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EU Statement - ILO 355th GB - Complaint alleging non-observance by Guatemala of Conventions Nos 87 and 98

24.11.2025 Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

ILO Governing Body, 355th session

17 – 27 November 2025

Complaint alleging non-observance by Guatemala of Conventions Nos 87 and 98

GB.355/INS/10

1st EU statement

 

Chair,

I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania1, Ukraine, the EFTA countries Norway and Switzerland align themselves with this statement.

  1. The EU and its Member States are committed to the respect, protection and fulfilment of labour rights. Universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions and the ILO’s supervisory mechanism are essential in this endeavour.
  2. We thank the Office for its report and continued support of the implementation of the road map on freedom of association in Guatemala.  We welcome the joint ILO-IOE-ITUC mission in August. It delivered a detailed assessment and identified concrete priority areas with clear timelines and responsibilities for advancing the implementation of the road map.
  3. We commend the ILO’s initiatives, including tripartite workshops with the Regional Initiative for Social Dialogue, training activities on freedom of association and international labour standards for trade union organizations, and technical assistance to the Supreme Court and judicial authorities on international labour standards and dispute resolution mechanisms.
  4. Social Dialogue is extremely relevant for building resilient and effective labour systems in Guatemala as indicated by the ILO report "Social Dialogue in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025”.
  5. We welcome the Government’s efforts to protect trade union members, including the finalization of the revised protection protocol. We nevertheless continue to share the grave concerns expressed by the Committee on Freedom of Association and the Committee of Experts regarding the serious acts of violence against members of the trade union movement, including numerous murders.
  6. We call on the Government to continue urgent action to protect all trade union members, to prevent further loss of human lives and violations of human and labour rights. We also urge the Government to strengthen judicial proceedings to guarantee that all cases of violence are prosecuted in a timely and just manner, and lead to accountability for instigators and perpetrators. Additionally, we emphasize the need to reinforce the actions of the Labour Inspectorate in trade union matters.
  7. Furthermore, we acknowledge the Government’s efforts to facilitate trade unions registration including the introduction of 24-hours provisional registration, promotion of the Guide to Freedom of Association and the holding of a workshop on trade union registration with ILO participation. However, significant obstacles persist with regards to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We regret that Bill 5508, providing legislative recognition of the National Tripartite Committee on Labour Relations and Freedom of Association (CNTRLLS) did not pass congress and that only three sections of Bill 6162, which addresses fundamental labour rights, were approved. We urge the Government to redouble its efforts with Congress and social partners to secure the adoption of these reforms.
  8. The EU remains the principal partner in supporting Guatemala's implementation of the road map on freedom of association. Through the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America, both parties are committed to effectively implement fundamental ILO Conventions in law and practice. The EU continues to provide substantial support through the Promotion of the Decent Work Project, now entering its second phase (to be implemented by the ILO), and additional initiatives strengthening the labour movement, civil society, responsible business conduct in agricultural supply chains and tripartite social dialogue.
  9. We encourage the Office to continue its technical assistance activities aimed at strengthening freedom of association through social dialogue, training, and compliance support. Given that this work is central to the ILO's mandate, we emphasize the need for sufficient resources and encourage continued international contributions to maintain momentum and implement the priority actions identified
  10. With this, Chair, we support the draft decision.

Thank you.

 

1North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process