Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 99 Part 1.djvu/273

 PUBLIC LAW 99-83—AUG. 8, 1985

99 STAT. 251

(B) this conflict is fundamentally a continuation of efforts of the Nicaraguan people to attain a representative government at peace with its neighbors, efforts which began under the Somoza regime; and (C) the United States recognized these noble aspirations of the Nicaraguan people in the June 23, 1979, resolution of the Seventeenth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of American States, which reads as follows: "WHEREAS: "The people of Nicaragua are suffering the horrors of a fierce armed conflict that is causing grave hardships and loss of life, and has thrown the country into a serious political, social,, and economic upheaval; "The inhumane conduct of the dictatorial regime governing the country, as evidenced by the report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, is the fundamental cause of the dramatic situation faced by the Nicaraguan people; and "The spirit of solidarity that guides Hemisphere relations places an unavoidable obligation on the American countries to exert every effort within their power, to put an end to the bloodshed and to avoid the prolongation of this conflict which is disrupting the peace of the Hemisphere; "THE SEVENTEENTH MEETING OF CONSULTATION OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, "DECLARES: "That the solution of the serious problem is exclusively within the jurisdiction of the people of Nicaragua. "That in the view of the Seventeenth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs this solution should be arrived at on the basis of the following: " 1. Immediate and definitive replacement of the Somoza regime. "2. Installation in Nicaraguan territory of a democratic government, the composition of which should include the principal representative groups which oppose the Somoza regime and which reflects the free will of the people of Nicaragua. "3. Guarantee of the respect for human rights of all Human rights. Nicaraguans without exception. "4. The holding of free elections as soon as possible, that will lead to the establishment of a truly democratic government that guarantees peace, freedom, and justice. "RESOLVES: "1. To urge the member states to take steps that are within their reach to facilitate an enduring and peaceful solution of the Nicaraguan problem on the bases set forth above, scrupulously respecting the principle of nonintervention and abstaining from any action that might be in conflict with the above bases or be incompatible with a peaceful and enduring solution to the problem. "2. To commit their efforts to promote humanitarian assistance to the people of Nicaragua and to contribute to the social and economic recovery of the country. "3. To keep the Seventeenth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs open while the present situation continues.".

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