Situation of human rights in El Salvador.

1992/62.
Situation of human rights in El Salvador

The Commission on Human Rights, Expressing its deep satisfaction at the signing of the Peace Agreements between the Government of El Salvador and the Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberación Nacional in Mexico City on 16 January 1992, which means the end of the armed conflict and which lays the foundations for reconciliation within Salvadorian society, Emphasizing that the Peace Agreements are an historic event of supreme importance to El Salvador, promoting the democratization of the country, guaranteeing unrestricted respect for human rights and reunifying Salvadorian society, Observing that the Peace Agreements establish a precise timetable for the implementation of the agreements reached on the armed forces, the establishment of the National Civil Police, the reform of the judicial and electoral systems, and the political participation of the Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberación National and the reintegration of its members, within a framework of complete legality, into the civil and institutional life of the country, as well as for the economic and social agreements, Aware of the importance of the work which the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador has been doing since 26 July 1991, on the instructions of the Secretary-General, to monitor respect for human rights in El Salvador, Acknowledging the value of the good offices provided by Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, and his Personal Representative for Central America in the negotiating process, which began in 1990 and culminated in the Peace Agreements, Acknowledging also the resolute backing provided by Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela, the Group of Four Friends of the Secretary-General, in the search for peace in El Salvador, Taking note with appreciation of the work done by the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights in fulfilment of his mandate Bearing in mind that it will be the responsibility of the Security Council and the Secretary-General to oversee all the Peace Agreements, Aware that the international community must attentively follow and continue to support efforts to consolidate peace and ensure respect for human rights in El Salvador, Welcoming the establishment of the Truth Commission, comprising three distinguished members appointed by the Secretary-General, whose findings should be known to all parties involved, Bearing in mind that agreement was also reached on the establishment of the National Commission for the Consolidation of Peace, the Ad Hoc Commission and the important post of Attorney-General for the Protection of Human Rights, as machinery for supervising the implementation of the Peace Agreements and for promoting respect for human rights, Considering that events since the signing of the Peace Agreements and the formal end to the armed confrontation on 1 February 1992 strengthen the peace effort and contribute to the establishment of a pattern of coexistence as part of the new situation now appearing in El Salvador, Convinced that the troubling human rights situation in El Salvador could improve substantially if both parties abided faithfully by those Agreements, Reaffirming that it is the responsibility of the Commission on Human Rights to pursue effective respect for human rights,

1. Extends its thanks to the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights for his final report on the situation of human rights in El Salvador during 1991 (E/CN.4/1992/32);

2. Expresses its satisfaction at the Agreements set forth in the Act of New York, signed on 31 December 1991, and the Chapultepec Peace Agreements of 16 January 1992, whereby the armed conflict was ended and the parties undertook to promote the democratization of the country, guarantee unrestricted respect for human rights and help to reunify Salvadorian society;

3. Urges the Government of El Salvador and the Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberación National to abide scrupulously by the agreements reached, so that complete and lasting reconciliation may be reached between all members of Salvadorian society as quickly as possible;

4. Wholeheartedly endorses the efforts being made by the Secretary-General through the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador, whose mandate is to monitor compliance with all the agreements reached by the parties during the negotiating process;

5. Expresses its satisfaction at the appointment of the Truth Commission, comprising persons of acknowledged standing in the defence and promotion of human rights, to shed light on the serious acts of violence that have occurred since 1980, whose impact on society requires public disclosure of the conditions and circumstances in which they were carried out;

6. Welcomes the fact that the National Commission for the Consolidation of Peace has already been set up, that the members of the Ad Hoc Commission have been appointed and that the Attorney-General for the Protection of Human Rights is about to be chosen;

7. Encourages the Government of El Salvador to press vigorously ahead with its reform of the judiciary, in particular the legal profession, in order to guarantee the people's right to justice;

8. Reiterates the need to continue the agrarian reform programme and to carry out other structural reforms permitting effective enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights;

9. Expresses its hope that the implementation of the Peace Agreements will prevent the violations of human rights currently occurring in El Salvador;

10. Urges the international community to provide full cooperation for the reconstruction efforts in El Salvador;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint an independent expert to provide assistance in human rights matters to the Government of El Salvador, consider the human rights situation in the country and the effects of the Peace Agreements on the effective enjoyment of human rights, and investigate the manner in which both parties apply the recommendations contained in the final report of the Special Representative and those made by the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador and the committees established during the negotiating process;

12. Requests the Independent Expert to report on the outcome of his inquiries to the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session and to the Commission at its forty-ninth session,

13. Decides, if there is a substantial improvement in the human rights situation in El Salvador during the current year, to consider that situation and the effect of the Peace Agreements on the effective enjoyment of human rights at its forty-ninth session under the agenda item entitled "Advisory services in the field of human rights" or otherwise, under the agenda item entitled "Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world, with particular reference to colonial and other dependent countries and territories".

52nd meeting
3 March 1992
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XII.]