Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, submits, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 52/10, his report on his visit to Guatemala, from 14 to 25 July 2025. The present report presents an analysis of the state of protection of the right to adequate housing in Guatemala, focusing in particular on the historic legacy of land conflict, legal uncertainty and land inequality, including with regard to gender, which in turn has led to the widespread practice of violent forced evictions and criminalization of Indigenous Peoples and peasant communities and those seeking to defend their rights. It also explores challenges experienced by other marginalized groups such as Garifuna, fishing communities, urban poor living in informal settlements, communities living on polluted or degraded land, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. It concludes with a set of recommendations, including on how to strengthen business and human rights practices.