Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to support the work of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala following recent attempts by the Guatemalan Government to shut the commission down.

The UK has been a vocal advocate of anti-corruption efforts and the valuable work carried out by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) to support and strengthen Guatemalan national institutions. In response, I have released a statement expressing our disappointment at the Guatemalan governments attempt to prevent CICIG carrying out its mandate. The UK also joined statements of the EU and the G13 local donor group condemning Guatemala's decision to unilaterally terminate the agreement establishing CICIG and calling on the Guatemalan government to uphold the rule of law. The UK will continue to monitor developments, through our Embassy in Guatemala, and call upon the Guatemalan government to allow CICIG to complete its mandate and ensure the security of its staff.