Human Rights Council
Sixteenth session
Agenda item 2
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Addendum
Summary
The present report provides an overview of the human rights situation in Guatemala and the work undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2010. In compliance with its mandate, the office in Guatemala conducted monitoring activities and provided advisory services and technical cooperation to State institutions and civil society to assist in the implementation of the recommendations contained in previous reports.
Through its monitoring activities, OHCHR-Guatemala collected extensive information on the human rights situation in the country. The report contains an analysis of several key human rights issues, such as security and justice, including the right to life, the proliferation and availability of firearms, the tendency to privatize public security, the fight against impunity, and deprivation of liberty. The increased vulnerability of human rights defenders and women's rights are also addressed in the report. It also describes the lack of formal recognition of indigenous rights and its discriminatory effects on access to justice, political participation and the enjoyment of the right to consultation. An analysis of the progress on the enjoyment of the rights to food, education and health and an overview of OHCHR-Guatemala activities during 2010, including technical cooperation and advisory services to Congress, the Constitutional Court, the School of Judicial Trainers, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and other State institutions and members of civil society, are also provided.
The High Commissioner urges the State of Guatemala to implement the recommendations issued by various United Nations and regional protection mechanisms, including her own recommendations. She also calls on all State institutions to implement the recommendations emanating from the universal periodic review carried out in May 2008. The High Commissioner further calls upon the international community to ensure that cooperation activities are aimed at strengthening the compliance of Guatemala with its international human rights obligations.