JUNE 13, 1996

GUATEMALA RATIFIES UNITED NATIONS PACT ON TRIBAL PEOPLES

In Geneva, Switzerland, Guatemala’s Minister of Labour formally received notice of International Labour Organization’s acceptance of Guatemala’s decision to ratify the ILO Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples guaranteeing the rights of the country’s majority Mayan population.  The Convention obliges ratifying governments to respect the traditional values of tribal and indigenous peoples and to consult with them on decisions affecting their economic or social development. It also requires governments to respect the land rights of tribal and indigenous peoples.  This was a key part of a UN-sponsored negotiation aimed at ending the civil war in Guatemala, the longest running civil conflict in Latin America, which had cost nearly a quarter of a million lives during the past three decades.  There remained two outstanding issues in the peace negotiations, the role of the army in civil society and constitutional reform.  Allegations of government abuses, however, persist.

Source:  “Guatemala Ratifies Convention Guaranteeing Indigenous Rights,” International Labour Organization, 6/13/1996.  Retrieved 7/3/2019, https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008061/lang--en/index.htm
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