World Bank2013-10-032013-10-032013-05https://hdl.handle.net/10986/16085Guatemala has made tremendous strides in moving toward democracy and building institutions after a prolonged civil war, much remains to be done in generating the foundations for strong broad-based economic growth. As Guatemala enters its fifth presidential cycle since the 1996 Peace Accords, the newly elected administration faces tremendous economic challenges. Efforts during the previous administration to directly address poverty and improve education and health outcomes, particularly in the indigenous and rural areas, were intense, with tentative signs of success. The signing of the Peace Accords in 1996, following a protracted negotiations process, marked a turning point in Guatemala's development path. Three cross-cutting themes were emphasized through the Accords: 1) the rights of indigenous communities; 2) commitments regarding the rights and position of women, and 3) a strengthening of social participation. However, Guatemala's institutional environment continues to complicate the cooperation of political actors over time and thus the inter-temporal bargains required to agree upon and sustain structural reforms. Over the past two decades, economic growth has been relatively stable but weak. Since 1990, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth per capita in Guatemala has averaged about 1.2 percent, about three-quarters of a percentage point less than the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean and significantly less than other middle-income countries. Financial sector legal and regulatory reforms implemented since 2000 have improved banks' solvency and resilience to market volatility, but lack of access to finance remains a major issue for the financial sector. To accelerate broad-based growth, Guatemala will need to improve the investment climate for business, increase educational attainment and make progress on governance, transparency and security.Guatemala ha realizado enormes progresos en su transición a la democracia y la construcción de instituciones después de una larga guerra civil. Los Acuerdos de Paz identificaron una agenda ambiciosa para la reconciliación y reincorporación de grupos excluidos, el desarrollo humano, el desarrollo económico sostenible, la modernización del Estado y una gobernanza mejorada. Desde la firma de los Acuerdos en 1996, se ha avanzado en la reducción de la pobreza (especialmente en áreas urbanas), mejorando varios resultados de desarrollo y manteniendo un ambiente macroeconómico estable. La idea de este informe es ubicar a Guatemala en su contexto histórico y determinar la forma en que la economía ha evolucionado en los últimos quince años desde los Acuerdos de Paz, en qué áreas de desarrollo ha progresado el país, en qué se ha quedado atrás y cuáles son los desafíos clave para el desarrollo futuro. El documento profundiza en estas cuestiones, examinando la eficiencia de los gastos públicos, el gasto en seguridad ciudadana y la administración financiera pública y compras. Para acelerar un crecimiento de bases amplias, Guatemala necesitará mejorar el clima de inversiones para los negocios, aumentar los logros educativos y progresar en gobernabilidad, transparencia y seguridad.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO FINANCEDEMOCRACYECONOMIC GROWTHEDUCATIONGOVERNANCEHEALTHINDIGENOUS COMMUNITIESPOVERTYSECURITYSOCIAL PARTICIPATIONTRANSPARENCYWOMEN'S RIGHTSWorld Bank10.1596/16085