A/HRC/7/31 page 6 responsibilities assigned to experts and to the secretariat. The Government stressed that cooperation cannot be imposed, but must take into account the specificities and realities of each country and refrain from condemnatory approaches. (j) In conclusion, the Government stressed that it considers it its duty to draw the attention of all Member States and non-governmental organizations to the urgent need to effectively implement genuine cooperation and uphold dialogue as proclaimed by the Charter of the United Nations. 6. Guatemala [Original: Spanish] [7 December 2007] (a) In its response, the Government of Guatemala provided information on the formulation of national policy concerning international cooperation under the guidance of the Planning and Programming Secretariat of the Presidency (SEGEPLAN). This institution regards international cooperation as the provision of technical, financial and political support by partner countries and specialized multilateral organizations, in order to promote sustainable economic, social, financial, commercial, administrative and environmental development, in the framework of participatory democracy. The cooperation should be consistent with the policies of the Government, its international relations, and its financial and fiscal policies. The Government outlined the conditions required for ensuring the effectiveness of international cooperation, such as the quality of development projects and the administration thereof. (b) Concerning human rights, the Government stated that a series of programmes, projects and strategies have been put in place to ensure respect and implementation of the obligations undertaken in the peace accords of 1996. In this regard, international cooperation has played a fundamental role in terms of strengthening the rule of law and the institutional structures of the State, and also with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights in Guatemala. The Government noted, notwithstanding the coordinated efforts and the progress made since the signing of the peace accords, that the “Agenda of Peace” has yet to be fully implemented. The cooperation policy of the State should therefore encompass the remaining aspects of the Agenda, and should strengthen efforts to comply with it. The Government noted that many of these aspects are linked to the promotion of economic, social and cultural rights, and correspond to the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals. (c) Furthermore, the Government provided information on international cooperation in the context of the country’s political transition, such as through the Dialogue Group and other cooperation mechanisms, which had supported the Government’s Political Transition Plan 2007-2008. The Government also highlighted the important contribution made by the Inter-American Development Bank. (d) In conclusion, the Government stated that international cooperation constitutes an indispensable element for the strengthening of a State’s efforts in implementing projects and programmes for the benefit of its people. In this regard, the Government stressed the importance of the formulation of a national policy to be able to prioritize international cooperation programmes and projects. All State structures, in particular those established to respond to the