Americas 175 Chapter VI Americas The situation in Central America was considered ideologies, attempts to impose unilateral solutions in 1986 by the Security Council and the General to the region’s problems and the resort to force, the Assembly, with both bodies addressing specific disputes Secretary-General, in his annual report on the between countries. The Assembly also dealt with Organization’s work (see p. 3), believed that only the question as a whole. by insulating the situation from the East-West conflict The Secretary-General reported on the situation and seeking a Latin American solution that took in July, including the status of regional and inter- account of the economic and social needs of the area national peace efforts and assistance to resolve the could a genuine settlement be achieved. widespread conflict and to mitigate the resultant Communications (January-3 July). The 1986 suffering. The Assembly in November, by resolu- communications to the Secretary-General on the tion 41/37, reaffirmed that a solution of the con- Central America situation-mostly in the form of flict required all States to respect international law, communiques and declarations-concerned the peace reiterated support for the Contadora peace activities, efforts of the Contadora Group (Colombia, Mex- requested perseverance in those efforts and urged ico, Panama, Venezuela) and of the Contadora Support States to continue supporting them. Group (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay) established The Council convened four times during the year in July 1985.(1) Th eir focus was on two documents: at Nicaragua’s request. Early in July and in Oc- a Message for Peace, Security and Democracy in tober it considered the dispute which had been the Central America, referred to as the Caraballeda subject of a Judgment of the International Court Message; and a revised draft comprehensive agreement of Justice (ICJ) on 27 June in the case brought by entitled Act on Peace and Co-operation in Central Nicaragua against the United States. Draft resolutions America, first proposed in 1984(2) and commonly by which the Council would have called for full and referred to as the Contadora Act. Other 1986 com- immediate compliance with the Judgment in con- munications dealt with disputes between Nicara- formity with relevant provisions of the Charter of gua and several other States (see below, under the the United Nations were not adopted due to the relevant subject headings). negative vote of a permanent Council member. How- The President of Nicaragua, by a 9 January 3 ever, in November, the Assembly adopted resolu- note,( ) addressing the Presidents of the countries tion 41/31, containing such a provision. Later in of the Contadora and Support Groups, reiterated July and again in December, the Council consid- that regional peace prospects depended on an un- ered Nicaragua’s complaints of aggression against derstanding between Nicaragua and the United States, it and incidents in Central America endangering to be reached through bilateral dialogue. To that international peace. Following a September report end, Nicaragua put forward several proposals to on measures undertaken to reduce the negative effects facilitate the Groups’ negotiating process: that a of the trade embargo imposed against Nicaragua, meeting be arranged between the United States the Assembly in December invited continuation of Secretary of State and Nicaragua’s Minister for Foreign such measures and requested that the embargo be Affairs; that a general treaty be negotiated among immediately revoked (resolution 41/164). Central American States embodying the fundamental The agenda item on the observance of the principles of international law, to be concluded at quincentenary of the discovery of America was deleted a presidential meeting in May; and that bilateral from the Assembly’s agenda for its 1986 regular session. peace agreements be concluded between Central Earlier, at its resumed 1985 session on 15 September American States and other machinery, such as mixed 1986, the Assembly, by decision 40/480, had de- commissions, be set up. ferred the item to its 1986 regular session. A Message for Peace, Security and Democracy in Central America was issued by the Foreign Ministers of the Contadora Group and its Support Group on 12 January, at the conclusion of their two-day meeting at Caraballeda, Venezuela.(4) The Ministers defined Central America situation the lasting foundations for peace in Central America, outlined a series of actions necessary to consolidate Noting the deterioration in the Central America them, and pledged efforts to accelerate negotiations situation, with the increasing intrusion of conflicting for the speedy signing of the Contadora Act.(5) 176 Political and security questions In a 16 January communiqué,(6) Nicaragua Caraballeda Message, and repeated the imperative stated that its President exchanged views with the of ending external aid to irregular forces and in- President of Guatemala on the occasion of his in- surgent movements operating in various countries auguration, and with those of Colombia, El in the region if order was to be restored. Salvador and Panama, as well as with the In a communique issued at the end of a joint President-elect of Honduras, on inter alia the cur- meeting (Panama City, 5-7 April),(13) the Foreign rent status of the Central American negotiating Ministers of the two Groups reaffirmed that the process; he expressed support for the Caraballeda Contadora-sponsored process of diplomatic Message and confirmed Nicarag ua’s position, as negotiation was the only feasible means of secur- contained in a 1985 declaration, 5),( that a solution ing political understanding and, together with the would be effective only when the United States Contadora Act when signed and in force, was the ceased attacking Nicaragua, directly or indirectly, basis for peace in the region; they thus invited the covertly or by any other means. five Central American States (Costa Rica, El Two documents-the Guatemala Declaration of Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) to 14 January, signed by the Foreign Ministers of a 6 June meeting at Panama City to resolve the Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras two outstanding aspects of the Act-control and and Nicaragua; and the Presidents’ Declaration reduction of armaments, and international of 15 January, signed by the Presidents of El military manoeuvres-so that the Act might finally Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama and be adopted and brought into force. the President-elect of Honduras-were transmit- Nicaragua, in its response of 11 April,(14) ted by Guatemala on 17 January.(7) By the first, agreed to sign the Act at the proposed 6 June the Ministers expressed support for the meeting once the oustanding issues had been re- Caraballeda Message and reiterated their coun- solved, and provided that by then United States tries’ readiness to achieve peace and stability based aggression against Nicaragua had ceased com- on the Contadora Act; by the second, the pletely, in keeping with the “simultaneity” pro- Presidents reiterated their confidence in dialogue vided for in the Caraballeda Message. Honduras and negotiation, and support for the Contadora on 11 April,(15) reaffirmed its political will to bring peace process. negotiations on the Act to a conclusion so as to The 12-member European Community (EC), in join in its signing at the meeting. a joint statement of 20 January,(8) welcomed both Guatemala confirmed on 16 April(16) that, as the Caraballeda Message as a confirmation of the decided by the Foreign Ministers of the five Cen- balanced and comprehensive approach of the Con- tral American States, a meeting of their tadora efforts in promoting a negotiated settlement Presidents-to which the President of Panama of the conflicts in Central America, and the would be invited-would take place at Esquipulas, Guatemala Declaration’s endorsement of the Guatemala, on 24 and 25 May; it also outlined Message. China expressed similar sentiments and the meeting’s agenda: mechanisms for political pledged support for the Contadora peace efforts negotiation and for regional security; creation of in a 22 January Foreign Ministry statement,(9) as a Central American Parliament; restructuring for did Japan’s Foreign Ministry in a 30 January the region’s economic and social integration; and statement.(10) intraregional trade and solving Central American Honduras, on 21 February,(11) drew attention to debt. its position on the Caraballeda Message, made The Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating known at the meeting of plenipotentiaries of Cen- Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Coun- tral America, sponsored by the Contadora Group tries (New Delhi, India, 16-19 April),(17) adopted (Panama City, 14 and 15 February): the Message a Political Declaration, which commented on, gave impetus to renewing negotiations to finalize among other matters, developments throughout the Contadora Act, filled the diplomatic vacuum Latin America. The Ministers, besides calling a created by Nicaragua’s refusal to continue halt to all hostile actions against Nicaragua and negotiating unless it had a prior security agree- urging the United States to resume bilateral ment with the United States, and opened new negotiations with it, welcomed the peace initiatives political opportunities for bilateral negotiations be- of the Contadora and Support Groups, par- tween that country and Nicaragua. ticularly the Caraballeda Message, and hoped that The Foreign Ministers