The ICJ has released a report (in Spanish), which analyses Guatemala’s legal and judicial system in relation to the obligations and responsibilities of business enterprises.
The report focuses on the existing legal remedies under constitutional law, labour law, civil law and criminal law, and examines concrete cases as illustrations of their implementation.
The report identifies the structural, institutional, regulatory, economic, political and social deficiencies in the country’s legal and judicial systems that make access to justice for victims of human rights abuses committed by business very difficult.
Limitations and obstacles to access justice are especially severe in relation to indigenous peoples in a country where they have been historically discriminated against.
The report recommends a set of measures for strengthening the independence of the judiciary, the reform of several pieces of legislation, the strengthening of State protection institutions, the promotion of dialogue among stakeholders and better respect for the rights of human rights defenders.
Guatemala – empresas y violaciones a los derechos humanos – report – 2014-spa (full report in Spanish, PDF)
Contact:
Carlos Lopez, Director, Business and Human Rights, carlos.lopez(a)icj.org, +41 22 979 3816
Ramón Cadena, Director, Central America, ramon.cadena(a)icj.org, +50 22 335 3325