Guatemala. Summary of the Report. 3 March 2010.
The present report describes some key aspects of the human rights situation in Guatemala as well as the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2009. Under the mandate established by the agreement of 10 January 2005 between OHCHR and the Government of the Republic of Guatemala, which was extended for three years on 19 September 2008, the OHCHR office in Guatemala (OHCHR-Guatemala) continued to monitor the human rights situation and to provide advisory and technical assistance services to State institutions and civil society, geared towards the implementation of the recommendations contained in the previous report of the High Commissioner to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/10/31/Add.1).
During the reporting period, Guatemala experienced political instability, social unrest and persistent and increasing violence and insecurity. OHCHR-Guatemala closely followed the security situation and its impact on human rights, the challenges met in the fight against impunity, the strengthening of the rule of law, and in the combating of discrimination and poverty. The present report addresses human rights issues of utmost concern, such as insecurity and the right to life, rule of law, violence against women, attacks against human rights defenders, impunity, racism and discrimination, issues related to transitional justice, and the situation of economic, social and cultural rights.
The report also gives an overview of the activities of OHCHR-Guatemala in 2009. In particular, the office provided various national institutions (such as Congress, the Presidential Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of the Interior, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Presidential Commission on Discrimination and Racism against Indigenous People, the Office for the Defence of Indigenous Women, the National Reparations Programme and the Office of the Human Rights Procurator) with technical assistance and advice, as well as assisted civil society with its interaction with treaty bodies and special procedures, and with the follow-up to the implementation of their recommendations. The report provides an assessment of the implementation of recommendations formulated in previous reports of the High Commissioner to the Human Rights Council.
The High Commissioner urges the Government of Guatemala to fully implement the recommendations put forward last year, and presents a new set of recommendations to strengthen the legislative framework for the protection of human rights, protect the right to life in the face of insecurity, consolidate the rule of law and combat impunity, effectively protect the rights of indigenous peoples and women's rights, improve the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, and ensure the effective collection, coordination and use of information and statistics pertaining to human rights.
For more the complete report go to: www.ohchr.org.gt
