Guatemala Partner In-Country Working Group
Guatemala has significant economic activities in sectors such as extractive industries, including mining, as well as agribusiness, operating in contexts that may involve social conflicts and land-related challenges. This reality, combined with ongoing challenges around arms proliferation and a historically tense relationship between extractive industries and local communities, makes Guatemala a relevant context for the implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR).
Reactivated in 2025 after four years of inactivity, the Guatemala Partner In-Country Working Group (ICWG) brings together stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, and diplomatic missions to advance VPSHR implementation in the country. The group convenes at the embassies of its coordinating committee members in Guatemala City, under the coordination of CentraRSE, which manages logistics, agenda-setting, and general facilitation.
VPSHR in Guatemala
The Guatemala Partner ICWG currently works toward developing a roadmap for 2025–2027, with the general objective of facilitating joint work and reflection among multiple stakeholders on security and human rights issues, and strengthening cooperation among the private sector, civil society, international organizations, and the Government.
The group’s specific objectives include contributing to the development of corporate policies and promoting the adoption of the Voluntary Principles in Guatemala’s private sector; strengthening trust between companies, civil society, and state actors; establishing a consolidated multi-stakeholder platform to address private security and human rights issues; positioning the topic on the national and international business agenda; and influencing state institutions to improve regulation and monitoring of private security companies.
Contacts
Guatemala Partner ICWG Coordinator: CentraRSE
Name: Jorge A. Samayoa Azmitia
Email: jsamayoa@centrarse.org
Phone: +502 50664313