SECRETARY-GENERAL STATEMENT
on the decision by the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission

13 April 2002

1. This morning at 9:00 a.m. in The Hague, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission conveyed to representatives of the two governments its decision on delimitation of their common border.

2. This is an important milestone in the peace process. I applaud the parties' continued and consistent reaffirmation that the decision of the Commission is "final and binding", in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement which they signed in Algiers in December 2000.

3. With the assistance of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), the two countries have maintained a ceasefire since June 2000. This accomplishment, which deserves to be commended, must now be built upon by working expeditiously to implement the Boundary Commission's decision. To this end, I look forward to the parties' close cooperation with UNMEE in the crucial period ahead. The peoples of Eritrea and Ethiopia who have suffered greatly deserve no less.