El Salvador A Model For Others, Ban Ki-Moon Says On 15th Anniversary Of Peace Accords
Hailing the fifteenth anniversary of peace accords that brought an end to more than a decade of civil war in El
Salvador, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today praised the country as a model for others emerging from conflict.
“The groundbreaking accords signed in Mexico City in January 1992 not only set El Salvador on a new course,” Mr. Ban
said in a video message marking the occasion. “They also provided precedents and experiences that continue to inspire others who are striving
to rebuild their societies following conflict.
El Salvador was rocked by a civil war that cost some 75,000 lives and forced more than ten times that many people to
flee before the Government and the rebel Farabundo Martí Liberation Front (FMLN) signed their peace accords in
Chapultepec, México, on 16 January 1992.
In his message today, Mr. Ban noted that the Salvadoran experience has set an example for the UN as it endeavours to aid
other countries to achieve peace. Noting that El Salvador has joined the new UN Peacebuilding Commission, established to
maintain peace in post-conflict areas, he voiced hope that the country will share its “rich experience with others.
El Salvador still must surmount obstacles in such fields as public security, social equality and the environment, and
the Secretary-General pledged his continuing support in this process. Addressing the country’s people, he said, “I
congratulate all of you on what you have accomplished so far, and promise you that the UN will keep working by your side
in the years ahead.
ENDS