Situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Guatemala.

 

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Guatemala

  The General Assembly, Reiterating that the Governments of all Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, Recalling its resolution 37/184 of 17 December 1982, Noting Commission on Human Rights resolution 1983/37 of 8 March 1983, in which the Commission reiterated its profound concern at the continuing reports of massive violations of human rights in Guatemala, Noting also that the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, in its resolution 1983/12 of 5 September 1983, recognized that in Guatemala there existed an armed conflict of a non-international character, which stemmed from economic, social and political factors of a structural nature, and that within that conflict the security forces and government institutions had not respected the norms of international humanitarian law, Expressing its satisfaction at the appointment of a Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, and taking note of the co-operation extended to the Special Rapporteur by the Government of Guatemala, Taking note of the interim report by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Guatemala submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 1983/37, Welcoming the lifting of the state of siege and the abolition of the special tribunals, Disturbed by the large number of persons who have disappeared, including those reported to have been tried by the special tribunals, and who, despite appeals from various international organizations, remain unaccounted for,

1. Expresses its deep concern at the continuing massive violations of human rights in Guatemala, particularly the violence against non-combatants, the widespread repression, killing and massive displacement of rural and indigenous populations, which are reported to have recently increased;

2. Calls upon the Government of Guatemala to refrain both from forcefully displacing people belonging to rural and indigenous populations and from the practice of coercing people into participation in civilian patrols, leading to human rights violations;

3. Urges the Government of Guatemala to take effective measures to ensure that all its authorities and agencies, including its security forces, fully respect human rights and fundamental freedoms;

4. Requests the Government of Guatemala to investigate and clarify the fate of persons who have disappeared and are still unaccounted for, including those reported to have been tried by the special tribunals;

5. Calls upon the Government of Guatemala to establish a system for the revocation of convictions and sentences passed by the special tribunals, now abolished;

6. Appeals to the Government of Guatemala to allow international humanitarian organizations to render their assistance in investigating the fate of persons who have disappeared, with a view to informing their relatives of their whereabouts, and to visit detainees or prisoners, and to allow them to bring assistance to the civilian population in areas of conflict;

7. Appeals also to all parties concerned in Guatemala to ensure the application of relevant norms of international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts of a non-international character to protect the civilian population and to seek an end to all acts of violence;

8. Calls upon Governments to refrain from supplying arms and other military assistance as long as serious human rights violations in Guatemala continue to be reported;

9. Invites the Government of Guatemala and other parties concerned to continue co-operating with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights;

10. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to study carefully the report of its Special Rapporteur, as well as other information pertaining to the situation in Guatemala, and to consider further steps for securing effective respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all in that country;

11. Decides to continue its examination of the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Guatemala at its thirty-ninth session.