52/176 The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development

The General Assembly,

Considering the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, particularly resolution 637 (1989) of 27 July 1989; and its own resolutions, particularly resolution 43/24 of 15 November 1989, in which it requests the Secretary-General to continue his good offices and to afford the fullest possible support to the Central American Governments in their efforts to achieve the objectives of peace, reconciliation, democracy, development and justice established in the agreement on "Procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace in Central America" of 7 August 1987, ⁽¹⁾

Reaffirming its resolutions in which it recognizes and stresses the importance of international, economic, financial and technical cooperation and assistance, both bilateral and multilateral, aimed at promoting economic and social development in the region with a view to furthering and supplementing the efforts of the Central American peoples and Governments to achieve peace and democratization, particularly resolution 50/58 B of 12 December 1995, concerning international assistance to and cooperation with the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Central America,

Emphasizing the importance of the establishment of the Central American Integration System as the institutional framework having as its main objective to promote a comprehensive integration process; the adoption of the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Central America, which constitutes the new integrated programme for national and regional development containing the commitments and priorities of the countries of the area for the promotion of political, economic, social, cultural and environmental progress; the establishment of the subsystem and of the regional social policy; the new model of democratic Central American security and the implementation of other agreements adopted at the presidential summit meetings; which taken together constitute the global frame of reference for maintaining and consolidating the peace process and the basis for a mutually advantageous redefinition of relations between Central America and the international community,

Welcoming with satisfaction the Agreement on a Firm and Lasting Peace signed between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca on

29 December 1996, ⁽²⁾ whereby all the agreements signed within the context of the peace process and under the auspices of the United Nations came into force, thereby putting an end to the last and most long-standing armed confrontation in the region,

Recognizing the progress made in the fulfilment of the commitments contained in the Guatemala peace agreements, implementation of which is being verified by the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala, including those relating to the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants into civilian life, the treatment of returnees, the establishment of special commissions, the promotion and protection of human rights and progress in respect of constitutional reforms,

Recognizing with satisfaction the role played by the peacekeeping operations and observer and monitoring missions of the United Nations, which carried out successfully their mandate in Central America pursuant to the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, respectively,

Welcoming the changes and progress made by the Central American people, whose efforts have brought about, inter alia, constitutional reforms, the strengthening and demilitarization of civil society, the creation of new political spaces, the holding of free and pluralistic elections, the creation of mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights, freedom of expression, the strengthening of democratic institutions and of the rule of law, the execution of judicial reform processes and the adoption of a fairer development model providing greater opportunities for the Central American peoples,

Emphasizing the importance of the end of a critical period in Central American history and the start of a new phase free from armed conflict, with freely elected Governments in each country and with profound political, economic, social and other changes which have created a climate conducive to the promotion of economic growth and further progress towards the consolidation and further development of democratic, just and equitable societies,

Reaffirming that peace and firm and lasting democracy in Central America is a dynamic and ongoing process that faces serious structural challenges, the continuation and consolidation of which is closely related to progress in human development - including the alleviation of extreme poverty, the promotion of economic and social justice, judicial reform, the safeguarding of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for minorities and the satisfaction of the basic needs of the most vulnerable groups among the people of the region - the absence of which has been a primary source of tension and conflict and which therefore deserves to be discussed with the same urgency and dedication as was the case in the settlement of the armed conflicts,

Emphasizing also the joint participation of the presidents of the Central American countries in the general debate at its fifty-second session, during which, in accordance with the commitments undertaken, they reaffirmed their decision and political will to continue doing their utmost to expedite gradually and progressively, the Central American union referred to in the declaration of Nicaragua of 2 September 1997, as a higher expression of the common association called for in the Tegucigalpa protocol of

12 December 1991, ⁽³⁾

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General; ⁽⁴⁾

2. Commends the efforts of the peoples and Governments of the Central American countries to re-establish peace and democracy throughout the region and promote sustainable development by implementing the agreements adopted at the summit meetings, and supports the decision of the presidents that Central America should become a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development;

3. Emphasizes the importance of the global frame of reference and the establishment of national and regional development priorities as the basis for promoting the effective, consistent and sustainable progress of the Central American peoples, and for providing international cooperation in accordance with the new circumstances in and outside the region;

4. Recognizes the need to continue to follow closely the situation in Central America in order to support national and regional efforts to overcome the underlying causes that have led to armed conflicts, avoid reversals and consolidate peace and democratization in the area, and promote the objectives of the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Central America;

5. Welcomes the signing of the Agreement on a Firm and Lasting Peace and the entry into force of the other agreements concluded during the peace process between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca, as well as the progress achieved in implementing those agreements, and urges all sectors of Guatemalan society to join efforts and work with courage and determination to consolidate peace in keeping with the spirit and letter of the Peace Agreements;

6. Requests the Secretary-General, the bodies and programmes of the United Nations, and the international community to continue to support and verify in Guatemala the implementation of all the peace agreements signed under United Nations auspices, compliance with which is an essential condition for a firm and lasting peace in that country, and to provide their resolute support for the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala in the fulfilment of its mandate;

7. Recognizes the importance of the Central American Integration System as the necessary legal and institutional body for coordinating and harmonizing efforts to achieve economic, social, cultural, environmental and political integration of the Central American countries in accordance with the goals and priorities established by the Governments of the Isthmus in order to consolidate peace and democratization, and calls upon the international community, the United Nations system and other international governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide generous and effective cooperation with a view to improving the competence and efficiency of the Central American Integration System in the fulfilment of its mandate;

8. Encourages the Central American Governments to continue to carry out their historic responsibilities by fully implementing the commitments they have assumed under regional or national agreements, especially the commitments to implement the social programme to overcome poverty and unemployment, establish a more just and equitable society, improve public safety, consolidate a modern and transparent public administration, and eliminate corruption, impunity, acts of terrorism and drug and arms trafficking; all these are necessary and urgent measures for establishing a firm and lasting peace in the region;

9. Reiterates its deep appreciation to the Secretary-General, his special representatives, the groups of friends for the peace processes in El Salvador (Colombia, Mexico, Spain, United States of America and Venezuela) and Guatemala (Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Spain, United States of America and Venezuela), the support group for Nicaragua (Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden), the political dialogue and cooperation with the European Union, and also to other cooperating countries and the international community in general for its support and solidarity in the building of peace, democracy and development in Central America;

10. Reaffirms the importance of international cooperation, in particular cooperation with the bodies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, and the donor community in the new stage of consolidating peace and democracy in Central America, and urges them to continue to support Central American efforts to achieve those goals, bearing in mind the global framework of the new regional development strategy, which is in keeping with the collective aspirations and needs of the Central American peoples;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to lend his full support for the initiatives and activities of the Central American Governments, particularly their efforts to consolidate peace and democracy through the implementation of a new, comprehensive sustainable development programme, and the initiative to establish the Central American Union, and to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session on the implementation of the present resolution;

12. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled "The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development".

1. A/42/521-S/19085, annex; for the printed text, see Official Records of the Security Council, Forty-second Year, Supplement for July, August and September 1987, document S/19085, annex.

2. A/51/796-S/1997/114, annex II.

3. A/46/829, annex III.

4. A/52/344.