ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TOLD ROLE OF UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES FITS WITH TIMETABLE FOR RETURN OF PEACE TO GUATEMALA

14 July 1998

Press Release
ECOSOC/5775

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL TOLD ROLE OF UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES FITS WITH TIMETABLE FOR RETURN OF PEACE TO GUATEMALA

19980714 Dialogue with Country Team Covers Initial Experience with New Framework for Development Assistance

The agendas of United Nations agencies complied with the logic, dynamics and timetable for the restoration of peace in Guatemala, a representative of that's country Government told this Economic and Social Council this morning.

The Council held a dialogue with the United Nations country team from Guatemala to discuss that country's experience in the initial pilot phases of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The UNDAF was a mechanism to achieve goal-oriented collaboration, programmatic coherence and mutual reinforcement among United Nations programmes in order to assist governments in their efforts to implement the recommendations of global conferences.

A representative of the Planning Secretariat of Guatemala, Jorge Escoto, said his Government enjoyed ownership of its development agenda with the support of United Nations agencies and the international community. Inter- agency commitment was important, as the UNDAF effort required less rotation in the basic team staff, and had the necessary financial resources with fewer constraints, as well as the commitment of the Government. By working together, the Government and the agencies would find a new cooperation framework for the new millennium.

The Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Guatemala, Lars Franklin, said the agencies of the country team were trying to create a United Nations experience in Guatemala that was able to interact with many different actors. To that end, it might be necessary to change the culture within the United Nations. The country team should offer a more integrated response and become less bureaucratic and more service-oriented, capable of servicing the clients.

The country team was trying to support the Guatemalan Government in achieving the goals of the nine United Nations conferences and summits, said the representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), James Mayrides. Its role was as facilitator and catalyst to protect and advance issues concerning the vulnerable groups of society. The team wanted to link

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its work closely with the overall efforts of the international community and be compatible with the Government and other contributors.

The representative of the Secretariat of Peace of Guatemala, Ricardo Stein, said the United Nations presence in Guatemala showed a level of cooperation based on internal efforts and could serve as reference framework. The peace agreements were the elements of a strategy to transform Guatemala into a country committed to the development of its people.

The global, regional and national agendas in Guatemala were largely compatible, due to the outcome of peace agreements which emphasized development and the deepening of democracy, said the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Rene Maurico Valdes. That convergence was being translated into strategies and had resulted in the production of several important documents, including the country strategy note and the inter-agency focuses which matched global and local priorities.

The dialogue was facilitated by the Chief of Development Cooperation of the Policy Branch of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Alfred Haemmerli.

Also addressing the Council were the Resident Representative of the World Bank, Jose Roberto Lopez-Calix; the Director for Central American and Panama of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Ian Chambers; the representative of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO), Jacobo Finkelman; the Special Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Zulma Lattes; the Programme Officer of the United Nations Volunteers, Lorraine Maudlin; the Director for Guatemala of the World Food Programme (WFP), Marius de Gaay Fortman; and the Chief of Mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Carlos Boggio.

In addition, the following members of the country team were present at the dialogue: Programmes National Coordinator of the International Organization for Migration, Diego Beltrand Corbacho; Mission Representative in Country Team of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), Thierry Delrue; representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Federico Figueroa; Change Manager of the UNDP, Raul Ovanda; and Coordinator of the National Human Development Report of the UNDP, Juan Alberto Fuentes.

The Council will meet again at 3 p.m. to conduct a dialogue with the United Nations country team from Mozambique.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this morning to continue its segment on operational activities for international development cooperation by considering the reports of the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP). Also this morning, the Council was scheduled to hold a dialogue with the United Nations country team from Guatemala. (For further information on the session, see Press Release ECOSOC/5771 of 10 July.)

Guatemala Country Team Presentation

ALFRED HAEMMERLI, Chief, Development Cooperation Policy Branch, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in his introductory remarks, said that the present forum was a good way to bring the realities of the country level to the Economic and Social Council. The purpose of the dialogue with United Nations country teams was to show the various dimensions of operational activities in the field, including the linkages to peace-building and reconstruction, and also to highlight the implementation of the Secretary- General's reforms.

LARS FRANKLIN, Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Guatemala, said there were a number of contradictions in that State which were always present in countries in transition. There were also contradictions in the United Nations system. Despite those contradictions, however, the country team was extremely committed to Guatemala and hopeful about the country's future.

RICARDO STEIN, Secretariat of Peace, said the Guatemala experience showed a level of cooperation based on internal efforts and could serve as reference framework. The peace agreements, with 179 commitments, represented the closest thing to a national project based on consultation and an accurate understanding of the past. Those agreements must be seen as the elements of a strategy to transform Guatemala into a country committed to the development of its people.

He said there were six identifiable transformations in Guatemala in the past 18 months: a deepening of the democratic system; redefinition of national defense and security; reform and modernization of State bodies; substantial changes in the pattern of public investment; efforts to create a multi-cultural nation based on ethnic plurality; and an in-depth transformation of tax policies to prevent tax evasion and eliminate corruption. Strong international and domestic support was important. However, despite progress there were still moments of tension by the enemies of peace who sought to impede progress.

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Mr. FRANKLIN said one of the positive factors for United Nations action was that the regional and global agendas in Guatemala were compatible. That provided for a good point of departure. In Guatemala, the country team had the participation of the agencies of the United Nations Development Group, specialized agencies and financial institutions. It was a complete country team. The United Nations staff in Guatemala was presently 1,000 persons, 50 per cent of whom were part of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), and 30 per cent were international staff. The remaining 20 per cent were national staff. The team had a presence in the entire country, with a focus on the most impoverished areas. The portfolio at present was about $400 million, including donations, credits from the World Bank, and Government's cost-sharing.

Among the problems faced by the country team was a lack of coordination between programmes, he said. The four agencies of the United Nations Development Group did not have completely compatible programmes as far as time-frames were concerned. As part of reform, the four agencies were attempting to be coordinated by the year 2000.

All the agencies of the country team had been very active before the peace accords were signed in Guatemala, he said. They would like to create a United Nations experience in Guatemala that was flexible and able to interact with many different actors. It should be a solid network of human capacity, a system capable to deliver an impact. To that end, it might be necessary to change the culture within the United Nations in order to be more capable of political dialogue and to be more client-oriented. The United Nations presence should offer a more integrated response and become less bureaucratic and more service-oriented, capable of servicing the clients. The United Nations should be partners in change in Guatemala.

JAMES MAYRIDES, representative of UNICEF, said the United Nations on the global front was trying to support the Government in achieving the goals of the nine global conferences. Its role was as facilitator and catalyst to protect and advance issues concerning the vulnerable groups of society. Within global realities, United Nations funds all came from same contributors, and all members of the country team shared the responsibility and accountability to use those funds more responsibly. The team wanted to link its work closely with the overall efforts of the international community and be compatible with the Government and other contributors.

The peace process provided the United Nations presence an opportunity to change, he said. The country team was being encouraged and supported by the Government and member States. There were also contrasts of development, violence, ethnic tensions and uncertainties of change in certain segments in the country. The team hoped to assist the country to establish processes towards development that could be carried forward by future governments. Guatemala had reached a crossroad in its transition. United Nations reform

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would facilitate the work towards social equity, the inclusion of populations outside the mainstream, and change attitudes of civil society. The country team was also working to achieve better coordination among and within United Nations agencies.

There were several processes within United Nations reform, and each one was quite political, he said. The peace process required the consolidation of programming and analysis. The country team was seeking the guidance of member States, because they defined its role. When contradictions arose from multilateral and bilateral approaches, then the member States must provide clarity. There was a need for common analysis and joint focuses on areas of action, despite the different mandates of the agencies. Sometimes loyalties to mandates fostered differences among the agencies. Thus, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) was an excellent opportunity to review programmes and to identify mechanisms for cooperation. The team was committed to seeking change. There should be a new dialogue with the Government and civil society on agreed objectives to optimize the work of the country team in Guatemala.

RENE MAURICO VALDES, Deputy Resident Representative of the UNDP, said Guatemala was the first country in Latin America to be used in an UNDAF pilot project. The exercise in that country was based entirely on national priorities and on the country strategy note, in which the Government called for a joint programme and a harmonization of efforts in keeping with the guidelines of the 1996 peace accords. The UNDAF process was a methodology and process that was permanently under way. Its goal was to generate synergies between the United Nations organizations.

He said that in Guatemala, the global, regional and national agendas were largely compatible due to the outcome of peace agreements which emphasized development and the deepening of democracy. That convergence was being translated into strategies and had resulted in the production of several important documents, including the country strategy note, and the inter-agency focuses which matched global and local priorities. Investment in human resources had been a key activity to ensure that everyone understood the various efforts under way. The country was lucky to mobilize more resources, including additional support from Sweden. The recent production of the first Human Development Report on Guatemala was a combination of the best available statistical data and contained a preliminary analysis of the country.

JACOB FINKELMAN, Representative of the Pan-American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (WHO), said there were 10 thematic groups at work in Guatemala. Those groups addressed issues such as AIDS, gender, indigenous people, ex-combatants and health. For example, efforts in the area of demobilization and the reintegration of ex-combatants had been successful. That particular strategy was based on a single objective, a simple budget, and a single calendar. It had, therefore, been possible to effectively discharge

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a mandate. The return of 38,000 refugees from Mexico had also been made possible.

He said that in the area of health, efforts addressed the reduction of polio through greater vaccine coverage. The new processes in the country had enabled reform of the health system and reduced child mortality. Land reform, criminal justice, penal justice, and reform of the police were all issues which were also being pursued. The ability to open spaces for dialogue had made a fundamental contribution in bringing about social convergence in the county. In the area of gender, there was now advocacy to reduce violence against women and reforms to ensure equity. The main approach among groups was to find common objectives to problem-solving and to strengthen institutions through an intelligent division of labour.

MARIUS DE GAAY FORTMAN, Director for Guatemala of the World Food Programme (WFP), said the promotion of common services was an area where concrete results had been achieved. The promotion of common services was part of a strategy to improve the interaction within the United Nations team. A next step should be to achieve complementary planning of activities.

One of the first projects initiated within the United Nations reform project was the establishment of the inter-agency working group on operations, he said. That group identified three different types of actions to implement common services according to its complexity and prioritized them into three groups. The first priority was immediate applications, such as medical services and common procedures to request assistance from financial agencies. The second priority concerned actions that required legal revision or budget revisions locally. The third referred to actions that would require actions at Headquarters.

Nine inter-agency task forces were established, and most agencies participated in at least six of the task forces, he said. The lead agencies also received support from other agencies, the Government and the private sector. One of the achievements of the task forces was that the United Nations country team in Guatemala was now a more attractive customer to the companies that served it, because it acted as one entity and not 17 single agencies, he said. Regarding the United Nations House, it was agreed that it would be established in 1999 or 2000, and that it should be undertaken at the end of the reform process and not at its onset. The Government had been consulted, as it was paying the rent for some agencies. An inter-agency website also had been established, and the country team was being presented as one entity. Another achievement was the further cooperation between the various agencies in the assessment and management of disasters through a disaster management team.

Summing up, he said the inter-agency working group provided the agencies the opportunity to better understand each others' mandates and to identify

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areas where they could collaborate further. The establishment of increased and improved common services had been an excellent stepping stone for further cooperation in the field of programming. The reduction in costs and the improvement in services had given the country team a new and extended opportunity to serve the most needy. There were more areas where additional savings and benefits could be obtained. One example was more ambitious inter- agency training programmes.

Mr. FRANKLIN said Guatemala was a unique case where the United Nations could prove its utility and capacity in a country in transition. The efforts to change did pay, but they were not without costs; it required investment in human and financial resources. The country team was investing a tremendous effort, and perhaps that effort was not recognized by the United Nations and its donors. True reform required more consistent, coherent and synchronized policies from the United Nations constituency and from Headquarters. Change in the United Nations occurs in a fluid environment. The reform effort was not a single exercise; it was a continuous exercise. United Nations reform was not a business concept, but an interactive and institutional exercise with highly political and human components.

JORGE ESCOTO, representative of the Planning Secretariat of Guatemala, said exceptional circumstances currently prevailed in his country. The signing of peace accords and the establishment of a new democratic government provided the country with a hopeful agenda for the future. The sectoral agendas of agencies tended to comply with the logic, dynamics and timetable of the restoration of peace for the country. Guatemala's development agenda was owned by the country with the respectful support of the agencies and the international community.

While the country team had invaluable experience in the region, there was still a great deal to be done, he said. Inter-agency commitment was important, and the United Nations reform effort should be supported at every level in the headquarters of each agency. The reform process required less rotation in the basic team staff, the necessary financial resources, fewer constraints, as well as the commitment of the Government. By working together, the Government and the agencies would find a new cooperation framework for the new millennium.

Exchange of Views

In response to questions from delegations, Mr. FRANKLIN said one of the recurring themes on Guatemala was the question of rural development.

Mr. ESCOTO said that in Guatemala there were two fundamental topics when addressing sustainability of the peace process and the reform process of the United Nations. The participation of the community and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was important since those bodies were highly

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representative sectors of civil society. The process of decentralization was also well on the way. Integral to that process were the urban and rural development councils. The participation of rural communities and the grass- roots sectors was an integral issue if sustainable development were to succeed. The 15 joint commissions that were established as a result of the peace process were indispensable to reform of the participatory process. Civil society, which was the backbone of sustainability, must guide and shape public policy, he added.

JOSE ROBERT LOPEZ-CALIX, Resident Representative of the World Bank, said Guatemala was now a society in transition which enjoyed a remarkable team. On both sides, there was a clear understanding that the country had a real opportunity for accelerated growth. Bilateral and multilateral donors could not delude themselves that they were working alone; working in cooperation was indispensable. The World Bank, along with the UNDP, UNICEF, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and MINUGUA, had worked jointly on a number of issues, including tax administration, reform of the State, and land reform.

He said the Bank was now moving towards post-conflict activities. While it recognized that it could not replace agencies, it would provide support where its activities would have the greatest impact and make a difference. In opening new domains, the Bank would have to coordinate its work more closely with the United Nations system. The challenge now was to move towards medium- term national consensus that would survive any possible changes to the Government in the upcoming elections next year. Cooperation between specialized agencies had moved from fragmentary approach towards a more focused strategy that was based on integrated local development.

It was typical for a country in a post-conflict situation to have accelerated economic growth, he continued. After signing peace agreements, often the economy of such a country attained higher rates of growth for three or four years. In Guatemala, the economy was progressively clarifying itself. Guatemala was building on peace and was not unbalancing its macroeconomic equilibrium. It was increasing its external resources and reserves. The Government was taking measures that were difficult on the population, but they were made on the basis consensus decisions.

In response to questions about the extra work involved in the establishment of UNDAF, the Special Representative of the UNFPA, ZULMA LATTES, said some agencies had had to shoulder a tremendous burden of extra work. Yet, it should not be forgotten that Guatemala was part of a pilot phase of the reform process, and that process had not been internalized. Once all the factors were integrated, the process would become more natural. The country team was being asked to launch a process of change at the field level, but the headquarters of the agencies were still living in the past. When the process of reform truly

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coalesced into a practical reality, there would be operational procedures and methodologies to simplify work at the local level.

Regarding the gender imbalance on the country team, she said there had been moves in some agencies to improve that situation. The country team reflected the inequality between the sexes in Guatemala; there was a tremendous amount of work to be done in that sphere.

Mr. FRANKLIN said a great deal more must be done to promote the participation of women in Guatemala. There should be far more women on the country team. Yet, there was a good gender programme in Guatemala, and it enjoyed the active participation of the Government and all the agencies.

IAN CHAMBERS, Director for Central America and Panama of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said some of specialized, including the ILO, were pursuing regional or subregional programming in Central America. The ILO supported governments in the region in the efforts to bring about integration, which led to a better use of resources. It also involved taking advantage of the experiences of regional neighbours and apply it to Guatemala. The process was particularly useful for ensuring efficiency and making the best use of resources.

In response to questions about contradictions in the agencies' planning systems, he said they were caused by geographic responsibility and different programming cycles. Some agencies worked in a regional context and others in a country context. The ILO's solution involved area offices which had technical capacity. There also was a multi-disciplinary team based in San Jose, Costa Rica, and they covered the entire Central American region, including the Dominican Republic.

Mr. FINKELMAN said certain theme groups, such as the United Nations Joint Response to HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), were set up to reconcile different points of view. That was not an easy task since there were entirely divergent viewpoints at times. The UNAIDS had identified other donor groups who were interested in working with NGOs. In direct programming, the first steps looked to identify synergies based on complementarity and sought to narrow cooperation so that established agreements were reflected everywhere.

LORRAINE MAULDIN, Programme Officer, United Nations Volunteers, said that MINUGUA had looked for more cost-effective ways to apply to the verification exercise. The work in the field was often in the community, and it was difficult to find professionals to fill such posts. The volunteer programme sought to find people, including women, to fill those gaps.

CARLOS BOGGIO, Chief of Mission, UNHCR, said that in Guatemala his organization was confronted with the need to focus on the victims of armed conflict. Coordination efforts in the first phase had been directed at

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helping sectors of the population such as refugees, and coordinating responses to the internally displaced. Figures revealed that there were between 100,000 to 200,000 people who needed help in that category. The UNHCR was also trying to coordinate agendas so that zones affected by armed conflict and which overlapped with areas of acute poverty would receive all the attention that was necessary. The trust fund by the UNDP had been launched and had provided $9 million for displaced people.

Mr. FRANKLIN said there was need for more than just a United Nations House in Guatemala. Before the establishment of the House, delegates needed to ask what purpose it would serve. Questions on themes and common programmes and approaches were all much more important. Also, even though operatives were in the field, they still needed guidance and direction on how to proceed. All those issues needed to be addressed before anything else.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. STEIN said international cooperation had been a permanent concern of the Government from the first day it took office. His Government had determined the need for a single agenda that would make the peace agenda tally with its development agenda. Those particular conditions called for equally particular efforts. The Government had made efforts to establish an organ for peace that could ensure government cooperation and allow for a single mechanism for discourse with the specialized agencies. That organ was headed by the President and included cabinet ministers. Guatemala welcomed inter-agency efforts for coordination, in particular, those carried out by the resident coordinator.

Responding to questions about the relationship between UNDAF and the country strategy note, he said UNDAF was developed from the strategy note, which was an exercise between the Government and an inter-agency entity. The UNDAF was part of an effort to organize development activities in Guatemala. It also was a unique opportunity to maximize the impact of the system.

Regarding questions about what were the necessary conditions for a successful UNDAF exercise in other countries, he said the system must focus on aspects that it could genuinely control. It was important to guarantee that headquarters supported field exercises and that institutional arrangements recognized the needs of the country, and also to ensure that efforts produced the intended impact.

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