Spain and Guatemala sign the new Partnership Framework 2026-2030

The Diplomat The Governments of Spain and Guatemala have signed the Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development Spain-Guatemala 2026-2030, which will involve the mobilization, on the part of Spain, of €266.8 million in official development assistance to promote technical, bilateral, triangular, multilateral, and decentralized cooperation with the Central American country. The signing took place this Thursday in Madrid by the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Eva Granados Galiano, on behalf of Spain, and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, María Luisa Ramírez Coronado, and the Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency, Carlos Mendoza Alvarado, on behalf of Guatemala. The signing ceremony took place within the framework of the tenth Spanish-Guatemalan Joint Cooperation Commission and coincided with the approach of the fortieth anniversary of the permanent presence of Spanish Cooperation in Guatemala, which will be commemorated next year. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the new Partnership Framework is the main planning instrument for bilateral cooperation between the two countries for the next four and a half years and reaffirms Spain's commitment to Guatemala's sustainable development. The agreement is aligned with the Central American country's national development priorities and with the 2030 Agenda, in line with Guatemala's status as one of the priority countries for Spanish Cooperation. “The new Partnership Framework represents a significant evolution compared to previous frameworks,” because, “without abandoning strategic continuity, it reorients priorities that until now have focused primarily on combating chronic child malnutrition towards a broader approach to sustainable territorial development, based on the recognition that undernutrition and malnutrition stem from multidimensional causes that require comprehensive responses linked to local economic development, decent work, and access to basic services,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued. Furthermore, the agreement reinforces the commitment to women’s rights through a comprehensive approach that includes the prevention of violence, access to care systems, the promotion of decent work, sexual and reproductive rights, and social protection. The outcomes of the new framework are structured around the social, ecological, and economic transitions outlined in the Spanish Cooperation Master Plan for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity 2024-2027. €266.8 million for sustainable development In accordance with this agreement, Spain plans to allocate €266.8 million in official development assistance to Guatemala during the period 2026-2030. This represents an increase compared to the previous cycle and reflects the commitment to further strengthening a cooperative relationship consolidated over the past decades. The resources will be channeled through various cooperation instruments and modalities, including technical, bilateral, triangular, multilateral, and decentralized cooperation, as well as through financing mechanisms that support areas such as infrastructure and access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “In an international context marked by reduced development funding, Spain reaffirms its role as a reliable, stable, and long-term partner for Guatemala, remaining among the country's leading bilateral donors,” the Ministry emphasized. Over the past decades, this cooperation has resulted in high-impact initiatives in areas such as access to water and sanitation, youth job training, cultural heritage protection, and sustainable development. “The new framework is also the result of an extensive process of dialogue and consultation with public institutions and civil society organizations in Guatemala and Spain, paying special attention to the participation of indigenous peoples and the incorporation of approaches based on human rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

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