Guatemala

Guatemala has been a member of the ILO from 1919 to 1938 and from 1945 to date. The country has ratified 74 Conventions, including eight of the ten fundamental Conventions and the four governance Conventions, as well as 62 technical Conventions.

The Republic of Guatemala is the northernmost Central American country, with an area of 108,889 km² and a population of 18,092,000 inhabitants (CEPALSTAT, 2023). Having several important cities such as Quetzaltenango, Cobán, Escuintla, Huehuetenango and La Antigua Guatemala, the country’s capital is Guatemala City. Although Spanish is the official language, Guatemala’s vast territory and large indigenous population have resulted in the existence of 23 other languages: 21 of Mayan origin, one Xinca (non-Mayan) and one Garífuna (Caribbean).

In order to fulfill the mandate of promoting decent work and fostering social justice, the ILO provides technical assistance to its tripartite partners in the country - government, employers’ and workers’ organizations - through a team of experts and by the implementation of technical cooperation projects that address the priority challenges identified in the different areas of the labour field.

ILO actions in Guatemala are coordinated from the Office for Central America, Haiti, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.