Guatemala launches a multi-stakeholder process to strengthen private security regulation in line with international norms and good practices

On 23 August, the government of Guatemala officially launched a multi-stakeholder initiative to strengthen the current national regulation on PMSCs.

With this effort, the Ministry of Governance (Ministerio de Gobernación) and the General Directorate of Private Security Services (Dirección General de Servicios de Seguridad Privada) aim to integrate international norms and good practices into its national regulatory framework. This initiative will bring together public institutions, representatives of the private security industry, and civil society organizations to develop the country’s first public policy on PMSCs.

The (formal) PMSC sector in Guatemala is made up of 265 companies and more than 45,000 employees. The initiative intends to enhance the respect of human rights by PMSCs and their managers and personnel. It also aims to strengthen the sector by preventing unfair competition between security service providers while encouraging companies to invest in quality services and comply with international norms and good practices.

DCAF as Montreux Document Forum Secretariat supports this inclusive multi-stakeholder approach through funding and thematic advisory. More information on the PMSC sector in Guatemala can be found in a recent DCAF-IEPADES study. 

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