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Consultative Group Examines Progress of Guatemala Peace Process

(USAID part of international gathering in Guatemala City) (470)
By Eric Green 
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The United States was among many nations and
multilateral agencies represented at a May 13-14 international
gathering in Guatemala City to examine the progress of peace and
reconciliation in Guatemala.
The fifth meeting of the Consultative Group for Guatemala, which is
composed of the United States and a number of other countries and
institutions, examined how to speed up implementation of 1996 peace
accords in Guatemala, which ended the country's 36-year civil war.
Leading the U.S. delegation at the meeting was Adolfo Franco,
assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean for the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Consultative Group serves as a key forum for dialogue between
Guatemala and the international community, and for coordinating donor
assistance to that Central American nation following the signing of
the peace accords.
The United States was also one of six nations that served as the
"group of friends" of the Guatemala peace process. U.S. economic aid
to Guatemala has been built around supporting the 1996 peace accords,
which dealt with such issues as protecting human rights, resettling
displaced persons, and promoting land reform.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that the peace accords
must take full effect in order for Guatemala to achieve peace, a
durable democracy, and equitable growth.
To that end, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which chaired
the Guatemala City meeting, said in a May 13 statement that while
Guatemala has made "considerable progress" regarding the peace
process, "it still has far to go" to "ensure that all Guatemalans may
enjoy the benefits of a more prosperous and equitable society."
The IDB's Miguel Martinez said in opening remarks to the forum that
"in order to speed up implementation of the peace accords and reduce
poverty, Guatemala will need to achieve higher economic growth rates
and mobilize more fiscal resources." He added that the country also
needed to "continue to improve transparency in public spending,
strengthen the rule of law, and increase citizen security."
Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo said that while there have been
delays and obstacles in efforts to carry out the political, economic,
and social reforms Guatemala requires, it is crucial to "defend" the
progress made so far.
The challenge, he said, "is to expand the participation of the actors
of peace, to renew the institutions for peace, and to be able to
establish priorities that will, at the end of the day, lead to a new
Guatemala."
The IDB said international donors remain "engaged" in helping
Guatemala achieve peace and development. A sign of that commitment,
said the IDB, was the participation from 19 donor nations and 26
multilateral agencies at the meeting in Guatemala City.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)