S/PV.3528 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

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 the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador, document S/1995/220. Members of the Council also have before them document S/1995/335, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. The first speaker is the representative of Mexico. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. As members of the Council know, my country devoted special attention and commitment to negotiations in the peace process for El Salvador, in which we had the honour to be a member of the Group of Friends established by the Secretary-General. It was of special satisfaction to Mexico that the difficult negotiating process resulted in the signing of the Peace Accord at Chapultepec Castle on 16 January 1992. As the Secretary-General rightly observes in his 24 March 1995 report to the Security Council, “There is much reason for satisfaction at what has been accomplished by the Salvadorans during this time. ONUSAL can take credit for having helped the Salvadorans to take giant strides away from a violent and closed society towards a democratic order where institutions for the protection of human rights and free discourse are being consolidated.” (S/1995/220, para. 68) ONUSAL is unquestionably one of the greatest recent achievements of the United Nations. However, as members of the Group of Friends, we share the Secretary- General’s concern about those elements of the Accord that have not yet been fully implemented, while expressing our confidence that President Calderón Sol’s Government will take the steps necessary to ensure that commitments will be fulfilled as soon as possible. In that connection, we welcome the Secretary- General’s decision to maintain a presence in El Salvador to verify and report upon compliance with aspects whose implementation is still pending. This marks a renewed commitment by the international community to consolidate a just and lasting peace in that Central American country. We urge the members of the Security Council to adopt the draft resolution before them unanimously.

The next speaker is the representative of Colombia. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement. “Pleased” is the least we can be, along with the other members of the international community, that an arduous 45-month process has been completed, given that El Salvador is now clearly a nation at peace and that this peace was built by the Salvadorans, with the firm support of the United Nations. We take this opportunity to pay a sincere tribute to the people of El Salvador for having overcome the obstacles that had deprived them of peace. We want to stress the efforts made by the Salvadoran Government and by Presidents Cristiani and Calderón Sol in their tireless quest for peace and in their unswerving commitment to leading their country towards a democratic society. We pay tribute to the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) for the vision and sincerity it displayed during the entire process of reconciliation. We pay tribute, too, to the Secretary-General and his Special Representatives for the professional, wise and skilful manner in which they carried out their mediation and verification work. The success of the process enables the Security Council today to end the United Nations Mission. This is a result, and the best indication, of the great importance in the maintenance of peace of having the consent of the host Government and the parties to the conflict, and of working hand in hand with them. The achievements of the Salvadoran process are also in part the result of the Organization’s action to support the Salvadorans in their quest for peace and progress. My delegation wishes also to support the points made by the Secretary-General in his letter of 6 February 1995 (S/1995/143) with respect to the advisability of retaining a United Nations office in El Salvador to assist with the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken in the Peace Accords. We underscore the importance of paragraph 4 of draft resolution S/1995/335, by which the Council would reiterate its call that States and international institutions should continue to provide assistance to the Government and people of El Salvador as they consolidate the gains made in the peace process. The international community will fully shoulder the great responsibility of continued verification of what it now a deep-rooted process by helping to deal with El Salvador’s vast economic and social problems. In conclusion, I wish to express the satisfaction of the Government of Colombia at having worked with the Secretary-General in this process through its participation in the Group of Friends, and to stress the importance of the employment of means such as these in the quest for peace.

The next speaker is the representative of Spain. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement.

In May 1991, the Security Council established the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) to monitor the agreements between the Government of El Salvador and the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN); ONUSAL’s initial mandate was to verify the parties’ fulfilment of the provisions of the San José Agreement on Human Rights. Subsequently, the Council, on the eve of the Chapultepec peace agreement at the beginning of 1992, decided to extend ONUSAL’s mandate to include the whole verification process for the Chapultepec agreement too. At the same time, it terminated the mandate of the United Nations Observer Group in Central America, a large part The day after tomorrow, ONUSAL’s presence in El Salvador will be over, after almost four years. However, this will not mean an end to the United Nations presence there as ONUSAL will be replaced by a United Nations office to continue verifying the elements in the peace agreements that remain to be fulfilled, in accordance with the undertaking to verify the complete implementation of the agreements reiterated on many occasions by the principal organs of the United Nations. Also, the national institution for verifying implementation of the peace accords, the National Commission for the Consolidation of Peace (COPAZ), will continue carrying out its mandate. The withdrawal of ONUSAL, which has been a key part of the transition in El Salvador from a situation of conflict to one of peace and reconciliation, is a corollary of the progress that has been made in that country. All of us who have been involved in the Salvadoran process in one way or another can look back and wonder at the profound differences between El Salvador of a few years ago and El Salvador today. The transformations are legion, and some of them are visible at a glance: the old National Police, which was bound up with the Armed Forces and a military concept of public order, has been replaced — albeit not without problems and delays — by a new National Civil Police, which the United Nations helped set up; the FMLN, the former guerilla force, is now a political force that is fully integrated into the political and institutional life of El Salvador; and a new system to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms has been set up, with institutions such as the National Counsel for the Defence of Human Rights and a reformed Supreme Court, within a process of building and consolidating the rule of law and in conformity with the recommendations of the Commission on the Truth. None of this means that there are no aspects that still warrant the international community’s attention, if not its concern. Central amongst these elements are the land transfers and ex-combatant reintegration programmes as set out in the peace agreements, which are to be implemented fully and as quickly as possible so as not to compromise the irreversibility of the progress made. Also, the electoral reform process must be continued and completed, as must strengthening the institutions for the protection of human rights. It is first and foremost up to the Salvadoran political and social forces, and the Salvadoran people themselves, to see to it that this process continues to a successful In their turn, the United Nations system and the international community must go on lending their efforts. Other countries, including countries in the region, have seen how the efforts made in their national reconciliation processes have meant that the international community would deem it possible to cut back the degree and scope of its assistance: this is the so-called amnesia syndrome, which can have very adverse consequences in these types of situation. We hope that this will not be the case, and that the success of the process we have gone through in El Salvador will not become the drop-off point for a slide back down into the evils that 14 years ago brought about the beginning of the conflict. As I mentioned earlier, this is basically up to the Salvadoran people and their representatives, but it does also depend in some wise on the support and attendance the Salvadorans receive from the international community. Spain has been a member of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General on the question of El Salvador and will continue to be so. Within the Group in previous years, as a member of the Security Council and also bilaterally, my country has been at the forefront in El Salvador, just as El Salvador has been at the forefront of the Spanish people’s political awareness. I should like to pay a special tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to his predecessor, Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuellar, and to his representatives in the peace process, firstly Mr. de Soto and Mr. Goulding and then his representatives who have headed ONUSAL — Mr. Riza, Mr. Ramírez Ocampo and now Mr. ter Horst — along with all the United Nations personnel at Headquarters on in the field, who have carried out a very positive task to the benefit of El Salvador and also to the United Nations itself. Amongst the personnel seconded to ONUSAL there has been a marked Spanish participation right from the outset of the operation through to its end. Since five military and eight police observers from Spain were deployed in El Salvador in December 1991, Spain has maintained a presence that peaked in 1992 with a total of 124 military and 113 police observers, or half the total number of military observers and a third of the police. Also, the presence of civilian observers in the Division of We have turned over a page in the book of El Salvador’s political history, and also one in the activities of the United Nations in favour of peace in the world. But political history and United Nations activities continue, and the book is still open for the next page. The reconciliation process in El Salvador is also a milestone of crucial importance in establishing a stable and lasting peace in Central America and on the road towards forming a region of peace, liberty, democracy and development. The agencies in the United Nations system, other international institutions and the international community as a whole must contribute now, with the same intensity with which they contributed to re-establishing peace in El Salvador, to consolidating the peace and the development of El Salvador and the region as a whole. I should not like to finish, Mr. President, without expressing to you and your country our great satisfaction at seeing you preside over this meeting, and for welcoming the presence of my and other delegations in our own language. Nor must I fail to reiterate my delegation’s complete readiness to cooperate in the tasks of this principal organ of the Organization.

I thank the representative of Spain for the kind words he addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of Venezuela. I invite him to take a place at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. President, allow me first to congratulate you on the way in which you have discharged your duties at the helm of the Security Council during the month of April. The issue now before the Council is, unlike so many others, a source of particular satisfaction for our Organization. As everyone has recognized, the work of the United Nations in El Salvador has been instrumental in achieving peace in that country. The new phase that is now beginning as the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) concludes its mandate is, in our view, just as important. Our Organization has perhaps less experience in consolidating peace. Nevertheless, its parameters for future action in El Salvador are essentially determined by the This new phase is just as important as the ones that preceded it. It requires the same level of commitment from the parties, placing on them a greater responsibility than ever in meeting all the aspirations that the peace accords signify for the Salvadoran nation. Venezuela is pleased to have been able to contribute to these achievements as a country that is a Friend of the Secretary-General and a friend of El Salvador. Our efforts and our commitment, whatever may have been their merits or their flaws, were always guided by the hope of seeing El Salvador reconciled and its people ready to build, hand in hand, a better future for themselves. Allow me on this occasion to pay tribute to all those, within and outside the United Nations, who gave their selfless support to overcoming one of the most serious crises in our part of the world, and to express the hope that these events will never be repeated in the Americas. I should like to conclude by recalling words that I consider particularly relevant in the context of the United Nations new phase in El Salvador. The President of Venezuela, Mr. Rafael Caldera, in his statement to the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, said that Venezuela desired “to see the United Nations displaying unflinching determination that the search for justice ... must play a key role in the building of peace. Social justice, in its broadest sense, is in essence the challenge that is involved in a full implementation of the peace accords, and support for it is the challenge facing the international community as a whole, and particularly the United Nations system.

I thank the representative of Venezuela for the kind words he addressed to me.

I wish first of all to congratulate you, Sir, on having presided over the Security Council during this month of April with your well-known skills. At the same time, we express our deep appreciation to your predecessor, Ambassador Li of China. The Brazilian Government has consistently and closely followed events in the sister nation of El Salvador. We have noted with satisfaction that during the unfolding of the peace process both the Government of El Salvador and the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) have made determined efforts to strengthen dialogue by putting aside specific demands that could have jeopardized the course of the process. The United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), to which Brazil has contributed military and police observers, has, since its establishment, reaffirmed its support for the Salvadoran peace process and has undoubtedly been instrumental in achieving progress in the consolidation of peace in El Salvador. We wish in this regard to express our gratitude for the work of the Secretary-General; of his Special Representative, Mr. ter Horst; and of the personnel of ONUSAL, whose efforts for peace and national reconciliation we recognize as a decisive factor. The final report submitted by the Secretary-General on ONUSAL was very realistic in recognizing that much remains to be done before considering the Salvadoran peace process as fully accomplished. Indeed, there is much reason for satisfaction at what has been achieved by the Salvadorans, but the fact that some commitments undertaken at the peace accords still require implementation constitutes a threat to the completion of the process as a whole. The proposal of the Secretary-General to maintain a small team to perform the remaining verification and good- offices responsibilities of the United Nations after the termination of ONUSAL’s mandate is a most meritorious one. Brazil, which has been witnessing the evolution of the Salvadoran peace process from its very inception, is thus honoured by being invited to continue to take part in the efforts of the United Nations towards El Salvador. The Government of El Salvador and the groups constituting the FMLN seem willing to continue to strive In the words of the Secretary-General, ONUSAL is paradigmatic, and we fully subscribe to this point of view. Brazil believes that the peace process in El Salvador can be regarded as an example of the meaningful contribution the United Nations can make to a people’s effort to solve problems that could affect the security of a region. It is undeniable that gigantic steps have been taken towards democratic order. For all this, the hard-working people of El Salvador continue to deserve our praise and admiration.

I thank the representative of Brazil for the kind words he addressed to me. The next speaker is the representative of El Salvador, on whom I now call.

Allow me first to congratulate you, Sir, on the outstanding manner in which you have discharged your duties as President of the Security Council for the month of April. Your skills as an experienced diplomat have once again become evident in the important work accomplished by this supreme body responsible for international security. It is a particular honour for my delegation to see you, Sir, presiding over this meeting of the Security Council as it prepares to adopt a resolution on the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL). On 30 April 1995 ONUSAL’s mandate will come to an end, in accordance with resolution 961 (1994) of 23 November 1994. Therefore, we find it appropriate to make a statement as the Council prepares to consider the report (S/1995/220) of the Secretary-General dated 24 March 1995 and the report (S/1995/281, annex) submitted by the Director of the Human Rights Division of ONUSAL, dated 18 April 1995, which surely will be the last reports that this Council will consider with respect to ONUSAL. In 1990 the Salvadoran war was at a crucial point. All realistic data indicated that history no longer had any place for the conflict. But the task of searching for a way to reach the necessary political solution was arduous and complicated. Two concurrent realities made it possible to find the best path: the will of both parties to forge decisively ahead towards peace and the effective, active mediation of the United Nations. In any kind of process, especially one so complicated and delicate as the Salvadoran process, the guarantee that it will be lasting and well-aimed depends ultimately on the internal strength of the society where the process unfolds. In the case of El Salvador, the war would not have turned out as it did if circumstances within the society had not been propitious — however much international pressure had been brought to bear — and, similarly, it would be a mistake to think that an effort like the Salvadoran one could be sustained without El Salvador’s own great resolve and capacity for action, however keen international vigilance might be. The United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) was saved by the growing credibility it enjoyed with the various sectors of Salvadoran society. The initial perception that the United Nations or some of its representatives were leaning towards one side or the other was dispelled to a great extent, both because the focus was on the problems of Salvadoran society itself and because the old negotiating parties, in their capacity as such, have been fading away. The same reality placed ONUSAL in a real and perceived position of impartiality, unbound by interests or sympathies. This is its greatest capital, and it must not be wasted, for it still has to be invested in the process. We therefore commend the Secretary-General’s effort and initiative to maintain a truly significant high-level presence in El Salvador, a presence capable of generating the support that circumstances call for. The success of ONUSAL and of the peace process in El Salvador is so exemplary that it deserves to be cared for as much as can possibly and responsibly be done. On the eve of the termination of ONUSAL’s mandate, even though a small, high-level verification office will The former negotiating parties are inclined to concentrate their attention on the agreements. In a way, this leads them away from the role they played in the initial stage of the process, when it had barely taken shape. Today the concept of parties belongs to the past. The Government is no longer a party, but, rather, a manager responsible for everything; and the FMLN is, of course, no longer what it was. Neruda’s famous line, “We of that time are the same ones no more”, can be rightly applied here. No one in El Salvador is the same as he or she was during the war, and those intent on staying the same are fading from view, left behind. A new timetable has been set for implementation of the few aspects of the Peace Accords still pending. What is sometimes not analysed clearly enough is that at this point, in many instances, implementation is closely linked to the efforts for institutional development that the process requires in order to continue moving ahead, as is the case with judicial and electoral reforms, which are well under way. These issues must not be seen in the narrow framework of the implementation of specific points, for this could become reductionist and risk falling into formalism. From now on, it is a matter of bringing to a proper conclusion, through the Peace Accords, the specific issues still pending — such as the granting of land to ex-combatants and landholders — and of fulfilling with a lesser sense of urgency the timetable that has been set for the more institutional aspects. One point that we always consider worth stressing is that the process is continuing to unfold and that speculation on whether or not it is reversible is a Byzantine exercise. There may well be obstacles and times of tension, but to imagine that El Salvador will return to the past is nothing more than a fantasy. The lessons of these years have been invaluable, for both El Salvador and the world Organization. It has been shown that frank and fruitful cooperation between a small country and the most important international Organization in the world is possible. Beyond that reality, the Salvadoran peace process is an extraordinary model in an era of profound international change. One chapter is coming to a close, but on turning the page a new chapter of hope begins, the chapter of the definitive institutionalization of peace in El Salvador. We are sure that in this new chapter we can continue to count on the support and understanding of the United Nations.

I thank the representative of El Salvador for his kind words addressed to me. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. If I hear no objection I shall put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided. I shall first call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

Nearly four years ago the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) started as a human- rights-monitoring mission in El Salvador. After the establishment of a formal cease-fire it became a multifunctional peace-keeping operation which did not limit itself to the observation of the cease-fire but included other military aspects, a police reform, land-transfer and reintegration programmes, and human rights and institution-building elements. ONUSAL has thus been innovative and successful, successful to the extent that it can now cease to exist and can put matters in Salvadoran hands. Let us not forget that, as with all peace-keeping operations, it is primarily thanks to all Salvadorans and especially the conflicting parties that ONUSAL has been so effective. Without their firm determination to build a lasting peace, ONUSAL would not have been one of the success stories of the United Nations. We are pleased that a small team under the direction of the Secretary-General will remain in El Salvador for a limited period of time to conduct remaining verification tasks and to continue to provide good offices. Its presence is an important contribution by the United Nations to post-conflict peace-building aimed at fostering the results already obtained and assisting in further developing the peace process. My delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution now before the Council. Let me conclude by expressing the hope that ONUSAL’s success will provide inspiration for many other peace-keeping operations.

I should like to thank the representative of Brazil and other representatives for their friendly statements concerning my presidency of the Security Council. The mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) will come to an end on 30 April 1995. ONUSAL, which has lasted for nearly four years, has played a significant and promotive role in bringing forward the peace process and the national reconciliation of the two parties in El Salvador, thus being crowned as one of the success stories of the United Nations peace-keeping operations. The experience of ONUSAL is worth summing up and drawing on in a serious manner. It is our considered view that there are four major elements for success: first, to persevere in the peaceful settlement of conflicts through negotiation and dialogue; secondly, to stick to the After the withdrawal of ONUSAL the peace process in El Salvador will enter a new era. At this critical juncture the international community, including the United Nations, should continue to offer a helping hand. In this connection, we support the proposal by the Secretary-General that the United Nations maintain an appropriate political presence in El Salvador for the purpose of verifying the continued implementation of the Peace Accords and providing good offices. Meanwhile, we urge both parties in El Salvador to remain committed to its unswerving efforts in pursuing the implementation of the Peace Accords in all their aspects, particularly in the areas of land transfers and the reintegration programmes for ex-combatants. The Chinese people cherishes fraternal and friendly feelings towards the peoples of Latin America and wishes to develop friendly relations of cooperation with them on the basis of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations as well as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. It is our sincere hope that all States in Latin America will realize or maintain peace and stability so as to concentrate their efforts on developing their economies and raising the peoples’ living standards. Based on this position, the Chinese delegation has all along given its support to the Government, the FLMN and the people of El Salvador for their efforts to attain lasting peace and stability in their own country. We shall continue to do so in the future. We recognize that since ONUSAL began its operations in 1991 many positive developments have occurred in El Salvador. For example, violations of fundamental human rights have declined markedly. Most important, ONUSAL played a crucial part in the verification of the implementation of the Peace Accords. Its accomplishments in transforming a society scarred by violence after years of civil strife and initiating a process of transition to peace and stability stand out as a premier example of the role of the United Nations in maintaining peace and security. Indeed, ONUSAL deserves our full respect for its role in assisting the people of El Salvador to stride away from a violent and closed society and towards peace and reconciliation. In this respect, my delegation wishes to highlight the fact that among the various United Nations peace-keeping operations around the world the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) has accomplished its mission more than satisfactorily. The most important lesson learned from the Salvadoran experience is undoubtedly that reaching political agreement among the warring parties on a firm and reliable basis is a crucial element in ensuring the effectiveness and credibility of any United Nations peace-keeping operation. Most important, the mission in El Salvador is an excellent demonstration that the role of the United Nations in furthering peace and security is not only a theoretical concept but also implementable in practice. Furthermore, the capacity for effective conflict management in El Salvador must be seen as a successful regional effort supported by the international community. This experience can provide a number of important lessons which may be extremely useful for furthering peace and stability in other countries and regions of conflict. However, as pointed out in the report of the Secretary-General, much work remains to be done. For instance, issues such as the increase in common crime, the legitimacy and credibility of State institutions, and the role of the military, intrinsically linked to the credibility and authority of the National Civil Police, must be addressed. This will also have a great impact on the In conclusion, my delegation would like to pay tribute to all the personnel of ONUSAL, both military and civilian, for their dedication and perseverance and the exemplary manner in which they have carried out the mandate entrusted to them. They have spared no effort to restore hope to the people of El Salvador and consolidate peace in that war-torn country. We would also like to pay our highest respects to Mr. Enrique ter Horst, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in El Salvador, and his predecessors for their untiring efforts and contributions towards the restoration of peace and stability in that country. We trust that the progress towards peace and reconciliation in El Salvador, in accordance with the Peace Accords, will continue and not only enable peace and reconciliation to take hold in El Salvador, but also further peace and stability in the entire region. In the light of the foregoing considerations, we will vote in favour of the draft resolution.

Botswana’s support for the pacific settlement of conflicts is well known. It is born out of our national traditions and experience in our part of the world. We come from a part of Africa which has hitherto been engulfed in conflict and war. The dust of conflict is just settling in Mozambique and South Africa, and Angola is still tottering towards peace. We therefore know the difference between the benefits of peace and the wretchedness of war brought about by political inequities. The experience of the people of El Salvador is in many ways similar to ours in southern Africa. After many years of an internecine, fratricidal war of attrition, the Salvadorans have finally realized the futility of war. We are encouraged by their continued commitment to the development of a new political culture in their country based on the principles of democracy, political reconciliation and broad-based national consensus. The United Nations has nursed the people of El Salvador to the current stage in the peace process. It is now up to the people of El Salvador and their leaders to carry the peace process beyond the point where it will no longer be assailable. The international community can provide as much assistance as the country has the absorption capacity for — as the resolution we are about to adopt requests — but such assistance will be beneficial to the people of El Salvador only in conditions of peace and tranquillity. The onus for achieving durable peace and sustainable development and for avoiding a reversion to war and destruction rests with the Salvadorans themselves. The United Nations is a peace arbiter, an honest broker which is ready and willing to help the people of El Salvador in post-conflict peace-building. The Salvadorans should take full advantage of the presence of the United Nations office and resolve amicably whatever differences they still have. They owe that responsibility to themselves and to future generations of Salvadorans. In this valedictory meeting of the Security Council on ONUSAL, the United Nations can pat itself on the back as it adds El Salvador to the list of its recent success stories in peace-keeping operations, such as Cambodia and Mozambique. We congratulate the troop contributors and the men and women of ONUSAL on a job well done, and we congratulate the Secretary-General and his staff. We also salute the men and women of peace in El Salvador who steadfastly cooperated with the United Nations to ensure the success of the mission and the return of conditions of relative peace and stability in their country.

It is not often that we have occasion to celebrate the successful conclusion of a United Nations peace-keeping operation. Today, however, El Salvador joins the small but, we hope, growing list of conflict situations where United Nations intervention has We pay tribute, therefore, to the accomplishments of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), under the authority of the Secretary-General and his successive Special Representatives, and of those States that supported the peace process. It is worth recalling that the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador, ONUSAL, winds up its operation 45 months after the opening of the pioneering human- rights-monitoring mission that was its initial stage, and 39 months after the formal cease-fire that accompanied full deployment. During this period the Salvadorans, including the Government and the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN), have taken significant strides to ensure dialogue, openness and tolerance. The parties have generally kept their commitments under extant agreements, including that on the cease-fire, in the higher interests of peace and national development. In spite of these positive developments, following which, to borrow language from the current draft resolution, El Salvador has “evolved from a country riven by conflict into a democratic and peaceful nation” (S/1995/335, fourth preambular paragraph), my delegation agrees that much still remains to be done in the post-conflict era to consolidate the peace that has just been achieved, especially as certain important aspects of the Chapultepec peace agreements have still to be honoured. It is true that the FMLN participated in the 1994 elections as a single political party, and that therefore governance, in the hands of President Calderón Sol, has been effective. But we note also that the peaceful transition to a democratic society has not gone unchallenged, and that outbursts of violence, such as that witnessed in January 1995, attest to how fragile and potentially dangerous the situation still is. It is to be noted that the land programme as it relates to the question of human settlements continues to be a source of serious concern. In addition, the inability of the Fund for the Protection of the Wounded and War-Disabled In the light of these difficulties, my delegation has joined in supporting the Secretary-General’s proposal for the post-ONUSAL period, already endorsed by the Security Council, for a mechanism to be established in El Salvador to continue the verification responsibilities and good-offices functions that ONUSAL has carried out to date. This accords with the sentiment expressed in the Security Council’s response to “Supplement to An Agenda for Peace”, adopted in February this year, that for peace-keeping operations to be truly beneficial and sustainable the United Nations must maintain a continued interest in the post-conflict peace-building phase. Finally, we call on all States and international institutions not to flag in their support for the Government and the people of El Salvador as they consolidate the gains already made in the peace process. As for the Salvadorans themselves, who have rightly assumed responsibility for the destiny of their country, we congratulate them and urge them to continue to work towards reconciliation and development so as to ensure that peace in El Salvador is secure and irreversible. We wish them well, and pray that never again will El Salvador appear on the agenda of the Security Council as an area of conflict.

My delegation is grateful for the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), submitted to the Security Council in compliance with resolution 961 (1994). That resolution had extended the mandate of the Mission for a final period ending on 30 April 1995. We are particularly grateful for the completeness and frankness of the report, whose content is of great importance to my country since Honduras and El Salvador are neighbours and brother countries. Political and social problems in El Salvador can affect Honduras, as they have in the past, which is why this matter is of such special importance to us. Before addressing some aspects of the report of the Secretary-General, I want to inform the Council that the thirteenth Summit conference of Central American Presidents was held recently in San Salvador itself; since the beginning of the peace process in Central America, these Presidents have worked hard to find solutions and Thanks to these efforts, the region now boasts a Central American integration system, a Central American Parliament and a Central American Court of Justice that is blazing a trail as the first international court of its kind in the world and is working daily to improve a common market that for nearly three decades has been a model for the international community. All this has been achieved thanks to the determination of our peoples, and with the assistance and cooperation of the international community. The presence of the United Nations in El Salvador, through ONUSAL, has also had its effect on the peace process in Central America. In his report, the Secretary-General acknowledges that “There is much reason for satisfaction at what has been accomplished by the Salvadorans during this time. ONUSAL can take credit for having helped the Salvadorans to take giant strides away from a violent and closed society towards a democratic order where institutions for the protection of human rights and free discourse are being consolidated.” (S/1995/220, para. 68) But he also warns that “a number of commitments remain still to be fulfilled before the Salvadoran peace process can be pronounced a success.” (Ibid.) That is why, fully aware of the validity of the Secretary-General’s observations, we support his suggestion that serious consideration be given to the presence of a small team to conduct the remaining verification and good- offices responsibilities of the United Nations — that is, to continue observing and assisting the peace process in El Salvador once ONUSAL’s mandate has come to an end. In the same report, an appeal is made to the Government of El Salvador to fulfil certain commitments now held up because of a lack of action or determination on the part of the Executive branch, which we hope will adopt the relevant measures in areas the Secretary-General explicitly mentions. It should be noted that while the war continued in El Salvador that country’s Government received a great We therefore urge the international community, and the Security Council in particular, not to forget Central America just because it is now on the path of peace. Now is just when the region needs resources for development and for the consolidation of democracy, lest we see a repetition of the errors of the past, which gave rise to the situation we are now trying to remedy. My delegation unreservedly supports the machinery proposed in the report of the Secretary-General to retain a United Nations presence in El Salvador, and welcomes the cooperation that has been established there between ONUSAL and the United Nations Development Programme. As Central Americans, we wish in conclusion to thank the Secretary-General for having said that the United Nations should remain prepared to help El Salvador in particular and, as we understand it, Central America in general. We trust that the United Nations officials remaining in El Salvador will carry out their functions with the effectiveness demanded by the situation, so that peace, freedom, reconciliation, democracy and development may be consolidated in our brother country. For these reasons, my delegation unreservedly supports the draft resolution before the Council.

The Russian Federation feels deep satisfaction at the impressive success of the peace process in El Salvador and at the completion of one of the most fruitful operations of the United Nations. The experience of this 45-month-long multifunctional operation shows that patience and persistence in seeking ways towards a settlement and in implementing the agreements reached can resolve even the most complex and protracted conflicts. Of course, for this to occur there must be a sincere desire to achieve a stable peace, and this the Government of El Salvador and the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) are showing. We congratulate the people of El Salvador, and this is also a great success for the international community, and the United Nations especially. The Russian Federation attaches great importance to the fact that, within the context of the continuing United Nations presence in El Salvador after the peace-keeping operation ends, provision has been made for a combined approach to the tasks that need doing during the post- conflict peace-building stage. In this, close cooperation will be needed between El Salvador and the United Nations Development Programme, and also with the other specialized agencies of the United Nations and the international financial institutions. We hope that this cooperation will be successfully carried out.

I now put to the vote the draft resolution in document S/1995/335.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 991 (1995). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

The resolution adopted by the Council today marks a historic step for the people of El Salvador and for United Nations peace-keeping. On 30 April, the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) will end, bringing to a close one of the most successful peace- keeping operations ever authorized by the Security Council. With the end of ONUSAL, the Security Council ends its involvement in peace-keeping in El Salvador. Under ONUSAL’s vigilance and with its assistance, the major goals set out in the 1992 Peace Accords have been accomplished. In 1994, the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) participated in free, Further, the Salvadoran Armed Forces have been reduced to one third their wartime size. The Ad Hoc Commission removed over 100 officers for their past human rights and other abuses. The Commission on the Truth investigated the most notorious crimes of the war, fixed responsibility and made recommendations to prevent such acts from reoccurring. A new police force, the National Civil Police, has replaced the paramilitary security forces. Approximately 19,000 people have received land under the accords and thousands more have received education, credit and technical training. Today, El Salvador is a country which is enjoying the first fruits of peace and reconciliation. The end of ONUSAL’s exceptional work in El Salvador is not a sign of flagging international interest but a vote of confidence that the Salvadoran people can complete the peace accords without direct international supervision. Today’s resolution urges both former combating sides to accelerate their efforts towards fulfilling the accords. The Government of El Salvador and the FMLN have a solemn responsibility to implement fully the remaining chapters of the peace accord, which include that on the judicial system, the electoral system and economic and social issues. The international community will continue to assist with these efforts. The Secretary-General has expressed his intention to establish an office in El Salvador, headed by his personal representative, to verify compliance by the parties in carrying out remaining elements of the peace accords. With the end of United Nations peace- keeping efforts in El Salvador, we hope that States Members of the United Nations will continue to support the Salvadoran people as they finish their long march towards a lasting peace.

The Council has just adopted a resolution that puts an end to the United Nations operation in El Salvador. The 30th of April 1995 is the date for the conclusion of an operation that can be called successful beyond doubt. It was a multifaceted mission that combined peace-keeping, observing, human rights promotion and protection and, first and foremost, consolidation of the peace after the conflict. It should nevertheless be recognized that some undertakings provided for in the peace agreements have yet to be fulfilled. The small group of officials proposed by the Secretary-General will have to go on approaching the parties in their mission of good offices and verify that those areas where there has been partial progress continue to be prosecuted successfully, with the backing of the Government and of the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN). Also, the international community will have to continue its involvement by reactivating the promised cooperation so that El Salvador can strengthen its democratic institutions and solve its problems of economic growth and sustainable development. In this, the programmes in the system that have operational activities — in particular the United Nations Development Programme because of its catalytic and coordinating role and the system’s specialized agencies, particularly the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank — have a special role to play in the economic rehabilitation activities that characterize this phase of El Salvador’s reconstruction process. Obviously, the efforts of the United Nations will continue with the same emphasis although their focus and direction will be different. Now is a time for capitalizing on the benefits of peace and democracy for economic and social development. Also, the legal, political and economic institutions will also have to be strengthened by reaffirming the sway of human rights, boosting the professionalism of the Armed Forces and police and by giving priority to strengthening the judiciary. Lastly, the Salvadoran people are facing a critical phase now: the key responsibility for bringing peace, democracy and development lies with the Government and people of El Salvador, and we do not doubt that this fraternal nation will more than rise to the challenge before it in this historic opportunity.

My delegation voted in favour of this resolution with very great satisfaction. It is a resolution marking the fulfilment of the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in The United Nations has enabled an end to be put to the civil war in El Salvador. It has contributed to bringing the parties closer together, to creating confidence between them and to implementing the Peace Accords signed in Chapultepec. The United Nations operation had several aspects. Beyond restoring peace and disarming the parties, the United Nations devoted itself to establishing institutions and laying down rules for democracy, enabling a revolutionary organization to become an opposition political party respectful of democratic voting procedures. The United Nations also made it possible to train a National Civil Police — a measure that has been viewed as essential in all the new peace-keeping operations. Finally, we must welcome the importance given to respect for human rights. The society in the country has been profoundly changed and El Salvador’s organization last year of an international conference on the culture of peace demonstrates the far-reaching influence of the action carried out there by the United Nations. My delegation pays tribute here to all the Secretary-General’s Representatives and to the entire ONUSAL team. While the mandate is indisputably ending on a note of success, it nevertheless remains true that several provisions of the peace plan remain to be implemented and thereby contribute to the lasting stabilization of the situation. This task devolves primarily on the parties, and my Government, which welcomes the recent progress in this area, calls upon the parties to speed up the application of the Peace Accords, and particularly of certain critical points: the land-transfer programme, the reintegration of ex-combatants, the reform of the judicial system and the strengthening of the police. The peace-keeping operation is ending the day after tomorrow, 30 April, but not the involvement of the United Nations. El Salvador is now embarking upon a critical phase of the consolidation of peace, and the establishment of a small team entrusted with verifying the implementation of elements of the Peace Accords which have not yet been carried out and with providing its good offices is a good measure to ensure the transition. Moreover, United Nations agencies also have a pivotal role to play in the country’s development. It remains for me only to call upon the Salvadorans to take full advantage of the opportunity provided them Sir David Hannay (United Kingdom): The resolution the Security Council has just adopted marks the end of a United Nations peace-keeping operation which, since July 1991, has played a vital role in bringing El Salvador along the path to national reconciliation, peace and democracy. The United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) has shown what can be achieved with a clearly defined mandate, wide international support and the necessary political will of the parties. The British Government congratulates the Secretary-General, successive ONUSAL Heads of Mission and the dedicated personnel who have participated in the operation on a job well done. But, above all, we congratulate the long-suffering people of El Salvador. The moderation, vision and courage shown by both sides in the sometimes difficult implementation process since the Peace Accords were signed has been critical to the success of the process, and will remain so in the future. It is as important as ever that both parties to the Accords keep that process on track to make possible the speedy completion of all elements of those Accords. We welcome the commitment made by President Calderon Sol and by the leadership of the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) to full implementation. Perhaps the most innovative contribution by ONUSAL has been in the field of human rights observance in El Salvador. ONUSAL has helped Salvadorans to consolidate the institutions needed to uphold human rights once the Mission concludes. The British Government welcomes the reduction in human rights violations since the peace process began. We remain concerned, however, that some violations have continued and we are also concerned at the recent resurgence of political violence. The Human Rights Ombudsman appointed by the Government of El Salvador will have a key role for the future. We hope he will get the full support of all political forces in El Salvador. We welcome the Secretary-General’s proposal to set up a small political team with verification responsibilities and a good-offices function. As the Council has made clear, this office does not represent a continuation of the peace- keeping mission which comes to an end this weekend. But the office will form part of a wider effort by the United Nations and the international community to consolidate the achievements of ONUSAL, to help with the rebuilding of El Salvador’s institutions and to address El Salvador’s

The resolution we have just adopted concludes one of the most detailed and complex peace-keeping operations of the United Nations. Over a four-year period, our Organization’s direct involvement has made a fundamental contribution to the transition in El Salvador from a society plagued by violence and civil war to a new reality based on the values of democracy and respect for human rights. Italy is particularly glad to have taken part in ONUSAL from the beginning with a contingent of police observers. Although there are still grey areas, we are convinced that some aspects of the situation that are still fragile at present can be overcome through the consolidation of democracy. We welcome the significant progress that has been made and pay tribute to the architects of this result: the political leaders of El Salvador who believed most firmly in national reconciliation, and the United Nations — the Secretary-General, his Special Representatives and all the ONUSAL personnel. The peace process is not yet complete. Some of the agreements reached between the Government and the FMLN at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City in 1992 have not yet been fully implemented. We take note of the Secretary-General’s statement in his report dated 24 March that until there has been a complete follow-up to the commitments, the irreversibility of the process cannot be taken for granted (S/1995/220, para. 68). The United Nations will continue to maintain a presence in El Salvador. This testifies to the Organization’s ongoing involvement in this delicate phase of post-conflict peace- building and, through its close ties with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this structure will make possible an integrated approach to the complex and interrelated problems of the country’s political, economic and social development. In this regard, let me recall the efforts undertaken by my Government with a $120 million programme, over a five-year period - the PRODERE - in support of restoring stability to Central American countries, including El Salvador. The specific task of the United Nations will be to verify compliance with the commitments made by the parties and to give an impetus to the process of national reconciliation. The Security Council will be able to continue following developments in the El Salvador situation also through the flow of information that this United Nations presence allows. El Salvador has proved to be another United Nations success story attesting to our Organization’s lasting effectiveness, particularly its capacity to develop a variety of instruments for intervention adapted to the specific characteristics of a crisis area. This is one of the reasons why the international community must continue to observe the evolution of the situation in El Salvador and must support all initiatives that can strengthen democracy.

There are no further speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.