Between January 30 – 31, 2024, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) conducted events in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with civil society organizations and media to present findings and recommendations from an analysis on the processes of selection for the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, as well as the Magistrates for the High Court of Auditors (Tribunal Superior de Cuentas - TSC). During these events, ABA ROLI Staff and external consultants presented an overview of the technical tools, including the Occupational Profile and Evaluation Matrix, which were both developed over the life of the program. These individuals included Senior Technical Advisor, Silvana Stanga; Consultant, Osvaldo Rudloff; Program Coordinator, Raquel Aguilar; and Program Manager, Emilia Rebelo.
During both sessions, ABA ROLI provided an overview on the selection processes for the Attorney General and TSC and how the technical tools were developed for each of the selection processes, respectively. Presenters provided overviews of these technical tools, which were previously presented in trainings sessions in November 2023 and widely disseminated to civil society, media outlets, and political parties in December 2023. The Occupational Profile provides a tool that outlines the ideal competencies for candidates for each position. The key competencies are grouped into the following four categories: ethics, managerial, scientific-technical, and physical-psychological. Meanwhile the evaluation matrix provides an additional tool to evaluate each candidate, including questions for the interviews.
ABA ROLI also provided conclusions and recommendations from its analysis of the two selection processes completed over the course of the program. For the selection of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, these included defining a work schedule for an orderly progression of stages, defining the occupational profile, creating the evaluation matrix, formulating and grading questions and answers, and conducting public hearings. For the selection of Magistrates at the High Court of Auditors, recommendations involved legislative reform to establish a reasonable timeline, initiating the process at least three years before the next selection, and engaging the judicial school in the assessment of candidates. It was emphasized that the school’s professionalization and enhancement may take up to 2 or 3 years, and the process should commence between June and December 2024.
Civil Society and the Media is critical to advocate for ensuring that there is a suitable, objective, public, and transparent selection processes. The convenience/need to select nominating board members based on their profile, considering not only their experience but also their ethical awareness, real availability, and responsibility, is emphasized. Training sessions for nominating board members in international standards, practices, and tools, along with clarification sessions, are deemed important.
ABA ROLI’s recommendations and technical tools adhere to international best practices and standards, incorporating local regulations for each selection process. Both election processes are ongoing in Honduras, and ABA ROLI continuous monitoring, remaining open to further engagement with the involved entities in these crucial selection processes.
Highlights from ABA ROLI’s previous program in Honduras,
Supporting Supreme Court and Attorney General Selection in Honduras (HRSM Rapid Response Intervention Program)
Technical tools for selecting the next Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of Honduras
Presentation to the Junta Proponente in Honduras (view here)
Presentation to Congressmen and Congresswomen in Honduras (view here)
Presentation to the Media with OACNUDH Honduras and CNA Honduras (view here and here)
Event in Honduras with OACNUDH Honduras and Universidad José Cecilio del Valle (view here)