In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban said he noted the concerns raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Gabriela Carina Knaul de Albuquerque e Silva and by the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).

"This is an issue of great importance to the fight against impunity in the country," the statement said.

The secretary-general "trusts the Guatemalan Congress will ensure that judges of unquestioned competence, independence and integrity are named to the country's highest courts," it said.

Knaul de Albuquerque issued a statement in Geneva earlier Monday, expressing concern at the way the Guatemalan Congress elected the judges on Sept. 30.

The Congress elected the judges at a plenary session, "without having established a methodology and a timetable for an election to assess and evaluate each candidate in accordance with Guatemalan legislation and international standards" on the issue, according to the statement.

"The recent election...ignored the principles of transparency, objectivity and expertise needed in this type of process," said the special rapporteur.

She also expressed regret that Congress had not followed the recommendations of her predecessor, Leandro Despouy, on the election of Supreme Court judges after he visited the Central American country in July.

"The UN Special Rapporteur's recommendations were aimed at overcoming the grave deficiencies in the country's judicial system," said Knaul de Albuquerque.

She called on the Congress to follow Despouy's recommendations by guaranteeing civil society's effective participation in elections for the Court of Appeal and ensuring that Guatemala's High Courts consist of independent, honest and competent judges in accordance with international standards.