S/PV.3744 Security Council

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of March, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Njuguna M. Mahugu, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of February 1997. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Mahugu for the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Guatemala in which he requests 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 that representative 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 implementation of resolution 1094 (1997), document S/1997/123. “The Security Council recalls its resolution 1094 (1997) of 20 January 1997 and notes the report of the Secretary-General on its implementation (S/1997/123). “The Security Council welcomes the deployment on 3 March 1997 of the group of United Nations military observers attached to the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA) for the purposes of verification of the agreement on the definitive ceasefire between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) signed at Oslo on 4 December 1996 (S/1996/1045*, annex). “The Security Council recalls its constant support for the peace process in Central America, which it has expressed since the adoption of its resolution 530 (1983) of 19 May 1983. It reaffirms its full support for the peace process in Guatemala. “The Security Council reiterates its call in resolution 1094 (1997) that both parties implement fully their commitments under the agreements signed in Guatemala City on 29 December 1996 and cooperate fully with the verification of the ceasefire, separation of forces, disarmament and demobilization of URNG combatants, as well as the commitments under the other agreements in the overall package of Peace Accords. “The Security Council will remain actively seized of the matter.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1997/9. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.