UN prepares economic recovery plan; the backdrop: movement towards cease-fire.

• Position: Central America

UN prepares economic recovery plan

The backdrop: Movement towards cease-fire

A team of UN experts has devised a wide-ranging economic plan of action for Central America, containing innovative approaches to problems of debt and refugees. The General Assembly, in its resolution 42/1, asked that such a plan be prepared and urged the international community to increase technical, economic and financial assistance to the Central American countries.

The team was headed by Augusto Ramirez-Ocampo, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Latin America. It consulted with Governments of the region, international organizations and potential donor Governments.

"There are more than one million refugees or displaced people in Central America. This is not only a humanitarian problem but a question of getting them jobs", Mr. Ramirez-Ocampo said. "Peace and development are closely linked in Central America to economic integration."

The European Economic Community has also pledged to provide special emergency aid in food, and strengthen programmes for voluntary repatriation and relocation of refugees and displaced persons.

The Secretary-General on 24 March said he was pleased and encouraged by the agreement on a limited cease-fire between the Nicaraguan Government and the Nicaraguan Resistance, calling that "a major step forward".

On 26 February, Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Contadora and Support Groups, meeting in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, reaffirmed their readiness to participate in continuing negotiations on outstanding security matters.

The Central American Presidents, at a 15-16 January summit meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica, had, in a formal Declaration, reaffirmed...