Fifty-fifth session
Agenda item 43
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 Verification Mission in Guatemala
Report of the Secretary-General
1. This is the sixth report on the verification of compliance with the agreements signed by the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG), submitted pursuant to the mandate given to the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) by the General Assembly in resolution 51/198 B of 27 March 1997. This mandate was extended until 31 December 2001 by resolution 55/177 of 19 December 2000, in which the General Assembly repeated its request that I should keep it informed. This report covers the period from 1 July 2000 to 31 March 2001.
2. On 31 July 2000, I informed the President of the General Assembly (A/54/950) that I had appointed Mr. Gerd Merrem as my Special Representative in Guatemala and Head of MINUGUA, effective 1 August 2000. I wish to thank Mr. Juan Pablo Corlazzoli, Deputy Head of MINUGUA, for his dedicated work during the time when he served as my Special Representative and acting Head of Mission.
3. In my latest report to the General Assembly (A/55/389), I transmitted the parties’ request that the United Nations continue its support for the peace process until 2003, recommended that MINUGUA operations begin to be scaled down and pointed to the need to increase coordination within the United Nations system in Guatemala and with other international actors, through operational arrangements, to ensure that they mainstream the peace agenda in their activities. Accordingly, in November 2000 the first reduction was made in MINUGUA operations and the Mission reconfigured its presence in the country, with a 45-per-cent decrease in staff both at headquarters and in the regional offices.
I. Introduction
4. The calendar established in the Agreement on the Implementation, Compliance and Verification Timetable for the Peace Agreements (A/51/796-S/1997/114, annex I) for the period 1997-2000 expired in December 2000. After four years of implementation of the agreements, a number of commitments on the peace agenda are still in the process of implementation or have not been implemented. The Commission to Follow-up the Implementation of the Peace Agreements therefore completely rescheduled pending commitments in an implementation timetable for 2000-2004, which recognizes that the basis of the Timetable Agreement and of the peace agreements as a whole remains fully valid and urges the authorities and society to endeavour to comply with them.
5. The ceremony at which the rescheduled implementation timetable for 2000-2004 was signed and presented took place on 12 December 2000. The President of the Republic, the President of the Congress and the President of the judiciary signed as honorary witnesses and stated that full implementation of the new timetable, through the combined efforts of the State and civil society, would give considerable impetus to Guatemala’s democratic development. I am encouraged by this renewed commitment to peace, this time expressed by the national authorities at the highest level and reiterated on 14 January 2001 by the President of the Republic in a speech marking the end of his first year in government.
II. Overall context
6. As I said in earlier reports, I am deeply concerned that the peace process is still having little impact on the lives of Guatemala’s people, a situation which threatens the sustainability and strength of the process and is causing organizations of civil society to mobilize and demand that pending commitments be implemented. I am also concerned at the deterioration in public security, reflected in an increase in crime, in actions by armed criminal groups and in the continuing very serious threats against persons involved in criminal proceedings and intimidation of members of non-governmental human rights organizations. Journalists and other public figures are also affected by this climate of intimidation. The Government must fulfil its commitment to protect individuals and organizations that promote respect for human rights and to ensure that judicial officials and others involved in criminal proceedings are able to act free of pressure, as well as its commitment to investigate, punish and take action to put a stop to all such practices.