32. That the basic investment needs for the development and economic recovery of the Central American countries and of the efforts undertaken jointly by them to obtain financing for specific priority projects make it imperative to expand and strengthen the programmes of international, regional and subregional financial institutions intended for Central America; 33. That the regional crisis has provoked massive flows of refugees and displaced persons, and that the situation demands urgent attention; 34. CONCERNED about the constant worsening of social conditions, including the situation with regard to employment, education, health and housing in the Central American countries; 35. REAFFIRMING, without prejudice to the right of recourse to other competent international forums, the desire to settle their disputes within the framework of this Act; 36. RECALLING the support given by the Contadora Group to United Nations Security Council resolutions 530 and 562 and General Assembly resolutions 38/ 10 and 39/4, as well as to resolutions AG/RES 675 (XIII-0/83) and AG/RES (XIV-84) adopted by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States; and 37. BEING READY to implement fully the Document of Objectives and the norms for the implementation of the undertakings made therein, adopted by their Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Panama on 9 September 1983 and 8 January 1984 respectively, under the auspices of the Governments of Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela, which comprise the Contadora Group;2 Have agreed as follows: CONTADORA ACT ON PEACE AND CO-OPERATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA PART I COMMITMENTS CHAPTER I GENERAL COMMITMENTS Sole section. PRINCIPLES THE PARTIES undertake, in accordance with their obligations under international law: 1. To abide by the following principles: (a) The principle of refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of States; (b) The peaceful settlement of disputes; (c) Non-interference in the internal affairs of other States; 2 I.e., the Document of Objectives. For the text, see Documents on Disarmament, 1983, pp. 788-791. (d) Co-operation between States in solving international problems; (e) Juridical equality of States, respect for sovereignty, self-determination of peoples and the promotion of respect for human rights; (f) The right to engage freely in international trade; (g) The principle of refraining from discriminatory practices in economic relations between States by respecting their systems of political, economic and social organization; (h) The fulfilment in good faith of obligations assumed under international law. 2. In pursuance of the foregoing principles: (a) They shall refrain from any action inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter of the Organization of American States aimed against the territorial integrity, political independence or unity of any State, and, in particular, from any such action involving the threat or use of force. (b) They shall settle their disputes by peaceful means in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter of the Organization of American States. (c) They shall respect the norms embodied in treaties and other international agreements relating to diplomatic and territorial asylum. (d) They shall respect the existing international boundaries between States. (e) They shall refrain from militarily occupying territory of any other State in the region. (f) They shall refrain from any act of military, political, economic or other form of coercion aimed at subordinating to their interests the exercise by other States of rights inherent in their sovereignty. (g) They shall take such action as is necessary to secure their frontiers against irregular groups or forces operating from their territory with the aim of destabilizing the Governments of other States. (h) They shall not permit their territory to be used for acts which violate the sovereign rights of other States, and shall see to it that the conditions obtaining in their territory do not pose a threat to international peace and security. (i) They shall respect the principle that no State or group of States has the right to intervene either directly or indirectly through the use of arms or any other form of interference in the internal or external affairs of another State. (j) They shall respect the right of all peoples to self-determination free from outside intervention or coercion by refraining from the threat or the direct or covert use of force to disrupt the national unity and territorial integrity of any other State. CHAPTER III COMMITMENTS WITH REGARD TO SECURITY MATTERS In conformity with their obligations under international law and in accordance with the objective of laying the foundations for effective and lasting peace, the Parties assume commitments with regard to security matters relating to the prohibition of international military manoeuvres; the cessation of the arms buildup; the dismantling of military foreign bases, schools or other installations; the withdrawal of foreign military advisers and other foreign elements participating in military or security activities; the prohibition of the traffic in arms; the cessation of support for irregular forces; the denial of encouragement or support for acts of terrorism, subversion or sabotage; and lastly, the establishment of a regional system of direct communication. To that end, the Parties undertake to take specific action in accordance with the following: SECTION I. COMMITMENTS WITH REGARD TO MILITARY 16. To comply with the following provisions as regards the holding of national military manoeuvres, with effect from the signing of this Act: (a) When national military manoeuvres are held in areas less than 30 kilometres from the territory of another State, the appropriate prior notification to the other States Parties and the Verification and Control Commission, mentioned in Part II of this Act, shall be made at least 30 days beforehand. (b) The notification shall contain the following information: (1) Name; (2) Purpose; (3) Participating troops, units and forces; (4) Area where the manoeuvre is scheduled; (5) Programme and timetable; (6) Equipment and weapons to be used. (c) Invitations shall be issued to observers from neighbouring States Parties. 17. To comply with the following provisions as regards the holding of international military manoeuvres: 1. From the entry into force of the Act and for a period of 90 days, the holding of international military manoeuvres involving the presence in their respective territories of armed forces belonging to States from outside the Central American region shall be suspended. 2. After the 90 days, the Parties may, by mutual agreement and taking into account the recommendations of the Verification and Control Commission, extend the suspension until such time as the maximum limits for armaments and troop strength are reached, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 19 of this Chapter. If no agreement is reached on extending the suspension, international military manoeuvres shall be subject, during this period, to the following regulations: (a) The parties shall ensure that manoeuvres involve no form of intimidation against a Central American State or any other State; (b) They shall give at least 30 days' notice of the holding of manoeuvres to the States Parties and to the Verification and Control Commission referred to in Part II of this Act. The notification shall contain the following information: (1) Name; (2) Purpose; (3) Participating States; (4) Participating troops, units and forces; (5) Area where the manoeuvre is scheduled; (6) Programme and timetable; (7) Equipment and weapons to be used. (c) They shall not be held within a 50 kilometre belt adjacent to the territory of a State which is not participating, unless that State gives its express consent; (d) The Parties shall limit manoeuvres to one a year; it shall last not longer than 15 days; (e) They shall limit to 3,000 the total number of military troops participating in a manoeuvre. Under no circumstances shall the number of troops of other States exceed the number of nationals participating in a manoeuvre; (f) Observers from the States Parties shall be invited; (g) A State Party which believes that there has been a violation of the above provisions may resort to the Verification and Control Commission. 3. Once the maximum limits for armaments and troop strength have been reached in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 19 of this Chapter, the holding of international military manoeuvres involving the participation of States from outside the Central American region shall be prohibited. 4. From the entry into force of this Act, the holding of international manoeuvres with the participation exclusively of Central American States in their respective territories shall be subject to the following provisions: (a) Participating States shall give at least 45 days' notice of the holding of manoeuvres to the States Parties and to the Verification and Control Commission referred to in Part II of this Act. The notification shall contain the following information: (1) Name; (2) Purpose; (3) Participating States; (4) Participating troops, units and forces; (5) Area where the manoeuvre is scheduled; (6) Programme and timetable; (7) Equipment and weapons to be used. (b) The manoeuvres shall not be held within a 50 kilometre belt adjacent to the territory of a State that is not participating, unless that State gives its express consent; (c) The conduct of manoeuvres shall be limited to 30 days a year. If several manoeuvres are held each year, each manoeuvre shall last not longer than 15 days; (d) They shall limit to 4,000 the total number of military troops participating in manoeuvres; (e) Observers from the States Parties shall be invited; (f) A State Party which believes that there has been a violation of the above provisions may resort to the Verification and Control Commission. 5. Commitments with regard to international military manoeuvres shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph 19 of this Chapter. SECTION 2. COMMITMENTS WITH REGARD TO ARMAMENTS AND TROOP STRENGTH 18. To halt the arms race in all its forms and begin immediately negotiations permitting the establishment of maximum limits for armaments and the number of troops under arms, as well as their control and reduction, with the object of establishing a reasonable balance of forces in the area. 19. On the basis of the foregoing, the Parties agree on the following implementation stages: FIRST STAGE: (a) The Parties undertake not to acquire, after the entry into force of the Act, any more military matériel, with the exception of replenishment supplies, ammunition and spare parts needed to keep existing matériel in operation, and not to increase their military forces, pending the establishment of the maximum limits for military development within the time-limit stipulated for the second stage. (b) The Parties undertake to submit simultaneously to the Verification and Control Commission their respective current inventories of weapons, military installations and troops under arms within 15 days of the entry into force of this Act. The inventories shall be prepared in accordance with the definitions and basic criteria contained in the Annex to this Act; (c) Within 60 days of the entry into force of this Act, the Verification and Control Commission shall conclude the technical studies and shall suggest to the States Parties, without prejudice to any negotiations which they have agreed to initiate, the maximum limits for their military development, in accordance with the basic criteria laid down in paragraph 20 of this section and in accordance with the respective timetables for reduction and dismantling. SECOND STAGE: After a period of 60 days from the entry into force of this Act, the Parties shall establish within the following 30 days: (a) Maximum limits for the types of weapons classified in the annex to this Act, as well as timetables for their reduction. (b) Maximum limits for troops and military installations which each Party may have, as well as timetables for their reduction or dismantling. (c) If the Parties do not reach agreement on the above-mentioned maximum limits and timetables within such period, those suggested by the Verification and Control Commission in its technical studies shall apply provisionally, with the prior consent of the Parties. The Parties shall set by mutual agreement a new timelimit for the negotiation and establishment of the above-mentioned limits. Should the Parties fail to reach agreement on maximum limits, they shall suspend execution of the commitments with regard to international military manoeuvres, foreign military bases and installations and foreign military advisers for which time-limits have been set in the Act, except in cases where the Parties agree otherwise. The maximum limits referred to in subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) and the timetables shall be regarded as an integral part of this Act and shall have the same legally binding force from the day following expiry of the 30 days established for the second stage or the day following their establishment by agreement among the Parties. Unless the Parties agree otherwise, under subparagraph (c) the maximum agreed limits shall be reached 180 days after the entry into force of the Act or in a period established by the Parties. 20. In order to satisfy the requirements of peace, stability, security and economic and social development of the countries of the region and in order to establish maximum limits for the military development of the Central American States and to control and reduce their military levels, the Parties will agree on a table of values that will consider the following basic criteria and in which all armaments will be subject to control and reduction: (1) Security needs and defence capacity of each Central American State; (2) Size of its territory and population; |