Programa para el Fortalecimiento de Instituciones de Justicia Penal Estatal (ConJusticia) Quarterly Progress Report FY 2021, Quarter 3

The program seeks to strengthen the prosecution of high-priority crimes, reduce impunity, and increase citizen confidence in the justice sector. In close coordination with consortium subcontractors, ConJusticia works towards three objectives: strengthening individual state justice institutions, improving coordination and collaboration between institutions and local actors, and building sustainable partnerships with diverse actors. Implementation of the program's activities began in July 2020 and will continue until July 2025. The program's quarterly progress report covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 2021. During this quarter, ConJusticia made significant progress in entering all eight target states, launching two 100-Day Challenges, and establishing institutional buy-in for program initiatives from target Attorneys General Offices and State Courts. The program's priority states are Sonora, Nayarit, and Coahuila, but it also made gains in establishing institutional buy-in from target Attorneys General Offices and State Courts in Zacatecas, Hidalgo, Chihuahua, and San Luis Potosí. ConJusticia solidified collaborative working relationships with its two resource states, Queretaro and Guanajuato, focusing on best practices in court management systems that can respond to areas of opportunity identified in target states. The program implemented an applied Political Economy Analysis, which allowed ConJusticia to analyze and adapt to uncertain political landscapes and identify potential allies from both traditional and non-traditional actors in the public and private sectors. ConJusticia also made progress on a technical analysis of counterpart institutions in Sonora, Coahuila, Nayarit, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí through its Institutional Maturity Model. The program mainstreamed three cross-cutting themes throughout programming and technical activities, including gender equality and social inclusion, strategic communication, and the use of data for evidence-based decision making. Target states include Chihuahua, Coahuila, Hidalgo, Nayarit, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, and Zacatecas, with implementation prioritizing three states (Sonora, Coahuila, and Nayarit) as part of a phased implementation approach for year 1. The Mexican midterm elections held on June 6, 2021, had a significant impact on the availability of local leaders to commit to medium and long-term initiatives with the program. Incoming administrations in San Luis Potosi and Sonora have started their intent to make profound changes in their respective Attorneys General Offices, and reports from local actors indicate the current Attorneys General may be pressured to resign. ConJusticia developed a detailed overview of the outcomes and implications of the elections in each of its target and resource states, which is provided in Annex II. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased the operational capacity of target justice sector institutions, but may lead to a reduction in in-person justice service delivery in the event of an increase in COVID-19 infections. The program has made significant progress in implementing its activities, despite the challenges posed by the midterm elections and the ongoing pandemic. ConJusticia continues to work towards its objectives, strengthening individual state justice institutions, improving coordination and collaboration between institutions and local actors, and building sustainable partnerships with diverse actors.