UN prepares economic recovery plan; the backdrop: movement towards cease-fire.UN prepares economic recovery plan The backdrop: Movement towards cease-fire A team of UN experts has devised a wide-ranging economic plan of action for Central America Central America, narrow, southernmost region (c.202,200 sq mi/523,698 sq km) of North America, linked to South America at Colombia. It separates the Caribbean from the Pacific. , containing innovative approaches to problems of debt and refugees. The General Assembly, in its resolution 42/1, asked that such a plan be prepared and urged the international community to increase technical, economic and financial assistance to the Central American countries. The team was headed by Augusto Ramirez-Ocampo, Special Representative of the Secretary-General A Special Representative of the Secretary General is a highly respected expert who has been appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations to represent her/him in meetings with heads of state on critical human rights issues. for Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. . It consulted with Governments of the region, international organizations and potential donor Governments. "There are more than one million refugees or displaced people in Central America. This is not only a humanitarian problem but a question of getting them jobs", Mr. Ramirez-Ocampo said. "Peace and development are closely linked in Central America to economic integration." The European Economic Community European Economic Community (EEC), organization established (1958) by a treaty signed in 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany (now Germany); it was known informally as the Common Market. has also pledged to provide special emergency aid in food, and strengthen programmes for voluntary repatriation Repatriation The process of converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country. Notes: If you are American, converting British Pounds back to U.S. dollars is an example of repatriation. and relocation of refugees and displaced persons. The Secretary-General on 24 March said he was pleased and encouraged by the agreement on a limited cease-fire between the Nicaraguan Government and the Nicaraguan Resistance The Nicaraguan Resistance (Resistencia Nicaragüense, RN) was the last and arguably most successful effort to unify Nicaragua's rebel Contras into a single umbrella organization. , calling that "a major step forward". On 26 February, Ministers for Foreign Affairs foreign affairs pl.n. Affairs concerning international relations and national interests in foreign countries. of the Contadora and Support Groups, meeting in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, reaffirmed their readiness to participate in continuing negotiations on outstanding security matters. The Central American Presidents, at a 15-16 January summit meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica, had, in a formal Declaration, reaffirmed their determination to comply with the 7 August 1987 Guatemala Agreement. The Agreement--entitled "Procedure for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace in Central America"--calls for: national reconcialition, dialogue and amnesty, an end to hostilities, democratization de·moc·ra·tize tr.v. de·moc·ra·tized, de·moc·ra·tiz·ing, de·moc·ra·tiz·es To make democratic. de·moc , free elections, termination of aid to "irregular forces and insurrectionist movements", non-use of territory to attack other States, negotiations on security, verification and control and limitation of weapons, and assistance to refugees and displaced persons. An International Verification and Follow-up Commission was created on 22 August, composed of Foreign Ministers of the five Central American countries and eight Contadora and Support Group countries, as well as the Secretaries-General of the UN and OAS OAS See: Option adjusted spread or their representatives. The body met frequently and toured the region in early January, producing a 100-page document--not made public. Commission members met from 11 to 13 January in Panama City and completed their report which was submitted to the Central American Presidents. The Presidents subsequently decided that the Executive Committee, composed of the Foreign Ministers of the five Central American countries, should undertake the task of verifying, monitoring and following up the Guatemalan Agreement. |
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