Fiftieth session
Agenda item 45
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
United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights
and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive
Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala
Report of the Secretary-General
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 49/236 B of 14 September 1995, in which the Assembly decided to authorize the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA) for a further period of six months until 18 March 1996, and requested me, inter alia, to keep the Assembly fully informed of the implementation of the resolution.
2. My latest report to the General Assembly on the situation in Central
America covered developments related to the role of the United Nations in
the Guatemala peace process until October 1995 (A/50/499 of 3 October 1995, paras. 34-41). In particular, I referred to the negotiations between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) on the item entitled "Socio-economic aspects and agrarian situation", under discussion since April 1995. Progress has been slow, even though the parties agreed in August 1995 to intensify their negotiations and, to that effect, met every other week throughout the remainder of the year. Talks continued after the first round of the general elections, held on 12 November. On 15 December, the parties decided to interrupt negotiations. In order to facilitate resumption of the negotiations once a new Government had been elected, they approved a working document recording progress made since April 1995 as well as outstanding differences.
3. The winner of the presidential elections, Alvaro Arzu, reiterated on
the day of his inauguration the pledge he had given as a candidate to
continue negotiations with the URNG. As part of his commitment to the
peace process, he
has also expressed the commitment of his Government to implementation of
agreements already reached with the URNG and his unequivocal support to the
continued presence of MINUGUA. Discreet contacts between the leadership of
the URNG and candidate Arzu and his advisers, which began on the eve of the
second round of the elections, proceeded after the elections until mid-
February. The United Nations was apprised of the contents of these talks
when the UnderSecretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Marrack
Goulding, accompanied by the Moderator of the peace talks, Mr. Jean
Arnault, met separately with the two parties between 23 and 25 January. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to the Framework Agreement of 10 January 1994 (A/49/61-S/1994/53, annex) and expressed the wish to resume negotiations at an early date and to reach promptly a final peace agreement. Following consultations with both parties, the United Nations convened a new round of negotiations on 22 and 23 February at Mexico City.
4. During the reporting period, MINUGUA continued to fulfil the
verification mandate entrusted to it in the Comprehensive Agreement on
Human Rights (A/48/928-S/1994/448, annex I) and to assist in strengthening
national institutions and entities responsible for the protection of human
rights. By my note of 12 October 1995 (A/50/482), I transmitted to the
General Assembly the third report of the Director of MINUGUA, covering the
period from 21 May to 21 August 1995. Like previous reports, the third
report was well received both in Guatemala and abroad. Before
consideration by the General Assembly of the renewal of the mandate of
MINUGUA, the Director of the Mission will be submitting his fourth report, covering the period from 21 August to 31 December 1995, as well as a detailed analysis of the parties' compliance with their commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and with human rights aspects of the Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples (A/49/882- S/1995/256, annex) since the installation of the Mission on 21 November 1994.