04 February 2004

Guatemala City, Guatemala: Following a long selection process throughout Guatemala, 40 new National UN Volunteers (VNTs) began their assignment with the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) regional offices and headquarters.

The mission now has a total of 60 UN Volunteers working in the Transitional Programme dedicated to the enhancement of national capacities including the training of indigenous people.

Prior to the commencement of their mission, the new UN Volunteers participated in a thorough briefing and training programme carried out by MINUGUA personnel and specialists. During the sessions, fundamental themes were shared such as peace agreements, history, human rights, justice, and women’s rights to name but a few.

During their assignments, the UN Volunteers will participate in different activities that will have them draw on their knowledge of the verification of the compliance of the Peace Agreements. Furthermore, the UN Volunteers will be involved in the day-to-day procedure to allow an effective ‘nationalization’ of many of the functions of the Mission, particularly the verification of the human rights and the strengthening of the civil institutions, both priorities of the Mission during this year of transition.

The UN Volunteers were directly recruited from institutions and organizations related to the peace agenda, with whom agreements were signed in the hope that after their service as UN Volunteers they could be absorbed by the labor force.

With the implementation of this Transitional Programme, MINUGUA expects to support not only the organizations and institutions that will benefit from the trained personnel in the areas of human rights and peace process. But also to the nation which needs people ready to continue working in favor of the compliance of the peace agenda.