Reparations: Accord for a Firm and Lasting Peace

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Reparations: Accord for a Firm and Lasting Peace

Implementations

Reparations – 1997

No developments observed this year.

Reparations – 1998

No developments observed this year.

Reparations – 1999

No developments observed this year.

Reparations – 2000

No substantive action was taken to implement the Government’s commitment to compensate victims of human rights violations during the armed conflict.1

  1. “United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala: Report of the Secretary-General,” United Nations General Assembly (A/55/973), June 1, 2001.

Reparations – 2001

The Peace Secretariat (SEPAZ) worked with the Multi-institutional Forum for Peace and Harmony on a “negotiating framework” to begin the process that would eventually lead to compensating victims. A few pilot reparation projects had been implemented, but not yet evaluated. The new Commission for Peace and Harmony was established by Governmental Agreement No. 263-2001 on 27 June. This commission was recommended by the Clarification Commission in order to implement the Government’s commitments on reparations.1

Following a ruling by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in 1999, the Guatemalan Government admitted responsibility for privately employed police officers who killed two children and injured a third in 1990, and paid the victims’ families compensation.2

  1. “Twelfth Report on Human Rights of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala,” United Nations General Assembly (A/56/273), August 8, 2001.
  2. “Guatemala,” Keesing’s Record of World Events (Volume 47), January 2001, 43939.

Reparations – 2002

Despite the extended timetable for implementation, still no progress was made to provide compensation for the victims of the armed conflict.1

  1. “Thirteenth Report on Human Rights of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala,” United Nations General Assembly (A/57/336), August 22, 2002.

Reparations – 2003

The Government created the National Reparations Commission, which was intended to be the main implementing body for the delivery of compensation to victims of the armed conflict.1

  1. “Fourteenth Report on Human Rights of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala,” United Nations General Assembly (A/58/566), November 10, 2003.

Reparations – 2004

The Guatemalan government provided funding for the National Reparations Program and appointed Rosalina Tuyuc, an indigenous leader, to oversee the Program. Compensation for victims of past human rights abuses had still not begun, however.1

  1. “United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala: Report of the Secretary-General,” United Nations General Assembly (A/50/307), August 30, 2004.

Reparations – 2005

The Government restructured the National Reparations Program. It was being funded at a rate of 300 million quetzelas (about 37.5 million US dollars) per year for ten years, in keeping with the recommendations from the Clarification Commission.1

  1. “Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Situation of Human Rights in Guatemala,” United Nations Economic and Social Council (E/CN.4/2006/10/Add.1), February 1, 2006.

Reparations – 2006

After a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Government began to compensate relatives of those killed in the massacres of 1982.1

After President Alvaro Colom took office in January 2008, the Government made significant progress in delivering compensation to families of those killed during the civil war. Approximately 3,000 persons received reparations between January 2007 and May 2009, with payments ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 (USD). However, some 64,000 requests were still pending.2

  1. “Compensation for families of massacre victims,” Keesing’s Record of World Events (Volume 52), February 2006, 47092.
  2. Anne-Marie O’Connor, “Payments and Apologies for Victims of Guatemala’s Civil War,” The Washington Post, Suburban Edition, May 6, 2009, A06.