S/PV.3306 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/26689, which contains the text of a letter dated 3 November 1993 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations amongst members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: "The Security Council has learned with shock and concern of the violent deaths in recent days in El Salvador of two leaders and other members of the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN), as well as one member of the Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA) party. It notes, in this respect, that the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) has referred in its last two reports (S/26416 and S/26033) to what appears to be a pattern of politically motivated murders, a development all the more serious in light of the upcoming electoral process. The Council insists that this violence has to stop. "The Security Council deems it essential that the authorities of El Salvador take all necessary measures so that those responsible for the killings be promptly brought to justice, with a view to preventing such events from occurring in the future. It welcomes the technical cooperation that Member States are extending to the competent Salvadorian authorities, at their request, in order to assist them in the investigation of these criminal acts. "The Security Council notes with particular concern that the Secretary-General, in his report on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission on the Truth (S/26581), underscored the significance of cases of killings over the past few months that seemed to follow patterns that could indicate a resurgence of illegal armed groups, whose activities had diminished following the signature of the Peace Accords in January 1992. "In this regard, the Council takes note, with approval, of the Secretary-General’s decision, as reported in his letter to the President of the Council (S/26689), to direct the Human Rights Division of ONUSAL to work with the El Salvador Human Rights Prosecutor in order to assist the Government of El Salvador in implementing the recommendation of the Commission on the Truth that a thorough investigation of illegal armed groups be undertaken immediately. "The Security Council further underlines the importance of full and timely implementation of all the provisions of the Peace Accords. It remains concerned about delays occurring in several instances, namely, the phasing out of the National Police and full deployment of the National Civil Police, the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Truth and the transfer of lands and other reintegration programmes, which are essential for the development of a solid framework and a new climate for the respect of human rights in El Salvador. "The Security Council also calls upon all parties to continue their efforts to make the March 1994 Elections representative and successful. It recognizes the progress that has been made in registering thousands of votors, but, taking into account the delays and problems reported by the Secretary-General (S/26606), calls upon the Government and all concerned to ensure that all qualified voters who have applied will receive the necessary documents in time to vote. It welcomes the steps taken by the Secretary-General to assist in this process through the Electoral Division of ONUSAL. "The Security Council welcomes the agreement reached between the Government and the FMLN on the need to speed up the implementation of the provisions of the Peace Accords and, accordingly, urges all parties concerned to accelerate the fulfillment of their commitments under those Accords before the electoral campaign gets under way. It expects ONUSAL to be allowed fully to carry out its verification mandate unimpeded. The Council will continue to follow developments in El Salvador with close attention." This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/26695. (The President) The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The meeting rose at 1.35 p.m. (The President)