United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/177

Fifty-fifth session Agenda item 43

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 54/99 of 8 December 1999, 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 2000,

Taking into account that, for the first time since the signing of the peace agreements, Guatemala held general elections during the period from November to December 1999 and that the peaceful transfer of power signals significant progress towards the consolidation of an inclusive and democratic political system,

Underlining the fact that substantive aspects of the agenda of the peace agreements are yet to be implemented and that their implementation requires a revised calendar prepared by the Commission to Follow up the Implementation of the Peace Agreements,

Taking into account that the parties have requested the United Nations to support the consolidation of the peace-building process until 2003,

Taking into account also the tenth and eleventh reports of the Mission on human rights,

Taking into account further the fourth and fifth reports 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,

1. Welcomes the tenth and eleventh reports of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala on human rights;

2. Also welcomes the fourth and fifth reports 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. Welcomes the commitment made by the new Government of Guatemala in January 2000 to the implementation of the peace agreements and to reinvigorating the peace process through the adoption of social policies anchored to the agreements;

5. Takes note of the agreement reached by the parties regarding the importance of the continuing presence of the Mission in Guatemala until 2003;

6. Also takes note of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General which are aimed at ensuring that the Mission can respond adequately to the demands of the peace process until 31 December 2001, as well as of his proposals relating to the changes in the structure and staffing of the Mission for the period 2001–2003;

7. Notes with satisfaction the progress made in the implementation of the peace agreements, in particular the process towards the finalization of the Fiscal Pact for a Future with Peace and Development which establishes the basis for increased public spending on the peace agenda and paves the way for the modernization of the economic system, the reinforcement of the operational capacities and training of the National Civil Police and the establishment by decree of the Women’s Secretariat;

8. Welcomes the rescheduling of pending commitments by the Commission to Follow Up the Implementation of the Peace Agreements and the inclusion of commitments not initially scheduled in a revised calendar for implementation, and urges the rapid approval of the new timetable;

9. Notes that the consolidation of the peace-building process remains a significant challenge that requires the strengthening of achievements to date and the completion of the outstanding agenda;

10. Underlines with concern that key reforms envisaged in the peace agreements remain outstanding, including the fiscal, judicial, military, electoral and land reforms, as well as decentralization and rural development, and therefore urges the finalization of the Fiscal Pact, notes the need to strengthen the institutions established under the agreements, and stresses the importance of continued compliance with the peace agreements;

11. Notes that the present Government has assigned priority to national and international human rights obligations;

12. Encourages the Government to implement the recommendations contained in the reports of the Mission on human rights, in particular in view of the persistent shortcomings in the overall human rights situation and the troubling increase in incidents directed at people working on such issues;

13. Underlines the importance of implementing fully the Agreement on identity and rights of indigenous peoples as a key to achieving peace in Guatemala, and highlights the need to implement fully the Agreement on Social and Economic Aspects and Agrarian Situation as a means of addressing the root causes of the armed conflict;

14. Calls upon the Government to follow up the recommendations of the Commission for Historical Clarification, with a view to promoting national reconciliation, upholding the right to truth and providing redress, in accordance with Guatemalan law, for the victims of human rights abuses and violence committed during the thirty-six-year conflict, and calls upon Congress to establish the Commission for Peace and Harmony;

15. Encourages the parties and all sectors of Guatemalan society to intensify their efforts to achieve the goals of the peace agreements, in particular the observance of human rights, including the rights of indigenous peoples, equitable development, participation and national reconciliation;

16. Invites the international community and, in particular, the agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations, to continue to support the consolidation of the peace-building process and to consider the implementation of the peace agreements as the framework for their technical and financial assistance programmes and projects, and stresses the continued importance of close cooperation among them in the context of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Guatemala;

17. Urges the international community to support financially the strengthening of the capacities of the United Nations agencies and programmes as they assume a more active role in working in a closely coordinated relationship with the Mission in order to ensure the consolidation of the peace process in Guatemala;

18. Stresses that the Mission has a key role to play in promoting the consolidation of peace and the observance of human rights and in verifying compliance with the newly approved timetable for the implementation of pending commitments under the peace agreements;

19. Decides to authorize the renewal of the mandate of the Mission from 1 January to 31 December 2001;

20. Requests the Secretary-General to submit, as early as possible, an updated report to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session, together with his recommendations regarding the continuation of the peace-building phase after 31 December 2001;

21. Also requests the Secretary-General to keep the General Assembly fully informed of the implementation of the present resolution.

86th plenary meeting

19 December 2000