OMCT carries out a mission in Guatemala in November 2006
- Event Date: 18.12.06
- Event Time: 00:00:00
The alternative reporting process and the follow-up mission have been conducted in association with four Guatemalan NGOs: Casa Alianza Guatemala, Institute for the Comparative Study of Criminal Law in Guatemala (ICCPG), National Movement for Human Rights (MNDH) and Human Rights Office of the Archbishop of Guatemala (ODHAG).))
A workshop (agenda) was organised on 22 November 2006, gathering several national NGOs. This was an opportunity to broaden the NGO coalition fighting against torture in the country by building the capacity of all those present in the work of the UN Treaty Bodies and by presenting to them the alternative report and the Concluding observations issued by the CAT after considering the human rights situation in Guatemala. A representative from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala (OHCHR) present at the meeting presented his assessment of the progress made by the State and committed to ensuring the continuation of NGO involvement in the work of the Treaty Bodies.
Following a discussion on how to concretely implement the UN Committee’s recommendations, the NGOs agreed on a common declaration urging the government and all other relevant authorities to implement the recommendations in collaboration from civil society.
OMCT and its partner NGOs convened a roundtable on 23 November 2006 (agenda) with representatives of the following institutions:
- Congress (in the person of President of the Human Rights Commission),
- Judiciary (Organismo Judicial),
- Public Ministry (in the person of the Human Rights Prosecutor),
- Institute of Criminal Public Defence,
- Child and Youth department of the Ombudsman’s Office (Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos, Defensoría de la Niñez)
- Presidential Commission on Human Rights (COPREDEH),
- Defence Ministry,
- Penitentiary System,
- National Civil Police.
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The roundtable started with a presentation by OMCT’s representative of CAT’s recommendations and the NGOs’ preliminary conclusions on what remains to be done to implement them. The constructive, open discussions led to recognition that much needs to be done in terms of allocation of resources to ensure the rule of law nationwide. Also that NGOs have a role to play in raising awareness of members of the Congress to amend the Criminal Code and ratify international instruments such as the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Other, more controversial issues, such as the situation of human rights defenders, the brutal killings of women, children and adolescents, and violent evictions of peasants have drawn fewer agreements between NGOs and the authorities present. All agreed, however, that such meetings should be held more often, under the auspices of COPREDEH and OHCHR (the latter attended the meeting as an observer).
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A press conference was organised on 24 November to announce the content of the NGO report and of CAT’s recommendations, as well as the NGO declaration adopted on 22 November. The press conference was covered by national TV, radios and newspapers (Prensa Libre articles: 25 Nov. scan, 26 Nov. scan / web ).
