Drafting Legislative Workshop

A joint mission of CICTE and UNODC experts in antiterrorism legislation visited Guatemala May 7-9 to follow up on a January 2007 workshop and to support efforts to review and finalize a draft antiterrorism law which the inter-institutional committee on terrorism has been preparing since 2004. They conducted a workshop and dialogue with approximately 80 representatives of governmental entities involved in editing the draft, with leaders of the political parties represented in the Congress, and with civil society associations. Participants agreed to send their comments to be processed and discussed within a month in order to incorporate them into the draft. The goal is to try to introduce it into Congress by September with the support of the legislative members of the commissions on Defense and Government whose chairs also met with the international CICTE and UNODC experts. The Foreign Ministry promised to keep moving forward the six international instruments against terrorism which are still pending to be incorporated into national legislation.