commissioner Francisco Dall'Anese Ruiz spoke about impunity, insecurity and the strengthening of judicial institutions.

The event was organized by the Commission of Human Rights, Security and Justice of the National Council for the Implementation of the Peace Accords (CNAP), which aims to foment dialogue and reach agreements on legislative aspects related to the aforementioned accords. The purpose of the event was to learn more about the involvement of CICIG in the fight against impunity in Guatemala.

Manuel Conde Orellana, the first President of the Peace Commission, opened the activity and declared that the presence of CICIG was the result of efforts taken in the country within the framework of negotiations and socio-political development. "CICIG is not an invention or an experiment, but rather it is part of a social and political process, and a country vision, placing importance upon the need to seek UN support to reduce impunity levels in Guatemala," he said.

Insecurity
In his address, the Commissioner underlined the fact that insecurity is caused, inter alia, by the absence of acceptable living conditions in a society: "Crime occurs when there is no social investment, no hope for a better life or when people are born and die without having the chance to progress."

He added that organized crime has taken advantage of the situation and its members provide housing, healthcare, sporting activities and money to people who, in return, support and legitimize the activities of those groups of criminals.

"Due to the irresponsibility of the States, these spaces have been taken over by drug lords and, therefore, insecurity is created as a result of drug trafficking, trafficking in arms, human trafficking and other such illicit activities that cause social damage," he stressed.

The Commissioner also said that the only way for State institutions to survive is through the legitimacy given to it by its citizens. When that legitimacy is lost, "democracy dies". Therefore, the States face the challenge of regaining control of spaces controlled by organized crime.

Impunity
The Commissioner explained that this scourge has three variants: Impunity in the system, when no justice officials work effectively, and also impunity caused by the mafia, whereby judges and prosecutors are subject to threats and intimidation or when organized crime places its people within judicial institutions.

"The third kind of impunity is linked to the classes and arises when justice officials face negative consequences if they pursue individuals with economic or political powers [...]. This situation prevents us from progressing towards democratic justice and creates inequality among citizens," he added.

According to the Commissioner, the main problem with impunity is inequality in society: "When some people kill, others can misappropriate State property without facing any consequences; it is because they form part of a super class that considers itself to be above the law."

Therefore, he said it was necessary to strengthen the justice system so that everyone, in particular public office-bearers, is tried in a court of law when accused of committing a crime.

Strengthening
The Commissioner stated that in this second phase, CICIG would support and strengthen the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) and the justice institutions, because the "Commission came to cooperate, not to replace Guatemalan authorities—that is our mission in the country."

He added that to truly strengthen judicial institutions and tackle organized crime, it would be necessary to combine seven building blocks: elite prosecution officers, an International Relations Office at the MP, a stronger Witness Protection Program, a specialized criminal investigation police force, an information platform, a stronger Special Investigation Methods Section, and judicial independence.

The participants in the event described the Commission's work to be positive, stating that thanks to the support provided to the MP, it has been possible to shed light on a number of cases, which would have been impossible in the past.