The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 42/1 of 7 October 1987, 43/24 of 15 November 1988, 44/10 of 23 October 1989 and 45/15 of 20 November 1990,
Recalling in particular its resolutions 42/204 of 11 December 1987, 42/231 of 12 May 1988, 43/210 of 20 December 1988, 44/182 of 19 December 1989, 45/231 of 21 December 1990 and 46/170 of 19 December 1991,
Recalling the importance of the efforts made by the Secretary-General with respect to the situation in Central America and the continuing involvement of the United Nations in economic cooperation in the region,
Particularly interested in ensuring that the critical situation in Central America continues to be addressed, especially in view of the severe economic and social crises that still affect the region,
Recognizing the work being done by the United Nations Development Programme in discharging the responsibilities entrusted to it for the coordination of the Special Plan of Economic Cooperation for Central America, in accordance with the decisions that the Central American Governments have taken on the subject,
Recognizing also the importance of the Special Plan, especially in promoting intraregional and international consensus on securing and coordinating cooperation, the assistance provided to Central American countries in setting priorities for their development, the involvement of the international community in attaining priority goals, the strengthening of regional organizations, including the General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, the Permanent Secretariat of the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration and the Central American Parliament, the mobilization of international resources for the region and the gearing of programmes to the social sector, and the role of the International Conference on Central American Refugees as a vital tool of the emergency programme of the Special Plan,
Bearing in mind that establishing a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development is a fundamental goal in Central America,
Recognizing the commitments assumed at the presidential summits, especially the commitments on establishing a framework of priorities with a view to preventing any reversal of the achievements in Central America and to building a firm and lasting peace, with human development, in the region, which calls for the identification of fundamentally new courses of action and the preparation of a new integrated and sustained development strategy,
Noting that, in the Guatemala Declaration, adopted on 29 October 1993 at the conclusion of the Fourteenth Summit of Central American Presidents, the Presidents underlined that Central America offered the conditions necessary for establishing interdependence between peace and development and that the building of peace would be strengthened if such interdependence was made effective through an integrated approach, and appealed to the international community to support the efforts of the Governments of the subregion to alleviate poverty by carrying out programmes and projects oriented to human development,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Special Plan of Economic Cooperation for Central America, which describes the status of implementation of the Special Plan, together with requirements in terms of the resources and financial assistance indispensable to the completion of priority programmes and projects for peace-building;
2. Supports the efforts of the Central American Governments in their commitments to poverty alleviation and sustainable human development, and urges them to implement further appropriate policies and programmes in executing those commitments;
3. Requests, given the need to anticipate the depletion of resources under the Special Plan and the conclusion in May 1994 of the International Conference on Central American Refugees, that the necessary resources be provided for the establishment of updated and new regional programmes, through arrangements that the Central American countries are to determine jointly with the cooperating community and the agencies of the United Nations system, especially the United Nations Development Programme, in support of the efforts of the Central American Governments with a view to preventing any reversal of the achievements in Central America and to building peace in the region through integrated and sustained development;
4. Urges all States, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, the organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and regional and subregional organizations to step up support for the implementation of the goals and objectives of the Special Plan, taking into account the severe economic and social crises facing the region;
5. Again stresses the urgent need for the international community to maintain its cooperation with the Central American countries and to provide them, in a sustained manner, with adequate financial and technical resources on appropriate terms, with a view to promoting effectively the development and economic growth of the region;
6. Commends the efforts of the Central American peoples and Governments to consolidate peace by implementing the agreements adopted at the summit meetings held since 1987, urges them to continue with their efforts to consolidate a firm and lasting peace in Central America, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to afford the fullest possible support for the initiatives and efforts of the Central American Governments;
7. Supports the decision taken by the Presidents of the Central American countries at their fourteenth summit meeting with respect to the adoption of decentralization policies oriented to human development at the local level and linked where necessary to macroeconomic policies, given the need to ensure a continuum from humanitarian assistance to development cooperation;
8. Notes with appreciation the effective support extended by international and regional financial institutions to the priority programmes and projects that the Central American countries have identified as regards energy, communications, roads and agriculture within the framework of the Special Plan;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session a report on the implementation of the Special Plan;
10. Decides to examine and evaluate the implementation of the Special Plan at its forty-ninth session.
86th plenary meeting
21 December 1993
