UN human rights observers for El Salvador: ultimate goal to monitor cease-fire and other peace accords.

While Un-brokered negotiations between the Government of El Salvador and the Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN) picked up steam in Mexico and Venezuela, the Security Council on 20 May decided unanimously to set up a 170-member observer force whose ultimate task will be to verify compliance by the parties with a cease-fire agreement.

The Council's move came after the parties agreed on 27 April in Mexico City on a package of important constitutional reforms regarding the armed forces, the judiciary and the electoral system.

Because a cease-fire was not achieved, the Council instructed the newly-created UN Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) to limit itself initially to verifying compliance with the San Jose Agreement, a human rights accord signed by the parties in the Costa Rican capital in July 1990.

Security Council resolution 693 (1991), which created ONUSAL "to monitor all agreements concluded between the two parties", carefully limits the Group's "initial mandate in its first phase as an integrated peace-keeping operation" to that specific task. Any subsequent task or phase will be subject to Council approval.

The Mission will have an initial mandate period of 12 months at an estimated cost of approximately $32 million. A $13.8 million budget for the first six months of operations was authorized by the General Assembly on 21 June.

The Mexico Agreement was reached after intense face-to-face negotiations (4-27 April) conducted by Alvaro de Soto, the SecretaryGeneral's Personal Representative for Central America. Marrack Goulding, Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs, also participated in the first phase of the talks, which focused on cease-fire questions.

The Agreement was hailed by Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar as "a victory for the Salvadorean people". In a statement on 29 April, he thanked the Presidents of Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela and Spain for the very important role" they had played in ensuring the success of the talks.

The two parties met again between 25 May and 2 June in Caraballeda, Venezuela, and from 16 to 22 June in Queretaro, Mexico. Mr. de Soto and Mr. Goulding attended.

The Queretaro round recessed "on a positive note", a UN official told the press. Although no formal agreements had been expected or were concluded, "progress was made both on key aspects of the armed forces and on technical cease-fire questions", he added. Meantime, Mr. de Soto was in San Salvador on 24June for consultations with President Alfredo Cristiani.

A 'progressive approach'

ONUSAL will actively monitor the human rights situation in the war-torn Central American nation and investigate specific cases of alleged human rights violations. It will also promote human rights and make recommendations to eliminate violations and encourage respect for those rights.

With headquarters in the capital city of San Salvador, ONUSAL will also open regional offices there, as well as in the San Miguel, San Vicente and Santa Ana regions. At least 90 international civilian staff (coordinators, monitors, educators, and legal and political affairs officers), 66 police personnel and 15 military liaison officers would be required.

During the 60- to 90-day initial phase, ONUSAL would not directly investigate specific cases unless they were "especially significant", the Secretary-General informed the Council (S/22494). This "progressive approach" was highly advisable since ONUSAL would start to work before a cease-fire was in place. Afer that, the Mission would exercise all its human rights functions.

A preliminary mission sent by Mr. Perez de Cuellar to El Salvador in March concluded that "while the armed conflict could pose risks to security of personnel not usually encountered in United Nations observation or verification missions, these were not to a degree that should prevent the establishment of the Mission before a cease-fire". Nevertheless, they advised precaution, since "certain extremist groups who tend to utilize violence to achieve their goals or to eliminate obstacles to them could resort to intimidation against the Mission's personnel".

A recent recruitment call for ONUSAL volunteers circulated among UN Secretariat staff warns them of difficult or hazardous conditions" in remote locations involving some degree of "physical hardship and considerable stress". Prospective applicants must be fluent in Spanish. "Adaptability" and the capacity to make "independent and sound judgements" are deemed particularly important.

ONUSAL is the first UN peacekeeping mission to place special emphasis on human rights. Previous missions, including recent successful efforts in Haiti, Nicaragua and Namibia, have stressed military, police and electoral skills.