Guatemala

Last Updated: 30 October 2011

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Guatemala signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 26 March 1999, becoming a State Party on 1 September 1999. Guatemala has never used, produced, imported, exported, or stockpiled antipersonnel mines, including for training purposes. Legislation to enforce the antipersonnel mine prohibition domestically was passed in 1997. Guatemala submitted its ninth Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report in April 2011.

Guatemala attended the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in November–December 2010, as well as the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2011, where it announced that it has helped form a working group along with several other South American states in order to monitor implementation of the Cartagena Action Plan and to encourage cooperation and victim assistance.[1] Previously, Guatemala has served as co-rapporteur and then co-chair of the Standing Committees on Stockpile Destruction (2002–2004) and the General Status and Operation of the Convention (2004–2006).

In April 2011, eight landmines were found in a narcotics raid in Guatemala City. American defense analysts stated “with a high degree of confidence that many of these weapons and munitions came from Guatemalan military stock.”[2]

Guatemala is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

 



[1] Statement of Guatemala, Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 24 June 2011.

[2] Tim Johnson, “Drug Gangs Help Themselves to Central American Military Arsenals,” McClatchy Newspapers, 21 April 2011.


Last Updated: 12 August 2014

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Convention on Cluster Munitions status

State Party

Implementation legislation

Law on Cluster Munitions and/or Explosive Bomblets 2012

Participation in Convention on Cluster Munitions meetings

Attended Fourth Meeting of States Parties in Lusaka in September 2013 and intersessional meetings in Geneva in April 2014

Policy

The Republic of Guatemala signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008 and ratified on 3 November 2010. The convention entered into force for Guatemala on 1 May 2011.

Guatemala’s implementing legislation for the convention is the Law on Cluster Munitions and/or Explosive Bomblets enacted on 14 August 2012, which imposes penal sanctions of 12–18 years imprisonment for engaging in acts prohibited by the law, while assistance with these acts is subject to a prison sentence of 10–15 years.[1]

Guatemala provided its initial Article 7 report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 31 August 2011 and annual updates in 2012 and 2013.[2] As of 27 June 2014, Guatemala had not yet provided the annual updated report due by 30 April 2014.[3]

Guatemala actively participated in the Oslo Process that produced the Convention on Cluster Munitions and opposed efforts to weaken the convention in any way.[4] Guatemala attended the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in Lusaka, Zambia in September 2013, but did not make a statement. Guatemala has attended every intersessional meeting of the convention held in Geneva, including in April 2014, where it did not make a statement.

Guatemala participated in a regional workshop on cluster munitions hosted by Chile in Santiago on 12–13 December 2013, where its representative made a presentation on the process of drafting and approval of its national implementation legislation.

Guatemala has voted in favor of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions condemning the Syrian government’s use of cluster munitions, including Resolution 68/182 on 18 December 2013, which expressed “outrage” at Syria’s “continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights…including those involving the use of…cluster munitions.”[5]

Interpretive issues

On interpretive matters relating to the convention, Guatemala stated in May 2010 that in its view “the stockpiling of cluster munitions of other countries in the territory of a State Party to the Convention, as well as the investment in its production is prohibited according to Article 1 of the Convention.”[6]

Guatemala said in March 2009, “Even though the Convention is not explicit…Guatemala agrees that the transit of cluster munitions in the territory of the States Parties should not be permitted.” This position is affirmed in Guatemala’s national implementation legislation, which states that the “trading, illegal possession or carrying” (“intermediación, tenencia y portación”) of cluster munitions is prohibited.[7] In its 2009 statement, it also noted its opposition to the convention’s provision on interoperability and stated, “Guatemala would not participate in any military operation with States that use cluster munitions.”[8] Although Guatemala’s implementation legislation allows the country’s forces to participate in joint operations with states not party that might engage in prohibited acts, the law does not waive its absolute prohibitions in such situations.

Guatemala is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Guatemala has stated on several occasions that it has never used or transferred cluster munitions.[9] It has declared that it has no facilities for the production of cluster munitions.[10]

Guatemala has declared that it has no cluster munitions stockpiled, including for training purposes.[11]

Guatemala’s implementing legislation allows for cluster munitions to be retained or acquired for training purposes and states that any retained munitions “will not exceed the minimum number that the National Ministry of Defence considers absolutely necessary.”[12]

 



[1] On 14 August 2012, the National Congress approved Directive Number 22-2012: Law on Cluster Munitions and/or Explosive Bomblets. Article 3 of the law prohibits the “use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, direct or indirect transfer of one or more cluster munitions and/or explosive bomblets” and also prohibits the “assistance, encouragement, or inducement to anyone to participate in any of the aforementioned activities.” See “Ley de munciones en racimo y/o bombetas explosivas,” Decree number 22-2012, 14 August 2012, Articles 7–8, www.sgp.gob.gt/soft/publico/descargararchivo.php?id=2250&nombrearchivo=uploads/2013/02/05/622250Y3flXNrGAmnzScxCoXAeNW0eHJ24x5n0.pdf.

[2] The initial report covers the period from 1 May to 31 August 2011, the 2012 report covers the period from 1 September 2011 to 30 April 2012, and the 2013 report is for the period from 1 April 2012 to 30 April 2013.

[4] For detail on Guatemala’s policy and practice regarding cluster munitions through early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), p. 85.

[5]Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UNGA Resolution 68/182, 18 December 2013. Guatemala voted in support of a similar resolution on 15 May 2013.

[6] Letter No. 580/MRAC/2010 from the Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the UN in Geneva, 14 May 2010.

[7] See Article 3, Law Regarding Cluster Munitions and/or Explosive Bomblets, Decree number 22-2012, 14 August 2012.

[8] Letter No. 136/ONU/09 from the Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the UN in Geneva, 19 March 2009.

[9] Statement of Guatemala, Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Meeting of States Parties, Beirut, 14 September 2011; statement of Guatemala, Convention on Cluster Munitions First Meeting of States Parties, Vientiane, 10 November 2010. Notes by the CMC; and Letter No. 136/ONU/09 from the Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the UN in Geneva, 19 March 2009.

[11] Guatemala declared “none” (“ninguno”). Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Forms B, C, and D, 31 August 2011.

[12] “La cantidad de dichas armas retenidas o adquiridas para el efecto, no excederá el número mínimo que el Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional considera absolutamente necesario para estos fines.” See Article 6, Law Regarding Cluster Munitions and/or Explosive Bomblets, Decree number 22-2012, 14 August 2012.