The Security Council,

Expressing its full support for the peace process in Guatemala,

Noting the fact that the peace process in Guatemala has been monitored by and under the auspices of the United Nations since 1994,

Noting the letter to the President of the Security Council dated 20 January 1997 from the Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations (S/1997/53),

Recalling the Framework Agreement for the Resumption of the Negotiating Process between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) of 10 January 1994 (S/1994/53, annex) and all subsequent agreements, in which the parties agreed to request the United Nations to carry out international verification of the peace accords,

Acknowledging the efforts of the Secretary-General, the Group of Friends of the Guatemala Peace Process, the international community, the United Nations system and other international agencies in support of the peace process,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General of 26 November 1996 (S/1996/998) on the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA), which states that verification measures related to the agreement on the definitive ceasefire signed at Oslo on 4 December 1996 (S/1996/1045, annex) would involve inter alia the deployment of United Nations military personnel,

Taking note also of the report of the Secretary-General of 17 December 1996 (S/1996/1045*) outlining the measures necessary for the verification of the agreement on the definitive ceasefire and the addenda to this report of 23 and 30 December 1996 (S/1996/1045, Add.1 and Add.2), and noting that the ceasefire will enter into force on the date the United Nations mechanism is in place with full operational capacity,

Welcoming the agreements between the Government of Guatemala and the URNG which were signed at Guatemala City on 29 December 1996 and which, with the overall package of peace accords signed in Madrid, Mexico City, Oslo and Stockholm, put a definitive end to the Guatemalan internal conflict and will foster national reconciliation and economic development,

1. Decides, in accordance with the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General of 17 December 1996, to authorize for a three-month period the attachment to MINUGUA of a group of 155 military observers and requisite medical personnel for the purposes of verification of the agreement on the definitive ceasefire, and requests the Secretary-General to notify the Council no later than two weeks before the operation is to begin;

2. Calls upon both parties to implement fully their commitments under the agreements signed in Guatemala City and to cooperate fully with the verification of the ceasefire, separation of forces, disarmament and demobilization of URNG combatants, as well as commitments under the other agreements in the overall package of Peace Accords;

3. Invites the international community to continue its support for the peace process in Guatemala and, in particular, for the implementation of the agreements referred to in paragraph 2 above;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council fully informed on the implementation of this resolution and to report on the conclusion of the military observer mission.