A/HRC/22/8 16. Guatemala referred to the Human Rights Office of the Ministry of the Interior and highlighted that, in 2008, a body for analysing attacks against human rights defenders had been created. This body was composed of representatives of the judiciary and the Presidential Human Rights Commission and was aimed at analysing the criminal context and attacks patterns. 17. Pursuant to Decree No. 40-2000, the Army supported the civil security forces in preventing and combating the organized criminal organizations and delinquency, according to security needs and when the means of the public security forces were considered insufficient. In 2015, an additional 10,000 police officers were expected to be employed. 18. The Pact for Security, Justice and Peace developed a strategy which included the participation of social actors and State institutions, in order to build legitimacy of actions aimed at improving governance and protection against criminality and impunity. The Pact integrated social programmes into security and justice programmes. 19. Guatemala indicated that, in the 18th zone of Guatemala City (Colonia EL Limón), which had high rates of criminality, contract killers had committed seven murders between January and May. However, since the intervention “Safe Neighbourhood – Friendly Neighbourhood”, that took place on 6 June, there had been a notable reduction of criminality and no homicides had been registered since that date. 20. A governmental decree had been issued to create a specific cabinet, aimed at coordinating justice and security annual plans of all the institutions. 21. General Order No. 9-2012 of the National Civil Police Directorate created task forces to coordinate a strategy with the Public Prosecutor’s Office to combat contract killers, femicide, extortions, abductions and theft of vehicles and mobile phones. They were also created with a view to strengthening the criminal investigation of complex cases over a period of six months, which could be extended. As a result, 29 criminal organizations and seven femicide organizations had been disbanded. Murders had decreased by 16 per cent, and there were 200 fewer cases of femicide compared to the average of over the five previous years. Fifty per cent of homicides took place in Guatemala City and, in 2012, during 16 days, no violent deaths occurred: an unprecedented occurrence in the last decade. Responding to the political will demonstrated by Guatemala, the international community had increased assistance to facilitate knowledge transfer to the judiciary from the Task Force and the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) at the conclusion of their operations. In addition, the Law of the General Directorate for Criminal Investigation had been issued. 22. The Police assisted in criminal proceedings, whose investigative elements were subjected to scientific analysis through the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, the newest judicial institution aimed at creating legal security. 23. Guatemala stated that, further to the reform of 1994, the Public Prosecutor’s Office was responsible for criminal investigations and prosecutions. Taking into account the historical levels of violence and impunity, the following priorities had been identified: (a) crimes against the right to life; (b) violence against women (25 per cent of all complaints); (c) organized crime; and (d) corruption. In order to increase efficiency, the following strategies had been implemented: (a) inter-institutional coordination among the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of the Interior and collaboration with CICIG in areas such as the Office of Protection of Witnesses, the Unit of Criminal Analysis and the Special Office against Impunity; (b) special investigation methodology; (c) use of scientific evidence; (d) establishment of the new tax administration system; and (e) implementation of methodologies on criminal prosecution aimed at criminal structures and illicit markets. 5