SECRETARY-GENERAL NOTES ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN SUPPORTING PEACE PROCESSES IN CENTRAL AMERICA FOR DECADES

25 May 1999

Press Release
SG/SM/7002
CA/20

SECRETARY-GENERAL NOTES ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN SUPPORTING PEACE PROCESSES IN CENTRAL AMERICA FOR DECADES

19990525 Says UN Well-Placed To Help with Unfinished Political and Human Rights Agenda of Peace Process and Reconstruction Following Hurricane Mitch

Following is the text of an address delivered in Stockholm today by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Inter-American Development Bank Consultative Group Meeting for the Reconstruction and Transformation of Central America:

It is a pleasure to join you today.

The presence of Central American heads of State, and of their many partners in the international community, testifies to the importance of this meeting.

I would like to begin by reiterating my solidarity, and that of the entire United Nations system, with the peoples of Central America in their efforts to write a new chapter in their respective histories. Their struggles, sacrifices and successes have taught and inspired the world.

Words such as "transformation" are often overused. Not in this case; not when one surveys the landscape of Central America today. Where civil wars once raged, peace now reigns. Where once the force of arms held sway, dialogue is now the method of choice for settling disputes.

Where once human rights were violated with impunity, new institutions and legal frameworks are offering more and more protection for more and more people. Where once social injustice oppressed millions, peace and development are fostering reconciliation and hope. And where once refugees and displaced persons dreamt of home, today most have a home and have resumed their lives.

Over the past decade and a half, the countries of Central America have not shied away from looking deeply at the root causes of conflict and instability.

They have addressed contentious questions, such as the structure of the State, judicial practices, electoral systems, land tenure and the participation of individuals and civil society groups in the decisions affecting their lives.

And they have understood the need to examine the past. As a result, the present fabric of Central American society has been made stronger, and the future is that much brighter.

I do not wish to minimize the challenges and tensions that remain. The peace processes of Central America still face serious challenges. The achievements of peace must be maintained and consolidated.

And this past October, Hurricane Mitch reminded us of nature's power and the fragility of human endeavour. Mitch also showed that "natural" disasters are often not purely natural, but are influenced by man-made factors.

Indeed, some of what was done in the name of progress -- for example, clearing land for farms and homes -- exacerbated the storm's effects. And much that was not done on the countries' social agendas left so many vulnerabilities that when nature struck, large numbers of people -- particularly in Honduras and Nicaragua, and especially children -- were rendered homeless, jobless, school-less and even more hopeless than before.

Today, there are two agendas in Central America: the unfinished political and human rights agendas of the peace process, and the reconstruction agenda following the loss of life, devastation and ruin brought by Hurricane Mitch. The nexus between those two provides the rationale for this meeting. These are compatible, mutually reinforcing agendas. Progress in one area nurtures progress in the other. It is equally true, however, that setbacks in one can reverse or curtail progress in the other.

The two agendas -- peace and reconstruction -- both address pivotal questions relating to poverty, social inequity, population pressures and environmental sustainability.

Both involve crucial issues such as local development, decentralization, transparency, good governance and institution-building. Both give us an opportunity not to reconstruct what has been before, but to stake out a new beginning, based on new policies. And finally, both give us -- the international community -- a way to come together around common goals. We need to work coherently with Central America -- and, not least, with each other.

The United Nations is well-placed to help on both fronts.

The Organization has been supporting the peace processes in Central America for more than a decade, in full partnership with the Central American governments.

The United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) was deployed to all five countries to verify an end to assistance to irregular and

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insurrectionist forces; it also oversaw demobilization of the "contras" in Nicaragua. The United Nations Observer Mission for the Verification of the Elections in Nicaragua (ONUVEN) observed Nicaragua's elections in 1990.

The United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), one of the most comprehensive operations in United Nations history, monitored implementation of the peace accords in El Salvador. And following United Nations-moderated talks, the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) continues to verify compliance with the agreements reached in Guatemala, including the human rights aspects.

These operations and other United Nations programmes have left a durable legacy. The Development Programme for Displaced Persons, Refugees and Returnees (PRODERE), for example, was established to deal with the integration of persons displaced by the civil wars, but went on to assume an important role in the consolidation of peace and the strengthening of democratic development.

This deep and diverse experience also meant that the United Nations was not a stranger to Central Americans when Hurricane Mitch hit. Contacts and infrastructure were already in place, ready to help.

Indeed, the full range of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, along with non-governmental organizations, became involved in the response to Mitch, in rehabilitation, as well as in longer-term reconstruction and development. It is important to note that the process of reform at the United Nations has opened up new possibilities for our many entities to mount a coordinated response in such cases.

As we look ahead, each of us has a distinct role to play.

We look to the region's governments to pay special attention to the most vulnerable members of society; to work for the rights and needs of women, children and indigenous peoples; to provide better access to health care, water and education; to continue the broad-based institutional and democratic reforms; and to work for greater continuity, so that changes in government do not disrupt either disaster preparedness or political maturation.

We look to donors and international financial institutions to continue their support and to do their utmost for more and quicker debt relief. And we look to the United Nations family to speak with a unified voice; to assist governments in ensuring that preparations are in place for the next hurricane season; and to help the countries of the region establish more just societies.

As we meet, much of the world's attention is focused on Kosovo -- that is, away from Central America.

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Even though the media have had their fill of dramatic footage of the wreckage in Central America, the region's transformation continues, quietly but decisively, and worthy of sustained international support.

As I see it, there is no shortage of dramatic events. Central Americans of all backgrounds and economic strata are joining forces, overcoming traditional barriers, to cope with disaster and the task of rebuilding. Governments are working together, in the same spirit that produced the Esquipulas II agreement, to link their societies and economies in ever-expanding networks of peace and progress.

So let us continue healing the scars -- the older wounds of civil conflict, and the newer ones caused by devastating rain, wind, floods and mudslides.

Central America's wars killed tens of thousands of people, but were resolved through peace processes that have given the region a new lease on life. Natural disasters also take a toll in lives lost, with thousands of people dying every year because disaster reduction and prevention have not yet been fully integrated into the development strategies of the region.

And let us bring the two paths -- the paths of peace and reconstruction -- more closely together. Let us travel that single road together by building a new compact between the region and the international community. Let us, in short, continue our vital mission of acompañamiento for all the peoples of Central America. In that spirit, please accept my best wishes for a successful meeting. Thank you.

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