AG/RES. 1498 (XXVII-O/97)

SUPPORT FOR THE MINE-CLEARING PROGRAM IN CENTRAL AMERICA

(Resolution adopted at the seventh plenary session, held on June 5, 1997)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on hemispheric security (AG/doc.3517/97);

BEARING IN MIND that the presence of thousands of antipersonnel mines in the region constitutes a permanent and serious threat to the population; causes tragedy for individuals and families; stands in the way of socioeconomic development in vast, rich rural areas; and affects border integration in these areas;

CONSIDERING that the Central American countries affected by the presence of antipersonnel mines have given top priority to mine-clearing operations and have stressed the urgency for completing these operations before the year 2000;

STRESSING the great humanitarian value of mine-clearing programs;

RECOGNIZING the efforts being made by the governments of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to continue mine-clearing operations;

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION the important contributions by member states, such as Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela, and by permanent observers such as Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, to mine-clearing in Central America;

NOTING FURTHER the coordination and fund-raising work for the mine-clearing assistance program in Central America in which the Secretary General has been engaged, especially through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, as well as the support of the Committee on Hemispheric Security and the advisory services provided by the Inter-American Defense Board; and

RECALLING resolution AG/RES. 1413 (XXVI-O/96), "Support for Mine-Clearing in Central America," which urges "the member states, the permanent observers, and the international community in general to assist the Central American countries affected by the presence of mines, especially by supporting preventive education programs for the civilian population and the physical and psychological rehabilitation of victims of mines,"

RESOLVES:

1. To adopt as an objective of the Organization of American States the completion of mine-clearing in Central America by the year 2000.

2. To reiterate to the member states and permanent observers, as well as to the international community as a whole, its appeal for them to continue to participate actively by cooperating in and supporting the mine-clearing assistance program in Central America.

3. To urge the Secretary General to continue, insofar as possible and within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, to provide the necessary support to the Central American countries for continuation of the Mine-Clearing Program and for its coordination, supervision, and administration, and also to enable the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy to direct its program toward conclusion of mine-clearing in Central America by the year 2000 and to report to the Permanent Council every quarter.

4. To recognize the participation and support of an increasing number of member states, permanent observers, and other states, as well as the General Secretariat, particularly through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, in mine-clearing in Central America and further to recognize the technical assistance from the Inter-American Defense Board in this matter.

5. To renew its appeal to the member states, the permanent observers, and the international community in general to lend their assistance to the Central American countries affected by the presence of mines, especially by supporting preventive education programs for the civilian population and physical and psychological rehabilitation of victims.

6. To support the convocation of a pledging conference in Honduras in 1997, within allocated resources approved in the program-budget and other resources, for the purpose of completing mine-clearing in Central America by the year 2000.

7. To reiterate its request to the Inter-American Council for Integral Development that it pay special attention to the integral development of Central American rural areas in which the mine-clearing program has been completed, as stated in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development 1997-2001.

8. To request the Secretary General to transmit this resolution to the United Nations Secretary-General and to other international organizations as appropriate.

9. To request the Secretary General to present a report on the implementation of this resolution to the General Assembly at its twenty-eighth regular session.