Fifty-seventh session
Agenda item 38
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 56/223 of 24 December 2001, in which it decided to
authorize the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala from 1 January to 31 December 2002,
Taking into account the fact that the Government of Guatemala has reaffirmed
its commitment to the full implementation of the peace agreements,
Underlining the fact that substantive aspects of the peace agreements have yet
to be implemented and that the Commission to Follow up the Implementation of the
Peace Agreements has approved a new schedule for their implementation from 2000
until the end of 2004,
Taking into account the fact that the parties have requested the United Nations
to support the consolidation of the peace-building process until 2003,
Taking into account also the thirteenth report of the Mission on human rights,
Taking into account further the seventh report of the Secretary-General on the
verification of compliance with the peace agreements,
Taking into account the report of the Commission for Historical Clarification, Stressing the positive role played by the Mission in support of the Guatemala peace process, and emphasizing the need for the Mission to continue to enjoy the full support of all parties concerned,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the
Mission and the recommendations contained therein,
1. Welcomes the thirteenth report of the United Nations Verification Mission
in Guatemala on human rights;
2. Also welcomes the seventh report of the Secretary-General on the
verification of compliance with the peace agreements;
3. Recalls the report of the Commission for Historical Clarification and the
recommendations contained therein;
4. Calls upon the Government of Guatemala to fulfil its commitment to the
full implementation of the peace agreements;
5. Recalls that the Commission to Follow up the Implementation of the
Peace Agreements has rescheduled the pending commitments and included others
not initially scheduled;
6. Takes note of the recommendations contained in the report of the
Secretary-General aimed at ensuring that the Mission can respond adequately to the demands of the peace process until 31 December 2003, as well as of his proposal for a further scaling down of the Mission in 2003;
7. Takes note also of the agreement reached by the parties regarding the
importance of the continuing presence of the Mission in Guatemala until 2003;
8. Takes note further of the meeting of the Consultative Group for
Guatemala, held in Washington, D.C., in February 2002, which provided new
impetus for compliance with the peace agreements, and looks forward to the next
Consultative Group meeting planned for the middle of 2003;
9. Notes with satisfaction the progress made in the implementation of the
peace agreements in some areas, in particular significant legislative advances
through the approval of a package of laws on decentralization and of a law
criminalizing discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity and other criteria;
10. Also notes with satisfaction the election of a new Human Rights
Ombudsman and a new Public Prosecutor, as well as steps taken to establish a
professional judiciary;
11. Underlines with concern the fact that a number of key commitments
remain outstanding in the areas of fiscal, judicial, military, electoral and land reform, as well as rural development and indigenous rights, and therefore urges that those commitments be implemented without further delay;
12. Also underlines with concern the budgetary constraints placed on
institutions and programmes which are given priority under the peace process, while special budgetary transfers have been made to the armed forces, exceeding both budgetary allocations and targets of the peace agreements;
13. Notes that the consolidation of the peace-building process remains a
significant challenge that requires a concerted national effort to guarantee the
irreversibility of the peace process;
14. Notes with concern that the human rights situation has deteriorated, in
particular the climate of intimidation has worsened amid an increase in threats and violence against judges, journalists and human rights defenders;