Special Plan of Economic Co-operation for Central America : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 42/1 of 7 October 1987, 42/204 of 11 December 1987, 43/24 of 15 November 1988 and 44/10 of 23 October 1989, and decisions 88/31 A of 1 July 1988, and 89/64 of 30 June 1989 of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme, and taking note of Governing Council decision 90/31 of 20 June 1990,

Recalling in particular its resolutions 42/231 of 12 May 1988, 43/210 of 20 December 1988 and 44/182 of 19 December 1989, in which it urged the international community and international organizations to increase their technical, economic and financial co-operation with the Central American countries within the framework of the Special Plan of Economic Co-operation for Central America,

Reiterating the importance of the commitments made by the Central American Presidents in the agreement signed at Guatemala City at the Esquipulas II summit meeting, the declarations adopted at Alajuela, Costa Rica, and Costa del Sol, El Salvador, and the agreements reached at Tela, Honduras, Montelimar, Nicaragua, and at the most recent summit meeting held at Antigua, Guatemala, from 15 to 17 June 1990,

Recognizing the importance of the efforts made by the Secretary-General with respect to the situation in Central America and the ongoing involvement of the United Nations in economic co-operation in the region,

Especially concerned about the need to continue responding to the emergency situation in Central America, and alarmed at the seriousness of the economic and social crisis that the region faces,

Bearing in mind the importance of the Special Plan for setting economic and social development priorities and strengthening the capacity to design and implement regional projects in a large number of sectors and the unprecedented technical negotiating effort that has been required on the part of the five Central American countries,

Bearing in mind also the appeal made by the Central American Governments at the thirty-seventh session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme, held at Geneva from 28 May to 23 June 1990, for the allocation of financial resources so that implementation of the projects and programmes of the Special Plan may continue,

Considering that the implementation of the Special Plan has made it possible to work out new joint strategies for economic and social development and has deepened the regional peace and democratization process, as reflected in the Central American Economic Plan of Action, which emerged from the summit meeting held at Antigua, Guatemala, in June 1990,

Expressing its satisfaction at the performance of the United Nations Development Programme in carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to it for the co-ordination of the Special Plan,

Reaffirming its conviction that peace, development and democracy are inseparable,

1.         Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Special Plan of Economic Co-operation for Central America, which contains information on the status of implementation of the Special Plan;

2.         Decides to extend the Special Plan of Economic Co-operation for Central America for an additional three-year period beginning in 1991;

3.         Stresses the importance of the new directions in regional development that have emerged from the summit meetings of the Presidents of Central American countries and, in particular, from the meeting held at Antigua, Guatemala, at which the Central American Economic Plan of Action was approved;

4.         Recommends that, through the existing machinery for the implementation of the Special Plan, due account be taken of the goals and priorities set in the Antigua Declaration and the Central American Economic Plan of Action;

5.         Welcomes with satisfaction the Joint Political Declaration and Joint Economic Communique of the Dublin Ministerial Conference on Political Dialogue and Economic Co-operation between the member States of the European Community and the countries of Central America and the Contadora Group, held at Dublin on 9 and 10 April 1990, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to continue to participate in the reactivation and economic and social development of the region;

6.         Also welcomes with satisfaction the renewal of the San Jose Agreement (Central American energy co-operation programme) in August 1990, by the Governments of the Central American countries and the Governments of Mexico and Venezuela;

7.         Welcomes with satisfaction the Declaration of the first international meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the International Conference on Central American Refugees, held in New York on 27 and 28 June 1990;

8.         Calls upon Member States and observers, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, the organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and regional and subregional organs and institutions to participate actively in and to adopt immediate measures for the implementation of activities in support of the goals and objectives of the Special Plan, taking into account the difficult social and economic situation faced by the Central American countries, and to support the projects submitted by those countries within the framework of the machinery set up under the Special Plan;

9.         Emphasizes the urgent need for the international community to increase its technical assistance to the Central American countries and to provide them with adequate additional financial resources on favourable and concessional terms;

10.       Requests the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme to consider the request made by the Governments of the Central American countries for appropriate financial assistance for the Special Plan during the fifth programming cycle;

11.       Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session on the progress made in implementing the Special Plan;

12.       Decides to review and appraise the implementation of the Special Plan at its forty-sixth session.