PBC: Peacebuilding in Guatemala

Statement delivered by Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Andreas Løvold at Ambassadorial level meeting on Peacebuilding in Guatemala

Thank you, Chair.

Allow me first to express Norway’s strong appreciation for Guatemala and President Arévalo’s close engagement with the Commission.

Norway is a long-standing partner of Guatemala, and we have enjoyed a close relationship since we participated in the peace process in the 90s. We want to contribute in any way we can to sustainable peace in Guatemala.

Colleagues,

We are approaching the one-year mark of President Arévalo’s government and are pleased to see a strong engagement in dialogue processes that address territorial issues that fuel conflicts in the country.

The dialogue the Arévalo Government has established with indigenous peoples is particularly close to our hearts. The rights, participation and inclusion of indigenous communities have been the main priority of Norway’s engagement in Guatemala for the last 30 years. These communities, representing close to half of the population, have been marginalized and discriminated against over the course of history. Yet, they were the ones who stood up and carried the country on their shoulders when democracy was threatened.

We encourage the government to further these dialogue efforts, including those with the farmers and the private sector, despite the numerous challenges the President and his team are facing.

We are also glad to note that the Peacebuilding Fund is financing a range of projects in Guatemala, in support of transitional justice, peaceful elections, and protection of migrants. These efforts reinforce and complement the Arévalo Government’s peacebuilding agenda. A next step is tying the peacebuilding and development agenda more closely together, involving large development actors like the World Bank in ensuring that economic development leads to reduced conflict levels.

Friends,

The PBC is a highly relevant avenue for advancing Guatemala's peacebuilding agenda. The PBC's support and accompaniment, the Peacebuilding Fund’s projects on the ground, and conflict-sensitive development efforts will together help Government foster sustainable peace. Norway looks forward to supporting this work.

Thank you.