A/HRC/35/23/Add.1 entities. Decree 168-2013 of August 2013 provided for the creation of the Military Public Order Police to support the national police in confronting the challenges posed by organized crime, drug trafficking and gang activity. The measure had originally been intended as a short-term emergency response while the national police entered a process of reform and depuration, and murder rates remained high. 91. While the support of the military had been welcomed by certain sectors of society, including members of the national police, many others had raised concern about the expected negative repercussions of the militarization of society and the insufficient legal specification of the functions of the military police and its use of force. The introduction of the military police, although understandable as an emergency response, requires the adoption of clearly defined roles and rules of engagement to prevent abuses by an armed body trained for the conduct of war and not for the provision of citizen security. In his meetings with relevant authorities, the Special Rapporteur was unable to get a clear picture of the legal framework applicable to the use of force by the military police, which is a matter of concern. 92. According to reports from civil society, human rights abuses by the military have increased with the militarization of citizen security. Between 2012 and 2014, agents of the military police were accused of involvement in at least nine killings, more than 20 cases of torture and about 30 illegal arrests. At least 24 soldiers were under investigation in connection with the killings.74 93. A special unit within the national police known as TIGRES was created by decree in 2013. The unit is mandated to act in special operations undertaken in the context of highimpact crimes, such as drug trafficking and organized criminal activity. It also supports extradition processes. 94. The government also established the National Force for Inter-institutional Security. It agglomerates several State entities — including the armed forces, the national police, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the judiciary — to coordinate actions aimed at strengthening criminal investigations and prosecution of high-impact crimes. The National Force is currently headed by a military commander. While the Government informed the Rapporteur that the role of the Commander was merely to coordinate the actions of the agencies involved in the National Force, many actors voiced concern that it blurred the separation of powers among the different branches of Government involved in criminal investigations, and more particularly put at risk the independence of the judiciary and of prosecutors involved in these cases. 95. In parallel to those measures, the armed forces implemented the “Guardians of the Nation” programme aimed at providing civic, patriotic and religious education to Honduran children and adolescents to reduce the risk that they might become involved in organized crime or gang activity. The armed forces leads the programme and implements it with the assistance of other actors, such as churches, doctors and psychologists. While it may serve a positive role and offer alternatives, there is also a risk that such a programme could militarize society and worsen the cycle of violence. D. Reforms to improve criminal investigations and judicial proceedings 96. The Government introduced a process of reform of the Public Prosecutor’s Office aimed at modernizing and professionalizing criminal investigations. The Technical Agency of Criminal Investigation, which investigates high-impact crimes, was established in 2015 within the Public Prosecutor’s Office to professionalize criminal investigation services, provide specialized training to staff and modernize the office’s forensic services and technologies. Although this was a necessary and important reform, it has not been matched with sufficient budget allocation for the performance of its functions. 74 See World Report 2016, p. 292. 17