20 Apr 2010

UN / GUATEMALA COMMISSION AGAINST IMPUNITY

Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Menchu tells reporters that Guatemalans “are making an effort” to fight impunity but still need the “involvement” of the international community in bringing about institutional change. Guatemala’s former Vice President Eduardo Stein adds that there is a “light at the end of the tunnel” for Guatemala’s problems. UNTV / FILE

Posted at: April 20, 2010 3:57 pm

Duration: 02:05

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / GUATEMALA COMMISSION AGAINST IMPUNITY
TRT: 2.05
SOURCE: UNTV / 21 CENTURY 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE 
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 20 APRIL 2010, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN building

20 APRIL 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press Conference panel
3. Med shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rigoberta Menchu, Nobel Peace Laureate:
"We the people of Guatemala are making an effort to reinforce the justice that our people need. I know that you have questions but the most important thing for us is that we haven't ceased in our fight against impunity. We continue to need the involvement of the international community and we would like to congratulate the United Nations on the role it has played. "
5. Med shot, reporter
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eduardo Stein, former Vice-President of Guatemala:
"We needed outside help to better the quality of our justice system and to fight impunity putting in practice the successes other countries have been able to have in their own right."
7. Med shot, photographer
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eduardo Stein, former Vice-President of Guatemala:
"Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The staggering results in just two very short years show that indeed there are good people in our public institutions." 
9. Wide shot, reporters
10.	SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Rigoberta Menchu, Nobel Peace Laureate:
"It is the first time there exists a commission against impunity that helps Guatemala and perhaps many other countries in the world could benefit from a commission like this one." 
11. Wide shot, press conference exit

FILE - 21 CENTURY- MAY-JUNE 2009, GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA

12. Wide shot, city slums and volcano in background
13.	Wide shot, traffic
14.	Wide shot, soldier patrolling
15.	Various shots, crime scenes with dead bodies
16.	Med shot, crying woman at crime scene
17. Med shot, police arresting criminal

STORYLINE:

Rigoberta Menchu, Nobel Peace Laureate and human rights advocate, addressed reporters at a press conference today (20 April) to discuss the successes achieved by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).

Menchu emphasized the efforts Guatemalans are making to achieve justice and reminded reporters that Guatemalans hadn't "ceased in [their] fight against impunity." She also urged the international community and the United Nations to continue their roles in supporting Guatemala's fight against impunity.

The UN and the Guatemalan Government agreed to set up CICIG in December 2006 as an independent body to support the Public Prosecutors Office, the National Civilian Police and other institutions to investigate a limited number of sensitive and difficult cases regarding illegal security groups and clandestine security organizations and dismantle them. It began work in 2008.

Former Guatemalan Vice-President Eduardo Stein explained the role of the Commission saying that outside help was needed "to better the quality of [Guatemala's] justice system and to fight impunity" much as other countries have done.

The Commission's work has seen some 2,000 police officers, or 15 per cent of the force, dismissed on corruption charges through administrative procedures and 130 people jailed on criminal charges, including a former President as well as former Ministers of Defence, Finance and the Interior.

When answering questions from reporters, Stein said that now there is "light at the end of the tunnel" for Guatemala as the "staggering results" have proven that "indeed there are good people" in Guatemala's public institutions.

Menchu also responded to questions from the press and lauded the Commission's work saying it was "the first time there exists a commission against impunity that helps Guatemala" and suggested other countries may benefit from a similar commission.