UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson issued a statement on Tuesday, noting concerns raised by the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, with regards to “the election of magistrates to the Supreme Court of Justice in Guatemala”.

Gabriela Carina Knaul de Albuquerque e Silva, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers said, “The recent election… ignored the principles of transparency, objectivity and expertise needed in this type of process.”
 

She further expressed disappointment that the Congress of Guatemala had not followed her predecessor’s recommendations in July concerning the election of Supreme Court judges.
 

She urged Congress to guarantee civil society participation in elections and to ensure that the Court’s judges meet international standards of honesty and competency.
 

The Spokesperson for the Secretary-General concluded, "This is an issue of great importance to the fight against impunity in the country. The Secretary-General trusts the Guatemalan Congress will ensure that judges of unquestioned competence, independence and integrity are named to the country's highest courts.
 

Source: UN News Centre