Unfinished Business: Guatemala’s International Commission against Impunity

The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala remains an “indispensable partner” in the country’s continuing battle against organized criminality and official corruption, according to this review of the performance of the UN-backed body since it was set up in 2007.

The nine-page assessment states: “In the past eight years, CICIG has played a crucial role in Guatemala in strengthening state investigative and prosecutorial institutions, advancing paradigmatic corruption cases and the prosecution of powerful criminals, providing international support for much-needed legal reform, and strengthening—and even safeguarding—state institutions and the democratic system.”

CICIG was set up to support the Guatemala’s Public Ministry, the National Police and other institutions in the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed by organized criminal enterprises with strong ties to political and security sector actors. It also works with other state institutions in other activities aimed at dismantling these groups.

The commission is a unique joint effort of the United Nations and the Guatemalan government: it receives financial and technical support from the international community, and is led by international staff, but it operates within Guatemalan law and the Guatemalan court system.