30 November - The Second National Forum on Criminal Justice in Guinea-Bissau, organized by the Supreme Court of Justice with technical support from the UN Peace-building Support Office, UNIOGBIS, ended on Thursday 29 November in Bissau with a call for the creation of safety and the provision of special protection for law enforcers involved in the fight against impunity.

Participants also recommended the pursuit of training, the continued exchange of information and experiences in combating transnational organized crime, and the strengthening of the institutional capacity of Guinea-Bissau's financial intelligence unit, the CENTIF-GB, in order to help combat money laundering and other economic crimes.

The 85 participants, drawn from the judiciary, police, military prosecution and the common criminal justice system, further recommended the provision of material and financial resources to law enforcers so that they can have greater independence.

The three-day forum fell within the framework of the reform of the judiciary. Its aims included recommending policy reforms to ensure greater promotion and protection of the fundamental rights of citizens and the rule of law as well as to enhance institutional collaboration in crime-fighting, access to justice and the fight against impunity.

It focused on a variety of themes, including the causes and consequences of impunity, ethics and deontology in the legal professions, planning and organizing criminal investigations, juvenile criminal law, and international cooperation in combating organized crime. Other topics included a mid-term review of the Code of Criminal Procedure [Law No. 15/2011], the protection of witnesses, victims and their families in criminal law, justice and the rule of law and the crime of female genital mutilation (FGM).

With regard to the fight against FGM, participants recommended stronger collaboration between all state actors, NGOs, and local and traditional authorities. They also advocated the revision of the Code of Criminal Procedure, greater respect for citizens' fundamental rights and the principles of the Rule of Law.

Speaking at the opening session, on Tuesday, the President of the Superior Military Tribunal, Dr. Eduardo Sanha, stressed that impunity was a general concern. He said there was an urgent need to create and promote the required conditions, materials and legal framework to develop faith in the criminal justice system and prevent people from resorting to private justice.

The Director of UNIOGBIS' Security Sector Reform (SSR) Division, Dr. Antero Lopes, said the recommendations resulting from the first forum on criminal justice, held in November 2011, served as a guiding tool to improve the performance of judicial institutions in the fight against organized and transnational crime. Many of these recommendations had been implemented, he said, but there was still a long way to go.

For his part, the acting Vice President of the Supreme Court Dr. Paulo Sanha, highlighted, among other things, the role of the United Nations, whose technical support, he said, was crucial to the realization of the forum.