GUATEMALAN SUPREME COURT REQUESTS LABOR JUSTICE

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000606 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR USAID/LAC/RSD:BARRY MACDONALD, WHA/PPC:MIKE PUCCETTI, DRL/IL:PAT DEL VECCHIO, GABRIELLA RIGG LABOR FOR ILAB:JANE RICHARDS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ELAB ECON PGOV GT SUBJECT: GUATEMALAN SUPREME COURT REQUESTS LABOR JUSTICE ASSISTANCE REF: GUATEMALA 440 ¶1. The President of the Guatemalan Supreme Court, Beatriz de Leon Reyes de Barreda, sent the Ambassador a formal request for assistance to improve the administration of labor justice in Guatemala. Her request tallies precisely with our Ref (A) Proposal to Strengthen the Labor Justice System, which includes applying existing criminal justice development programs to the labor court system. ¶2. Comment: In addition to the congruence of opinion, President de Leon's request appears to demonstrate the high-level government commitment that any project would need to succeed. We hope the interagency process takes this commitment into account when making allocation decisions regarding the funds dedicated to improving labor capacity building in the CAFTA countries. End comment. ¶3. Letter text (unofficial translation): Your Excellency Mr. Ambassador: I take the honor to address Your Excellency in order to note the valuable cooperation that your Mission offers our country through USAID's labor modernization programs. In this context, permit me to suggest the extension of this cooperation to include the strengthening of labor justice, which is managed in a separate branch of the justice sector concerning labor and social protection. The primary objective of this request, which would require that one address the judicial sector, is to convey our desire to reach any necessary agreements in order to improve access to justice. I take this opportunity to express to Your Excellency my highest esteem and consideration. Beatriz de Leon Reyes de Barreda President of the Justice Sector and of the Supreme Court (End text.) DERHAM