Agreement on a General Agenda

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Country/entity: Guatemala
Region: Americas
Agreement name: Agreement on a General Agenda
Date: 26 Apr 1991
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Guatemalan Civil War (1960 - 1996)
Civil war broke out in Guatemala when numerous leftist and agrarian groups took up arms in 1960 in face of the repression from the conservative regime of Carlos Castillo Armas. The Armas regime came to power in 1954 following a CIA-backed coup against the leftist government of Jacobo Arbenz. The main rebel umbrella was the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG). During the civil war numerous counts of genocide and mass disappearances occurred. In the late 1980s, when a civilian government came to power, the URNG changed tactics when releasing that they wouldn’t come to power through armed conflict. The war came to an end on December 29, 1996, and since then URNG converted to an official political party.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Guatemala peace process
Parties: Govt of Guatemala, URNG
(Signed) Rodolfo QUEZADA TORUNO; (Signed) Manuel E. CONDE ORELLANA; (Signed) Francesc VENDRELL; (Signed) Gaspar ILOM;
Third parties: Signed by UN rep and rep of National Reconciliation Commission
Description: Agreed agenda for peace process: democratization, human rights, strengthening civilian authority, identity and rights of indigenous peoples, constitutional reforms and electoral systems, socio-economic aspects, agrarian situation, resettlement of population groups, bringing URNG into political life, final ceasefire, implementation timetable, agmt on firm and lasting peace and demobilization

Agreement document: GT_910426_AgreementGeneralAgenda.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: Groups→Indigenous people→Rhetorical
Page 1,
3. Identity and rights of indigenous peoples.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: Groups→Refugees/displaced persons→Rhetorical
Page 2,
7. Resettlement of populations uprooted by the armed conflict.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): Identity and rights of indiegenous peoples part of general agenda
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): Governance→Political institutions (new or reformed)→General references
Page 2,
2. Strengthening of civilian authority and the role of the army in a democratic society.
4. Constitutional reform and the electoral system.
Elections: Page 2,
4. Constitutional reform and the electoral system.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: Page 2,
8. Bases for bringing URNG into the political life of the country.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: Governance→Constitution→Constitutional reform/making
Page 2,
4. Constitutional reform and the electoral system.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: Page 2,
1. Democratization. Human Rights.
3. Identity and rights of indigenous peoples.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: Page 2,
1. Democratization. Human Rights.
2. Strengthening of civilian authority and the role of the army in a democratic society.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: Page 2,
1. Democratization. Human Rights.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Socio-economic development
Page 2,
5. Socio-economic aspects.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: Page 2,
6. Agrarian situation.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 2,
9. Arrangements for the final cease-fire.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Page 2,
2. Strengthening of civilian authority and the role of the army in a democratic society.
DDR: Security sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisions
Page 2,
11. Signing of the agreement on a firm and lasting peace, and demobilization.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 2,
8. Bases for bringing URNG into the political life of the country.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: Signed by Representative of the UN Secretary General.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: UN Peacemaker. Available at: https://peacemaker.un.org/guatemala-generalagenda91 (Accessed 6 October 2020).

ANNEX

Agreement on a general agenda, signed at Mexico City on 26 April 1991

1. Democratization.

Human Rights.

2. Strengthening of civilian authority and the role of the army in a democratic society.

3. Identity and rights of indigenous peoples.

4. Constitutional reform and the electoral system.

5. Socio-economic aspects.

6. Agrarian situation.

7. Resettlement of populations uprooted by the armed conflict.

8. Bases for bringing URNG into the political life of the country.

9. Arrangements for the final cease-fire.

10. Timetable for the implementation, fulfilment and verification of agreements.

11. Signing of the agreement on a firm and lasting peace, and demobilization.

(Signed) Rodolfo QUEZADA TORUNO

(Signed) Manuel E. CONDE ORELLANA

(Signed) Francesc VENDRELL

(Signed) Gaspar ILOM