ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW OHCHR FIELD PRESENCE: GUATEMALA

27.11.2003

On 1 December 2003, during a ceremony which will take place in Guatemala City, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the government of Guatemala will sign an Agreement formally establishing an OHCHR field presence in the country. The establishment of this Office in Guatemala follows an initiative of the Government and several international actors in view to follow on the withdrawal of the UN Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), which is expected to depart in December 2004.

The OHCHR Office in Guatemala will hold an initial three-year mandate to monitor the human rights situation in the country and advise the government on formulating and implementing policies, programmes and measures to promote and protect human rights. The Office will be able to receive information from national governmental and non-governmental institutions and its work will be focused mostly on observing the overall human rights situation more than individual cases. The High Commissioner for Human Rights will report each year to the Commission on Human Rights on the activities of the Office.

The OHCHR field presence in Guatemala will aim at the full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Guatemalan people in general, and more specifically of individuals and communities at risk of being victims of human rights abuses, including vulnerable groups such as women, children, indigenous peoples, minorities, human rights defenders, journalists and others.

There are forty two OHCHR field presences worldwide which, with various mandates, provide assistance to Member States in the creation of strong national human rights protection systems. Field presences and their activities also generally support Governments and civil society organizations in translating international human rights norms into laws and practices at the country level. For more information, please visit http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/5/hraction.htm