USAID/Peru Proyecto Pro-Integridad Sixth Quarterly Report

The project's sixth quarterly report covers the period from April 1 to June 30, 2014. The report highlights the project's progress in implementing contractual commitments and activities scheduled during the previous year. Significant project activities during this quarter included the start-up implementation of judicial and prosecutorial corporate management models. In response to the management assessment of the judicial and prosecution offices, the project team began implementing process improvements identified as key to the proper functioning of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). This included international technical assistance by consultant Cristian Hernández to strengthen the corporate model at the judicial and prosecution offices. The project also launched the Diploma of Specialization to resolve cases of Corruption in the judicial system in Lima and Callao. On May 27, the launching of the Diploma course took place in the facilities of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (IDEHPUCP). The virtual phase of the first Diploma course started on June 2, targeting 15 judges and 13 prosecutors in the judicial districts of Lima and Callao and three lawyers from the Public Attorney Specialized Corruption Crimes in Lima. Additionally, the project supported the presentation and dissemination of the Action Plan of the Technical Secretariat of the Special Commission on the Implementation of the Criminal Procedures Code. This period was crucial to the revival of the criminal procedure reform. The Technical Secretariat of the Special Commission on the Implementation of the Criminal Procedures Code presented the document containing strategies to improve the articulation of the executing agencies for the implementation of the CPC to 260 people. The project also made progress in implementing the Institutional Integrity Model in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. By Ministerial Resolution No. 0151-2014-JUS, of May 23, 2014, the MINJUS' Code of Ethical Behavior was developed with technical assistance from the project and approved. The project also assessed the situation of institutional integrity of the Public Ministry and submitted the assessment to the Office of International Technical Cooperation. Furthermore, the project developed a Communication Strategy for the criminal procedure reform, which was formally submitted to the ST-CEICPP. The project also signed grant agreements with Forum Solidaridad and the Andean Commission of Jurists and started the planned activities. The work plans of both organizations were presented to partners of the Judiciary and ST-CEICPP to maintain fluid communication on the activities to be held. The project's objective is to increase the judicial system's capacity to process corruption cases in Lima, Lima North, Lima South, and Callao, and the judicial districts of the Peruvian Amazon Region. The project continued actions to strengthen the corporate management model in the judiciary. At meetings held on April 7, 8, and 9, the international consultant Cristián Hernández provided technical assistance to ETI-CPC for strengthening the corporate model of the judicial office, specifically in areas such as strengthening programming and docketing hearings, jurisdictional production, and performance indicators. The project's technical staff is updating ETI-CPC's proposed regulation of the Criminal Procedure Code of January 2014. This contribution will help the judiciary fulfill one of the commitments assumed as institution through Supreme Decree N° 003-2014-JUS, approving the Plan for the Consolidation of the Criminal Procedure Reform. Technical assistance for the improvement of programming and docketing hearings and management of the caseload with the CPC Anti-corruption Subsystem Lima Center is starting soon, and will be replicated in the pilot sites. Overall, the USAID/Peru Pro-Integridad Project made significant progress in implementing contractual commitments and activities scheduled during the previous year. The project's progress in strengthening the corporate management model in the judiciary, launching the Diploma of Specialization to resolve cases of Corruption in the judicial system, and implementing the Institutional Integrity Model in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Public Ministry is noteworthy.