Vol. 567 No. 7
89 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has received the recently published assessment of human rights in Guatemala published by Amnesty International; his views on the current situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14862/03]
Amnesty International's recent assessment that the human rights situation in Guatemala has deteriorated in the past year is in line with concerns which have been expressed by Ireland and its EU partners in our contacts with the Government of Guatemala.
The EU remains committed to the Guatemalan process of national reconciliation established by the 1996 Peace Accords. Their aim, inter alia, is to address the causes of conflict, consolidate the rule of law, put an end to impunity and to introduce genuine respect for human rights.
The consultative group for Guatemala is the key mechanism for dialogue between Guatemala and the international community in relation to implementation of the 1996 Peace Accords. The group met on 13-14 May. It comprises representatives of the Guatemalan Government, delegates from donor countries, including the EU, and representatives of multilateral institutions and civil society. During the meeting Mr. Alfonso Portillo, President of Guatemala, and his officials, set out their view of the progress achieved to date, mainly in the economic sphere. They also indicated that efforts were being made to deal with corruption and, belatedly, to address the question of abolishing, as prescribed by the peace accords, the notorious military entity, the EMP.
Representatives of the international community acknowledged that some significant progress had been made in the economic area. This included an increase in tax revenues which is regarded as vital to the implementation of the social justice dimension of the peace accords. Unfortunately, Guatemalan levels still remain among the lowest in Latin America. Nevertheless, they felt obliged to point out that the overall implementation of the peace accords had lost momentum.
Deep concern was expressed at the worsening human rights problem. In the international community's opinion, impunity remains unchallenged and it is not yet possible to obtain justice for past crimes. Particular frustration was expressed at the overturning, just days before the consultative group met, of the conviction in 2002 of a military officer for the murder of anthropologist Myrna Mack in 1990. Attention was focused on the performance of the national civilian police, the public prosecutor's office and the human rights ombudsman's office.
The EU urged the Guatemalan Government to make immediate efforts, more effectively to address the human rights situation as well as the related question of rampant violence and other key aspects of the peace agenda.
