AG/RES. 1995 (XXXIV-O/04): Support For The Program Of Integral Action Against Antipersonnel Mines In Central America

(Adopted at the fourth plenary session held on June 8, 2004)

Having seen the Annual Report of the Permanent Council to the General Assembly, in particular as it relates to the matters entrusted to the Committee on Hemispheric Security (AG/doc.4265/04 add. 5 corr. 1), as well as the report of the General Secretariat on the implementation of resolution AG/RES. 1934 (XXXIII-O/03), "Support for the Program of Integral Action against Antipersonnel Mines in Central America" (CP/doc…./04 …);

RECALLING resolution AG/RES. 1934 (XXXIII-O/03), as well as resolution AG/RES. 1240 (XXIII-O/93), "Inter-American Defense Board";

AWARE that the presence in Central America of antipersonnel mines and other undetonated explosive devices represents a continuing threat to the population and has disastrous effects, primarily on innocent civilians, causing tragedy to individuals and families, standing in the way of socioeconomic development in vast and rich rural areas, and affecting border integration among countries of that subregion;

ACKNOWLEDGING the continuing efforts being made by the Governments of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to complete mine-clearing activities, which governments, together with El Salvador, are working arduously to strengthen programs aimed at providing assistance for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of victims and their families, to develop preventive education campaigns on the dangers of antipersonnel mines, and to achieve socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas and the social and vocational rehabilitation of the victims;

NOTING WITH SATISFACTION:

That Central America is a region free of stockpiled antipersonnel mines, an effort completed in August 2002, when the Government of Nicaragua destroyed the last 18,435 stockpiled antipersonnel mines, once again fulfilling one of the objectives of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention), in December 1997;

The small but significant contribution made by Nicaragua and Honduras in sending to their sister countries Peru and Ecuador international supervisors from their armies to share and impart their experience and skill in the removal and destruction of placed and stockpiled mines; and

The efforts of the Central American Security Commission, through the appropriate bodies in each country, to devise and execute a comprehensive regional program for the education, medical care, rehabilitation, and social and vocational reintegration of survivors of mines and other explosive devices in Central America; and

RECOGNIZING ALSO:

The valuable contributions by member states, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, the United States, and Venezuela; by permanent observers, such as Denmark, the European Union, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Russian Federation, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and by Central American member states affected by antipersonnel mines, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, who have helped their neighbor countries, all in collaboration with the Program of Integral Action against Antipersonnel Mines" (AICMA);

The important coordination, promotion, and fundraising work carried out by the General Secretariat, through the AICMA of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, and for programs aimed at humanitarian demining and the physical and psychological rehabilitation of victims and their families, preventive education, and the socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas[1] ; and

The vital support of the Committee on Hemispheric Security and the valuable technical advice provided to PADCA by the Inter-American Defense Board[2] ,

RESOLVES:

1. To encourage the Central American states in their efforts to continue treating demining as a priority issue at the national and regional levels and to generate the political will necessary to keep the Hemisphere at the forefront of this vital and worldwide humanitarian task.

2. To reiterate its appeal to member states and permanent observers, as well as to the international community in general, to continue to lend their indispensable support and cooperation to the Program of Integral Action against Antipersonnel Mines (AICMA) in Central America.

3. To request the Secretary General to continue efforts with donors with a view to ascertaining the progress made and identifying the financial resources needed to ensure the integrity and sustainability of the AICMA.

4. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue to provide to the Central American countries, within the resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources, the support necessary to continue the mine-clearing programs, as well as those aimed at preventive education of the civilian population, rehabilitation of victims and their families, and the socioeconomic reclamation of demined areas[3] .

5. To instruct the General Secretariat to continue to carry out international cooperation and coordination activities in this area with the appropriate international organizations.

6. To request the Inter-American Defense Board to continue to provide technical advice to the AICMA.

7. To request the General Secretariat to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.

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