WRITTEN QUESTION P-1920/01

by William Newton Dunn (ELDR) to the Commission

(22 June 2001)

Subject: Human rights in Guatemala

In May 2000 the European Parliament supported a motion which called on the Commission to strengthen EU programmes intended to help eradicate human rights abuses and implement the peace agreements in Guatemala. What action has been taken since then to achieve this strengthening, and are the measures to support the work of human rights in Guatemala continuing?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 July 2001)

The co-operation between the Commission and Guatemala is aimed to give adequate support to the peace process and to improve respect of human rights. As a matter of fact, since 1996, the Commission has sustained the civil society and State organisations in Guatemala with the objective to contribute to the reconciliation process of this country. Some examples of the Union initiatives are the reintegration of ex-combatants of civil war, the institutional support offered to the state body for the co-ordination of Peace Accords (SEPAZ), the assistance given to the constitution of a civil police force, or the development of a national land register.

During the last months, the Union has been reinforcing this action by defining with the Guatemalan authorities a Memorandum of Understanding, signed jointly on 26 March 2001, which establishes guidelines for co-operation during 2000-2006, with 93 million of additional funds. This document, while focusing on four main sectors including the consolidation and modernisation of the rule of law, the decentralisation of the state, bolstering civil society as well as combating poverty, clearly reaffirms a mutual commitment to democracy and the respect for human rights.

Under this framework, the Commission is preparing a programme to improve the justice system in Guatemala as well as an initiative aimed at strengthening the civil society. Furthermore, the Union

is defining a regional project aiming at human rights' protection in which the component for Guatemala is the most important; finally a number of projects dealing with the defense of human rights in Guatemala could be selected for financing under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (Call for Proposals(1)).

On the level of political dialogue with Guatemalan authorities, the Commission and Member States have also reiterated the importance of respecting human rights. The latest actions which have drawn attention to the deteriorating situation of both the Peace Process and human rights respect in Guatemala have been the meeting between the Troika and Guatemalan Vice-President in margin of San José XVII meeting (March 2001), as well as the declaration of the Swedish Presidency on 25 April 2001, on the third anniversary of the assassination of Bishop Gerardi.

In addition, during its visit to Guatemala at the end of March 2001, the Member of the Commission responsible for External Relations called on President Portillo's Government to take urgent action to avoid a negative spiral of events in Guatemala and to reinvigorate the stalled implementation of the Peace Accords.

(1) OJ C 170, 17.6.1999.