WRITTEN QUESTION E-2415/02 by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Persecution of aid workers in Guatemala.
Date: 2002-08-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU relations, Guatemala, aid programme, child protection, cooperation policy, human rights, non-governmental organisation, repression, street children

C 268 E/4

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

(2003/C 268 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2415/02

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(14 August 2002)

Subject: Persecution of aid workers in Guatemala

Charity workers in Guatemala are allegedly being openly threatened (cid:1) often by gunpoint, for attempting
to help street children.

What, if any, policies does the Commission have to ensure the Guatemala Congress adheres to a recent
court ruling stopping them from blocking legislation that would help NGOs such as Casa-alianza and
Rigoberta Menchu Tum Foundation to help abused and imprisoned children?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2407/02 and E-2415/02
given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(17 September 2002)

The Commission is well aware of the situation described by the Honourable Member and is taking action
in two complementary ways in line with the resolution on human rights in Guatemala that the Parliament
issued in April 2002.

Through political dialogue, the Commission and the Member States are underlining the importance to the
Guatemalan government of promoting the well being of all Guatemalan people on the basis of principles
of democracy, equality, non-discrimination, peace and social justice. Under this framework, the local public
institutions are constantly urged to discourage and investigate any attack against human rights defenders
and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

From the co-operation point of view, the Commission has been supporting concrete actions in favour of
children and their families in sectors such as health, education, reinsertion of refugees, fight against drugs
and gender promotion. The Commission has also achieved positive results in several specific initiatives in
support of street children, which have been carried out by local NGOs, including Casa Alianza.

Present co-operation includes a project run by ECPAT (Ending Child Prostitution, Pornography and
Trafficking) aimed at fighting against trafficking in children and the commercial exploitation of children
in Central America. The Community’s contribution is approximately EUR 450 000 for 2001-2004.
Furthermore, the Community is supporting the creation of a training centre for popular education, which
includes several NGOs and civil society actors specialised in street children support. The global Community
financing is about EUR 960 000.

in the framework of

the co-operation set by the Peace Accords signed in 1996,

In addition,
the
Commission is encouraging the Guatemalan authorities, the National Police Force and the whole judiciary
system to prevent any attack against the rule of law, including cases such as Casa Alianza or Rigoberta
Menchu Fundation. This programme will be complemented within the next few months by means of a
specific initiative aimed at sustaining the judiciary system in Guatemala. One of the specific goals of this
initiative is to reduce the number of preventive arrests taking into consideration the specific situation of
minors, including street children. The Community’s contribution will be EUR 10 million over a period of
four years.

Finally, the Community strategy for co-operation with Guatemala ‘2002-2006’, which was adopted by the
Commission in May 2002, is aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty and exclusion that affects Guatemala
through the provision of inclusive basic social services, the promotion of equal rights and dignity, and the
fight against social and economic discrimination and impunity. The global
indicative budget will be
EUR 77 million for the whole period.

The Community is confident that its sustained engagement in the peace process in Guatemala will
contribute to the goal of full respect for human rights and the rule of law in this country.