GUATEMALA: UN's General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon announces $10 million contribution to strengthen security in Guatemala

Record ID: 559961

  • Title: GUATEMALA: UN's General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon announces $10 million contribution to strengthen security in Guatemala
  • Date: 18th March 2011
  • Summary: GUATEMALAN UN TROOPS GUATEMALA'S PRESIDENT ALVARO COLOM AND UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON UNVEILING PEACE MONUMENT TROOPS AT EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "This is a day for Guatemalans, to mourn these heroes but also to be proud of their lasting contribution to peace and it is a day for the United nations and these courageous Guatemalans who are members of our UN family." COLOM DURING EVENT UN BLUE HELMET BAN DURING EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GUATEMALA'S PRESIDENT ALVARO COLOM, SAYING: "It's because of this-- because we knew what war was like, because we're suffering from organized crime-- that we understand peace. We year for permanent peace. And this is why the Guatemalan people, through their troops, contribute in Congo and Haiti to achieve peace." FLOWER WREATH ON MEMORIAL BAN DURING EVENT MORE OF MEETING PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIO MINERA, THE COORDINATOR OF CALDH'S PROGRAMME FOR DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT, SAYING: "We told the Secretary General (Ban), that there is an absence of justice in this country due to the very grave human rights violations during the conflict years including violations against humanity, linked with genocide politics implemented in the country during these difficult years and violations related to war crimes. Justice has a historic debt with the relatives of the victims, the surviving victims with witnesses. And we are waiting for justice to handle this because this would strengthen the state." GENERAL VIEW OF MEETING
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Guatemala, Guatemala
  • Country: Guatemala
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5YUVCRG8LM6X1RPJCYYZQ72FQ
  • Story Text: .N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced a $10 million contribution from the United Nations Peacebuilding fund to strengthen the security and justice systems in Guatemala on Thursday (March 17).
    Ban inaugurated a memorial in honour of Guatemalan soldiers who have died while serving in UN peacekeeping missions.
    "This is a day for Guatemalans, to mourn these heroes but also to be proud of their lasting contribution to peace and it is a day for the United Nations and these courageous Guatemalans who are members of our UN family," he said.
    More than 300 Guatemalan peacekeepers are deployed in six UN missions, including Haiti.
    "It's because of this-- because we knew what war was like, because we're suffering from organized crime-- that we understand peace. We year for permanent peace. And this is why the Guatemalan people, through their troops, contribute in Congo and Haiti to achieve peace," said Guatemala's President Alvaro Colom.
    Ban also met with regional leaders to discuss how democracy could help tackle organized crime and impunity.
    "We told the Secretary General (Ban), that there is an absence of justice in this country due to the very grave human rights violations during the conflict years including violations against humanity, linked with genocide politics implemented in the country during these difficult years and violations related to war crimes. Justice has a historic debt with the relatives of the victims, the surviving victims with witnesses. And we are waiting for justice to handle this because this would strengthen the state," said Mario Minera, the Coordinator of CALDH's Programme, after meeting with Ban.
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