Note: This document may not always reflect the actual appropriations determined by Congress. Final budget allocations for USAID's programs are not determined until after passage of an appropriations bill and preparation of the Operating Year Budget (OYB).
GUATEMALA
FY 1997 FY 1998 FY 1999 Actuals Estimate Request Development Assistance.............. $9,560,000 $15,750,000 $16,900,000 Child Survival and Disease.......... $9,029,000 $7,588,000 $6,985,000
Economic Support Funds............. $20,000,000* $25,000,000 $25,000,000 P.L. 480 Title II........................... $11,826,740 $11,789,400 $10,505,000
* excludes $8 m. prior year funds
Introduction
With 36% of the total population of Central America and a similar percentage of regional economic production, Guatemala plays an important role in the long-term growth and stability of the region, which is of rapidly increasing trade and investment importance to the United States. Specific U.S. interests in Guatemala are currently focused on intensive support to the full implementation of the Peace Accords signed December 29, 1996 between the Guatemalan Government and the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union (URNG). U.S. support to the Accords is directed to four areas: (1) demobilization, reinsertion and reconciliation; (2) integrated human capacity development; (3) sustainable productive investment; and (4) modernization and strengthening of the state. Key to this effort is U.S. support to strengthen fragile democratic practices and institutions while promoting respect for human rights. A successful post-war period of recovery and reintegration will support other major U.S. interests, such as controlling illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking, as well as address the global issues of environmental protection, rapid population growth, and the improvement of human health.
The Development Challenge
While Guatemala is the largest Central American country in terms of population (10 million) and economic activity (1997 gross domestic product $18 billion), its largely rural, Mayan population lives in some of the most difficult conditions found in the Central American region. Distribution of land, income and other wealth is highly skewed toward a small share of Guatemala's Spanish-speaking population. An estimated 75% of Guatemalans live in poverty, and the roughly five million Mayans are isolated socially, economically, and politically due to geographic and language barriers. The country's social indicators are among the worst in the hemisphere, and national averages mask even sharper inequalities between ethnic groups and gender. Overall adult literacy is estimated at 48%, but literacy among Mayan women is estimated as low as 10%. Less than half of rural Guatemalans have access to running water, only a quarter have access to electricity, and less than one in ten have access to modern sanitary facilities. Infant, child, and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in Latin America, despite decreases in recent years. These indicators reflect the country's persistent underinvestment in social services and basic rural infrastructure, as well as past practices of political and socioeconomic exclusion of the indigenous population.
The transition to a full peace and a sustainable process of development in Guatemala began with great expectations in December 1996, with the signing of the final Peace Accord. This included the establishment of some 19 participatory commissions with specific mandates to address critical aspects of the Accords. Moreover, the impetus for change created by these peace-related efforts has also elevated the level of achievement within established USAID development programs, resulting in demonstrable progress in democratic development. However, the ambitiousness of the substantive Accords (with almost 400 specific commitments) has become increasingly apparent, and the expectations of the early months have been reduced to a more realistic level.
During the first year of implementation, Guatemala received strong international support and generous donor contributions, and recorded successful and timely progress through the initial phases of demobilization and reinsertion of ex-combatants. Due to effective coordination among donors, and with the Government and the URNG, fully 90% of the ex-combatants are already settled throughout the country. The remaining 10% should be settled permanently by the end of February 1998. Vocational training programs are underway and USAID and other donors are promoting self-sufficiency among the ex-combatants through credit for agricultural land, small enterprise programs, and the institutional strengthening of the URNG's development foundation.
The requirements for addressing Guatemala's multiple challenges, in addition to financing the costs associated with the peace agreements, are enormous and far exceed the country's current revenue-generating capacity. With total external debt standing at $2.1 billion, the current debt situation does not indicate the need for debt relief. However, increased donor funding is essential to complement domestic financing given the estimated $2.3 billion cost of implementing the Accords between 1997-2000. Furthermore, the deeply entrenched inequalities of wealth and power created by several centuries of social exclusion require sustained, enduring efforts over the next decade. Thus, Guatemala is not considered a candidate for graduation from U.S. assistance in the near term.
Other Donors
The United States continues to be the largest bilateral donor, having pledged $260 million of the total $1.9 billion in donor pledges in support of the Peace Accords over the four-year period 1997-2000. Other important bilateral donors include Japan, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and the Nordic countries supporting Peace Accords activities mainly in community development, modernization of the state and the judiciary, and infrastructure. Major multinational donors include the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, the UNDP and other United Nations agencies, and the European Union (EU) with programs supporting demobilization and reinsertion, emergency assistance to affected populations, community development, integrated human development, income generation activities, infrastructure, and modernization of the state.
FY 1999 Program
Beyond the special ESF-funded Peace Program, the range of sustainable development activities supported by USAID has been continually refined to focus on four principal areas: democratic development, improved health for women and children, poverty reduction, and sustainable natural resource management. Geographically, USAID programs are targeted on the departments most affected by the civil conflict and highest levels of poverty. The proposed mix of $23.9 million Development Assistance, $10.5 million P.L. 480 Title II and $25 million
Economic Support Funds............. in FY 1999 will enable the United States to pursue its highest priority objectives and help address the root causes of Guatemala's longstanding armed conflict, among them, persistent and widespread poverty.
GUATEMALA
FY 1999 PROGRAM SUMMARY
($000s)
USAID
Strategic and Special
ObjectivesEconomic Growth and Agriculture Population and Health Environ-ment Democracy Human Capacity Develop-ment Human-itarian Assistance
TotalS.O. 1
More Inclusive and Responsive Democracy
- DA
2,800
2,800
S.O. 2
Poverty Reduced in Selected Geo-graphic Areas
- DA
- CSD
- P.L. 480 Title II
2,700
2,000
8,000
2,700
2,000
8,000S.O. 3
Better Health for Rural Women and Children
- DA
- CSD
5,900
4,985
5,900
4,985S.O. 4
Improved Natural Resource Management and Conservation of Biodiversity
- DA
5,500
5,500
Sp.O. 1
Support the Implementation of the Peace Accords
- P.L. 480 Title II
- ESF
16,250
500
8,250
2,505
2,505
25,000Totals
- DA
- CSD
- P.L. 480/II
- ESF
2,700
16,250
5,900
4,985
5,500
500
2,800
8,250
2,000
10,505
16,900
6,985
10,505
25,000
USAID Mission Director: William S. Rhodes
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Guatemala
TITLE AND NUMBER: More Inclusive and Responsive Democracy, 520-S001
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999 $2,800,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To foster the development of organizations for citizen's rights, and to teach governments how to be responsive to citizen expectations.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID is working to help Guatemala increase protection of human rights through a strengthened criminal justice system and the full implementation of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1994. USAID and its development partners have implemented two of eight planned justice centers outside the capital city, supported the implementation of oral trial proceedings and the creation of a Public Defenders program. Public Ministry functions have been decentralized, improving its investigative and prosecutorial capacity. With USAID-funded assistance, two local universities developed new course materials on trial practice and advocacy so future generations of lawyers can meet the challenges of the reformed criminal justice system; one university now offers a diploma in indigenous law. USAID has trained 90 interpreters to extend access to justice to non-native Spanish speakers. USAID has assisted the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman (OHRO) to decentralize and expand operations by establishing departmental offices, purchasing equipment, and training personnel. USAID grant funds assist local organizations which work with street children, and promote children's rights through legislation.
USAID activities have contributed to broader, more effective citizen participation in political decision-making. Through our local partners, USAID helped establish a database to track major legislative initiatives; a congressional directory was created to track congressional voting records; a monthly newsletter reporting on key legislative issues is being published; and public fora have been organized to provide citizens the opportunity to interact with their elected representatives. A USAID grant facilitates greater civilian-military dialogue on issues of national importance.
The ongoing USAID Special Development Fund (SDAF) assists rural community groups in completing small community development projects (e.g., bridges, roads, school buildings). The SDAF works throughout the country, putting special emphasis on assisting former conflictive areas. The program is structured to give communities a "live" experience with democratic processes. Approximately 40 to 50 small community improvement projects are completed annually.
Finally, USAID is working to improve public policy through a strengthened national legislature. USAID financing created the Legislative Development Center (CEDEL) which supports the operation of the Legislative Technical Assistance Unit (UPAT) within the Guatemalan Congress. CEDEL responds to requests by congressional representatives and commissions to draft high-quality bills researched and developed by CEDEL's legislative interns (generally law students). CEDEL provides expert assistance to Congress to strengthen executive oversight and reviews legislative initiatives for relevance and sensitivity to existing indigenous law practices.
Description: USAID democracy activities are designed to capitalize on the positive environment for change produced by the signing of the Peace Accords and are linked closely to USAID Special Objective for Peace, especially in the area of modernization of the State. Some of the peace funded activities that will be closely coordinated with the regular democracy program are the decentralization of justice services to ex-conflictive zones and technical assistance for specific legislative and constitutional reforms implied by the Peace Accords.
USAID support to the Guatemalan justice sector greatly contributed to the implementation of the new Criminal Procedure Code and the promotion of a more transparent, efficient criminal justice system. USAID programs focus on the channels and mechanisms employed by civil society to administer justice and resolve conflicts at the local level, as called for in the Peace Accords. In the area of human rights, USAID assists the OHRO in monitoring the compliance of State agencies with their commitments for the full and timely implementation of the Peace Accords. A new civil society activity will strengthen mechanisms and channels of citizen participation in the democratic process and increase opportunities for civil society organizations (CSOs) to influence the formulation, implementation, and oversight of public policy at the national level. Another new activity will improve democratic governance at the local level through increased collaboration between citizens and government officials in the formulation of public policy, development agendas and budget priorities leading to increased opportunities for citizens for more constructive engagement in local decision making. Also, assistance provided through an indigenous CSO is intended to increase voter registration and participation in the upcoming municipal and future elections. USAID will continue to provide technical assistance to the Congress through a follow-on activity.
Host Country and Other Donors: The United Nations Verification Mission for Guatemala (MINUGUA) is actively engaged in institutional strengthening and human rights verification. Other multilateral donors such as the European Union, the Organization of American States, the World Bank, and the IDB, as well as Sweden, Norway and Holland plan major investments in this sector. USAID has been the lead donor in supporting democratic initiatives, particularly in justice sector reform.
Beneficiaries: USAID activities in the democracy sector are targeted at historically disenfranchised populations, especially the poor rural, indigenous majority and women.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID has implemented activities with the Guatemalan judicial branch, the Public Ministry, San Carlos University Law School, Rafael Landivar University, Guatemalan Bar Association, the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman and the National Congress. Activities are managed by a mix of U.S. partners such as DPK Consulting, Partners of the Americas, Creative Associates International, the University of Texas at Austin, the National Center for State Courts, and local NGOs and CSOs.
Major Results Indicators Baseline (1993) Target (2002) System Support Index 40% 46-48% Democratic Liberties Index 55% 63-65%
Performance indicators for this program are derived from a national survey that tracks trends in public values and attitudes deemed essential for democratic consolidation and sustainability. The two indices utilized here measure the legitimacy of key democratic institutions and support for civil liberties.
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Guatemala
TITLE AND NUMBER: Poverty Reduced In Selected Geographic Areas, 520-S002STATUS: New
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $2,700,000 DA; $2,000,000 CSD; $8,000,000 Title II
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To expand economic and social opportunity for the rural poor through programs which will: 1) increase incomes; 2) improve the nutritional status of food aid program participants; and 3) improve access and quality of intercultural bilingual education.
USAID Role and Achievement to Date: In late FY 1997 USAID and the Guatemalan Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Livestock (MAGA), Public Finance (MOF), and the Economic Planning Secretariat (SEGEPLAN), signed a $16.5 million five-year agreement to increase productive incomes for the rural poor by expanding access to credit and training and strengthening intermediary organizations. Earlier, USAID supported the Ministry of Finance and the National Development Bank in the design of a trust fund which is providing credit to microenterprises and small scale farmers in rural areas. This fund now provides the Guatemalan Government counterpart contribution to the agreement. Sustainability and expansion of activities into the poorest rural areas remains problematic, primarily due to the inability of local organizations to manage credit and to provide direction, leadership and training to their members. USAID-supported on-the-ground productive activities in formerly conflictive areas have increased income for small coffee producers with improvements in both the quality and quantity of the product.
Also in FY 1997, USAID and the Ministry of Education (MOE), MOF, and SEGEPLAN, signed a $8 million five-year Agreement to increase access to and improve the quality of intercultural bilingual education in selected geographic areas. USAID's support to education in Guatemala includes community based, active learning interventions, bilingual education services for Mayan students, a girls' education program, management information systems, and management services and training. Successful models in bilingual education, one-room, active learning pilot schools and girls' education are being replicated by the GOG with support from USAID and other donors.
Description: Guatemala has one of the highest rates of poverty incidence among low to middle income countries and has the highest poverty incidence rate for countries of comparable GNP per capita. In 1980, 71% of the population was classified as poor, and 35% as extremely poor. However, in 1989/90, based on the same criteria, the data indicate a worsening situation with 79% of the population as poor and 59.3% as extremely poor. Civil conflict over a 36-year period ravaged the poor more than any other segment of Guatemala's population. The Final Peace Accords, signed on December 29, 1996 between the GOG and the revolutionary guerrilla leadership, committed Guatemalan society for the first time in history to implement programs which specifically target endemic poverty and social, economic and political inequality.
The USAID-supported program for increasing the incomes of the rural poor targets on and off-farm income generation, expanded economic opportunities for microentrepreneurs and small scale farmers, and expanded capacity of local organizations and institutions to provide financial and technical assistance services.
The Title II Food Aid program is fully incorporated within USAID's Poverty Reduction Strategic Objective. The delivery network of private voluntary organizations (PVOs) will continue to focus activities on the most marginal rural communities. The nutritional aspects of the Title II program target maternal and child health by increasing the level of understanding of the nutritional and health needs
of the family. The program supports small-scale community activities and the development of sustainable agricultural production technologies to encourage income generation and increase food production.
USAID's intercultural bilingual education program with the Ministry of Education will include teacher training, the development of instructional methodologies and materials, an emphasis on increasing the participation of parents and the community in decision making, and improving the policy decision and program coordination process.
Host Country and Other Donors: As part of its contribution to poverty reduction, the Guatemalan Government established an $18 million credit trust fund based on the design of successful models supported by USAID. Other donors are now replicating USAID's ongoing credit and technical assistance programs. USAID assisted in the design of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Guatemalan National Land Fund both of which provide rural credit at the community level. The IDB is funding a major sector loan for community development and actively supports USAID's poverty reduction program.
The World Bank and IDB will provide major education sector loans which will facilitate the expansion of previous USAID pilot activities in the education sector at the national level. With USAID-funded technical assistance, the GOG's Social Investment Fund supports more than 1,200 community based schools in communities that lack education services. The GOG has increased its budget for rural education in recent years which, nonetheless, remains insufficient to meet the needs.
Beneficiaries: Rural communities, local credit and technical assistance organizations, and the rural, primarily indigenous poor, will be the primary beneficiaries of this program.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID works with Guatemalan Ministries of Agriculture, Education, and Finance to achieve the Poverty Strategic Objective. Local and international nongovernmental organizations currently assisting in program implementation are Guatemala's National Coffee Association (ANACAFE), the Banco de Desarrollo Rural, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, and World Share.
Major Results Indicators: Major results indicators and targets are being developed and include: 1) Childhood malnutrition (weight/age of children 5 years and younger); and 2) a standard of living index being developed with a local university. The anticipated results at the program level include:
- increased access to credit and technical assistance by microentrepreneurs and small scale farmers;
- strengthened intermediary and community based organizations;
- increased preprimary and primary enrollment rates in the poorest areas and departments most effected by the years of conflict; and
- increased completion rates at the third grade level.
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Guatemala
TITLE AND NUMBER: Better Health for Rural Women and Children, 520-S003
STATUS: New
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $5,900,000 DA; $4,985,000 CSD
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002
Purpose: To reduce high levels of neonatal, infant, child and maternal mortality by increasing the coverage and quality of basic health services, especially in remote rural areas, thus contributing to sustainable development.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: Mortality rates of women, infants and children in Guatemala are the highest in Central America; the total fertility rate (5.1) is also the highest in the region, and for indigenous Mayan groups, it is one of the highest rates in the world (5.9). The key constraints to reducing mortality and fertility include limited access to basic health services by more than half of the population, low government investment in the social sectors, and the government's weak leadership in establishing an effective mandate for primary, preventive health services. USAID has been providing assistance to the public sector and local nongovernmental organizations in child survival and reproductive health activities for the last 10 years. USAID's new integrated maternal-child health strategic objective has a strong focus on rural areas. USAID's support to the health sector includes five high-impact interventions to save women's and children's lives: childhood immunizations, promotion of oral rehydration therapy for childhood diarrhea, improved management of childhood pneumonia, voluntary family planning services, and improved management of obstetric complications and births. Between 1987 and 1995, USAID activities contributed to reducing infant mortality by 23% from 74 deaths per 1000 live births to 57; child mortality has dropped by almost 28% from 109 deaths of children under five years per 1000 live births to 79 during this eight-year period. USAID's support for integrated reproductive health services is designed to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality through voluntary family planning counseling and services and improved management of obstetric complications. The USAID program has also contributed to a reduction in the total fertility rate from 5.6 to 5.1 between 1987 and 1995.
Description: USAID's program focuses on strengthening three critical levels of care. At the household level, the program provides information and counseling to women about reproductive health and the prevention of childhood illness; this program also teaches women to recognize symptoms (such as pneumonia and obstetric complications) that require medical attention. At the community level, the program helps traditional birth attendants and health promoters learn to provide essential services for women and children including temporary birth spacing methods, prenatal care, prevention of dehydration from diarrheal disease, and when to refer clients to formal health services for more sophisticated care. At the health facility level, USAID trains health workers in the clinical management of obstetric and perinatal complications and childhood illnesses as well as family planning counseling and services. USAID supports the Guatemalan Government's efforts to decentralize public health services by establishing information systems and providing management training at lower levels of the health system.
Host Country and Other Donors: Social sector reforms figure prominently within the Guatemalan Government's overall strategy for the period 1996-2000. The Peace Accords signed in December 1996 contain specific targets for reducing infant and maternal mortality by 50% by the year 2000. The Accords also call for a redistribution of public expenditures in the health sector toward preventive care. In 1997, the Ministry of Health announced plans to establish a new nationwide community health model based on some of the principles of primary health care. USAID signed a new bilateral agreement to support integrated maternal-child health care, especially in rural areas, in support of the implementation of the new community health model. Other donors, including the EU, UNICEF and the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) are also supporting the new model. USAID and the EU are working in concert to expand proven strategies to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality.
Beneficiaries: The USAID program focuses on children under five and women of child-bearing age. USAID provides some support at the national level, however, beginning in 1996, USAID began providing more targeted assistance to rural areas that had been seriously affected by civil war and where health indicators were far worse than the national average. The majority of USAID beneficiaries live in rural communities and speak one of Guatemala's 23 indigenous languages.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements activities through U.S. PVOs/NGOs and firms (The Population Council, Project Concern International, Management Sciences for Health, John Snow, Inc., Johns Hopkins University, the Association for Voluntary and Safe Contraception, and the Partnership for Child Health) as well as local NGOs.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline (1995) Target (2002) Infant mortality per 1000 live births 57 43 Child mortality (<5 years) per 1000 live births 68 60 Contraceptive prevalence rate 31% 35% Total fertility rate 5.1 4.8 Immunization coverage (% of children <1 year fully immunized) 42% 80% Use of oral rehydration therapy 22% 40%
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Guatemala
TITLE AND NUMBER: Sustainable Natural Resource Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Priority Areas, 520-S004
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $5,500,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2000
Purpose: To conserve national biological resources of international importance by providing sustainable income alternatives to marginalized populations and improving the management and protection of these natural resources.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: For a decade, USAID has been a lead donor supporting environmentally sound management in Guatemala through activities such as improved small farmer production systems, watershed management, and more environmentally sound coffee processing. Over 20,000 families have adopted more sustainable land-use practices and income strategies, including improved hillside agriculture, agro-forestry, forestry, and tourism related enterprises. USAID has also supported the establishment of a legal framework for a national system of protected areas and the linking of conservation and development through the "biosphere" concept. USAID has assisted Guatemala establish two formal biospheres and to achieve a seven-fold increase in legally declared protected areas from 2,870 km2 in 1990 to over 20,000 km2 in 1997, representing about 20% of the nation. In the Maya Biosphere, over 80% of the original target population has adopted more sustainable farming practices, 1.5 million hectares have been brought under improved management, and over 500,000 hectares have been saved from conversion to unsustainable slash and burn agriculture. USAID also provided assistance which resulted in the passage of important laws to strengthen Guatemala's environmental policy framework.
Description: USAID-supported initiatives focus on developing a broad-based local constituency for environmentally sound management of natural resources, promoting increased local participation in management of resources, improving the policy framework, and demonstrating and disseminating environmentally sustainable income-generating practices. Public and private institutions are being strengthened to improve the administration of legally established protected areas and to develop and promote environmentally sound enterprises (eco-tourism and related services, organic agriculture, agro-forestry, and forestry systems). The program is testing and demonstrating the environmental, social and financial sustainability of approaches, empowering local communities through concessions governing natural resource use, extending best management practices into new areas, and improving people's welfare while effectively counteracting historic deforestation trends.
Host Country and Other Donors: Counterpart contributions include over $11 million from the host country and nearly $9 million from local and international NGOs. USAID has assisted the GOG to assure that environmental impact analyses are prepared for all donor programs and large private projects with potential negative impacts. USAID coordinates activities with the IDB's $50 million Peten Sustainable Development Investment project, the World Bank on land tenure issues, the German agencies on policy reform and forest management, and the European Union on its Agricultural Frontier program.
USAID and the United Nations Development Program work closely on the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Izabal Department project using USAID's micro-watershed management work as a model. Similarly, coordination continues with United Nations High Commission on Refugees and other donors to encourage concentration on mid- to long- term sustainable solutions to resource management and socioeconomic issues facing resettled and displaced populations.
Beneficiaries: Marginalized families living in and around the Maya Biosphere and other protected areas are the immediate beneficiaries; this includes returnees and displaced persons from formerly conflictive zones in support of Guatemala's peace process. The conservation of natural resources and biological diversity generates benefits for the entire country and the region.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements this program through U.S. PVOs, (CARE, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and Rodale Institute), local NGOs (ProPeten, Maya Center, Defenders of Nature, and the National Coffee Association), regional organizations (CATIE), and national agencies (National Environmental Commission, National Council for Protected Areas, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock).
Major Results Indicators: Baseline Target (2000) People adopting more sustainable land use practices, % of total population in new ('97) target area (70,000) 0% (1990) 60% Hectares of natural habitat saved from con- version to agriculture, compared to trends 0 (1991) 700,000 Income from non-USAID sources increased for selected institutions (US$) 80,000 (1990) 6,000,000 Policy regime reflects increased incentives for sustainable development and conservation (annual assessment based on 26-point policy agenda) No (1992) Yes Total area officially protected (km2) 2,870 (1990) 21,500 Public land under sustainable land use management concession with local communities (hectares) 0 (1993) 150,000
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Guatemala
TITLE AND NUMBER: Support the Implementation of the Peace Accords, 520-SPO1
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $25,000,000 ESF; $2,505,000 Title II
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1997 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To support Guatemala's transition from armed conflict to peace and sustainable development through support of the full implementation of the Peace Accords.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: The first year of this four-year program (1997) focused on initiating a range of activities supporting the implementation of the Peace Accords. While most of the substantive Accords require longer term focus, some of the more immediate commitments have been successfully completed with significant USAID support, most notably the demobilization of guerrilla and military combatants. USAID assistance has played a leading role among donors in supporting the Guatemalan Government's (GOG) implementation of the Accords by: (a) helping design a comprehensive plan for overhauling the tax administration, crucial to the GOG's ability to finance implementation of its commitments in the Accords; (b) capitalizing the Land Fund, a market-based financing mechanism for land purchases and titling, and a key element of the GOG's effort to address one of the most fundamental sources of conflict; (c) institutionalizing the GOG's capacity to manage the complex array of commitments and resources supporting the implementation of the Accords, through the new Secretariat for Peace (SEPAZ); and (d) funding the crucial work of the Historical Clarification (or "Truth") Commission, and leveraging other donor and GOG contributions to support this process.
Description: USAID's program is focused on four major areas: (1) demobilization of ex-combatants, their integration into society, and national reconciliation; (2) economic reactivation of ex-conflictive and resettlement zones through efforts in human capacity development; (3) increased access to credit and technical assistance, and improved infrastructure in the same areas; and (4) modernization of the state, to assure the GOG has the financial and institutional resources necessary to implement high-impact Peace Accord commitments. Over 20 activities designed to achieve these four major results were initiated in the first year. Several others are in the final stages of design or award.
USAID's program includes a cash grant component which generates the local currency to respond to immediate, high priority needs, including the work of SEPAZ and the Commissions mandated by the Accords, and the provision of assistance to survivors of human rights abuses (e.g., war widows and orphans). USAID has taken the lead in designing an effort to support national reconciliation and enlist the GOG and other donor support to respond to needs in ex-conflict areas with a high potential for violence through local, small-scale infrastructure and productive activities. Programs for increasing human capacity are currently being implemented. These programs provide university fellowships to Mayan leaders, training and certification of teachers in rural ex-conflict areas, and development of models for--and expanding access to--bilingual education. The Peace Program is also in the process of initiating a major activity for increasing literacy among rural, indigenous youth and women. USAID also supports microenterprise development, village-banking schemes and expanded access to other financial institutions, land titling, vocational and entrepreneurial training, and development of basic infrastructure. To enhance the GOG's capacity to achieve the rapid implementation of the Accords, USAID activities are supporting the modernization and strengthening of the National Legislature, decentralization, justice reforms, the strengthening of relations between municipal governments and their constituents, and tax administration reforms.
Host country and Other Donors: The GOG has estimated the cost of financing Peace Accord commitments to be approximately $2.3 billion and recognizes that a significant portion of the funding must be generated internally. External pledges of $1.9 billion were made in 1997. Major donors include the IDB, the World Bank, the United Nations, the EU and Canada.
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of this program will be the entire Guatemalan nation which has expressed its desire for peace and development through the negotiation of the Peace Accords. In particular, ex-combatants, refugees, displaced persons, and the permanent populations in the formerly conflict and resettlement zones will most directly benefit from the full implementation of the Peace Accords.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Entities from all three branches of the Guatemalan Government (Legislative, Judicial, and Executive) are implementing USAID-financed activities, in addition to UN agencies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the University of Texas, and local universities. International, U.S. and local NGOs (CARE, Conservation International, Rodale Institute, Centro Maya, Cooperative Housing Foundation, Canadian Center for Studies and International Cooperation) are implementing activities in conjunction with local governments and community organizations.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline (1996) Targets ( 2001) National Reconciliation, Demobilization and Reintegration Conflict mechanisms established 0 10 high risk communities Demobilized ex-guerrillas 0 3,000 Integration Training/housing 0 3,000 Human Capacity Development University Fellowships degrees awarded 0 500 men and women Innovative Community Education designed/adopted 0 75 Model Schools Certification of Educators awarded 0 200 teachers Youth and Women newly literate 0 250,000 people Sustainable Productive Activities Increased access to productive resources 0 1,000 families Forest under management by local communities 0 Over 100,000 hectares Sustainable productive enterprises established 0 30 Land titles granted 0 1,000 families Modernization and Strengthening of State to Implement Accords Increased points of access for Justice Sector Services 0 8 Justice Centers Congressional modernization plan implemented 0 1 Increased tax revenues collected (% of GDP) 8.5% 10.0% (1998) 11.4% (1999) 12.0% (2000)
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