ReportontheSituationoftheBelizeandGuatemalaTerritorialDisputeJanuary‐October,2010

Background

TheGovernmentsofBelizeandGuatemalarestartedadialogueregardingtheirlongstanding territorial differendum in March 2000, under the auspices of theOrganization of American States. On that occasion, the Parties established a processdesigned to achieve a fair, equitable, and definitive solution to their territorialdifferendum.

AfteraConciliationprocess,onFebruary7,2003,theForeignMinistersofBelizeandGuatemala,alongwiththeSecretaryGeneralandAssistantSecretaryGeneraloftheOAS,signedan“AgreementtoEstablishaTransitionProcessandaSeriesofConfidence‐buildingMeasuresBetweenBelizeandGuatemala.”Thisagreementestablishedanewframework, called "The Transition Process", in which the Parties agreed to continueworkingconstructivelyand ingoodfaithuntil theyreachedapermanentresolutionoftheirterritorialdifferendum.CentraltotheAgreementwasthecreationofanOfficeoftheGeneralSecretariatintheAdjacencyZone,whichwasestablishedonJuly1,2003.

OnSeptember7,2005,theMinistersofForeignAffairsofBelizeandGuatemalametonceagainatOASHeadquarters inWashington,D.C. tosignasecondagreemententitled “Agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence‐BuildingMeasures between Belize and Guatemala,” in which the two countries committed tobeginninganewroundofnegotiations,undertheaegisoftheOASSecretaryGeneral,JoséMiguel Insulza.Asa resultof thisnewAgreement, theOfficeof theOASGeneralSecretariatintheAdjacencyZone(OAS/AZ)receivedabroadermandate.

After the signing of the FrameworkAgreement, twoministerialmeetingswereheld.Duringthesecondmeeting,heldinFebruary2006,theSecretaryGeneralproposedthat the negotiation process concerning the territorial differendum should beginwiththemaritimeaspectsandthat,tothatend,theGovernmentofHondurasbeinvitedtoparticipate.ANegotiatingGroupwas formed,whichmeton severaloccasionsatbothministerial and technical level, coordinated and facilitated by the Secretary General’sSpecial Representative. Unfortunately, after almost two years of negotiations, theParties failed to reach a successful conclusion. However, during this negotiation thegovernments of Belize andGuatemala concluded that the controversywas essentiallyjuridical innature, andboth countries accepted the recommendationof theSecretaryGeneralthatthedifferendumberesolvedbytheInternationalCourtofJustice.

OnDecember8,2008,theForeignMinistersofBelizeandGuatemalasigned,atOASheadquarters,the“SpecialAgreementbetweenGuatemalaandBelizetosubmittheterritorial, insular and maritime claim of Guatemala to the International Court ofJustice.” Currently, both countries aremaking the necessary arrangements internal asprovidedintheirrespectivenationalsystemstosubmittoareferendumthedecisiontoasktheInternationalCourtofJusticetosettletheterritorialdifferendum.Theplebisciteswouldtakeplacesimultaneouslyinbothcountriesonapreviouslyagreed‐upondate.

Duringthesecondsemesterof2009,aseriesofincidentsintheAdjacencyZonecreatedatensesituationinthatarea,promptingtheOAStocallforatechnicalmeetingwithrepresentativesofthegovernmentsofBelizeandGuatemalatoassessthesituation.ThemeetingwasheldinFlores,Petén,Guatemala,andaimedatexchanginginformationonissuesandconcernsofcommoninterest,aswellasidentifyingactionstostrengthentheconfidence‐buildingmeasures.Asaresultofthismeeting,onDecember16,2009,theForeignMinistersofBelizeandGuatemalametwiththeSecretaryGeneralatOASheadquartersinWashingtonD.C.,toestablishaHighLevelWorkingGrouptoassessinasystematicfashionthefulfillmentoftheconfidence‐buildingmeasures,analyzespecificincidents,discusspendingbilateralissues,andtopromoteadirectandcontinuouslineofcommunicationbetweentheParties.

TheHighLevelWorkingGroupmetforthefirsttimeonMarch9,2010,atwhichtimethePartiesdiscussedsomeincidentsthathadtakenplaceintheSarstoonRiver,aswellasinotherareaswithinAdjacencyZone,specificallythoserelatingtosecurityandenvironmentalissues.ActivitiesoftheOASOfficeintheBelize‐GuatemalaAdjacencyZone

The Office of the OAS General Secretariat in the Adjacency Zone has beenoperatinguninterruptedlysince2003.Among itsvariousactivities,theOfficeconductsverificationspreparesreportson incidents intheAdjacencyZone.Thistask isnotonlythe most important regular activity carried out by the Office, but it also provides ameans toensureaconstantpresenceamong thecommunities in thearea.Eachyear,theOfficeconductsapproximately80verificationsofincidents.

Likewise, the inter‐institutional coordinationwith the police of both countries,the Belize Defense Forces and the Guatemalan Army is permanent and of vitalimportance.Three‐wayoperationalcoordinationmeetingsareheldeverytrimester,aswellasadhocmeetings in the facilitiesof theOAS/AZOffice.TheOfficealsoprovidessupport in termsof equipment,by acquiringanddeliveringGlobalPositioning System(GPS) devices to both the Belize Defense Forces and the Guatemalan Army, and byfacilitating training for their correct use, in order toprevent localizationerrorswithinthe demarcation of the AZ. Furthermore, the Office supports the inter‐institutionalcoordination between the municipal governments in the Adjacency Zone of each

countryinordertodeepeninteractionandcooperation,identifypotentialareasforthedevelopmentoflocalprojectsandholdeducational,culturalandintegrationevents.

TheOfficealsomaintainsaclosecoordinationwiththePan‐AmericanInstituteofGeographyandHistory,evident intheassistanceprovidedbythe Institute intermsofcartography and exact localization inmaps of the Adjacency Zone of the informationgathered in the field through verifications. This kind of assistance is requestedwhenverificationsdemandahigh level of precision in termsof cartographyand coordinatereading, particularly in cases where the verification sites are very proximate to theAdjacencyLine.

TheOfficealsosupportsindividuals,communitiesandinstitutionsintheAZalsobyprovidingfuelfortransport,foodandtransportationtickets,schoolsuppliesandtoys,andbyofferingovernightshelter.Thebeneficiariesareschools,firemen,hospitalsandunderprivilegedfamilieswhosesituationisdirectlylinkedtoincidentsintheAdjacencyZoneandtothestrengtheningoftheConfidence‐BuildingMeasures.Throughthecultureof peace programs organized by the Office, Belizean and Guatemalan studentsparticipate in music (wind and string instruments), singing, painting and theaterworkshops. The classes are held in the OAS/AZ Office and in the Cultural Center ofBenqueViejo.TheseinitiativesarecarriedoutincoordinationwiththeMaytheMayorsofMelchordeMencosandBenqueViejo.TheOffice in theAZ, togetherwith theOASYoungAmericasBusinessTrust(YABT),andwiththesupportoftheGovernmentoftheState Israel, offers annual training courses in the area of rural tourism to youngBelizeansandGuatemalansresidentintheAdjacencyZone. In 2008, the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone resettled in Guatemala 17Guatemalan families who lived in the Community of Santa Rosa, located within theBelizean‐administered Adjacency Zone. During the period covered by this report, theOfficecontinuedwithfinalizingtheresettlementprocess.TheseactivitieswererelatedtopendingjuridicalandlegalaspectsoftheTrustFundandafewsmallcomplementaryinfrastructureworks.TheOfficehanded theTrustFundcertificates for theNewSantaRosaCommunity to thebeneficiary families.Thiswasdone ina ceremonyheld in themultipurpose community hallwith the participation of authorities of theGuatemalanArmy, the municipality of Poptún, the Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman, theteamoftheOASOfficeintheAdjacencyZoneandtheRepresentativeoftheSecretaryGeneralforBelizeandGuatemala.

During2004and2005, theOffice resettled30 familieswho lived inapropertyknown as Juda, located on the Adjacency Line and within the Adjacency Zoneadministeredbybothcountries.Oncetheresettlementwasconcluded,the30familiesreceivedhouseswiththerespectiveservicesandpropertytitles.However, therewere

repeated attempts at occupying the abandoned property and, in early 2009, a newoccupationwasconsolidated,settlingbothtotheeastandwestoftheAdjacencyLine.

The Government of Belize requested a verification, and, from that moment

onwards,theOASOfficeintheAdjacencyZoneestablishedapermanentcommunicationandcoordinationwiththeForeignMinistriesofbothcountries toundertakethe stepsprovidedfor in theConfidence‐BuildingMeasuresregardingthis typeofsituation.TheOffice also benefited from the collaboration and coordination of the municipality ofMelchordeMencos.OnAugust12,2010,theOfficeconcludedtheresettlementofthenewoccupyingfamilies.ThemunicipalityofMelchordeMencosdonatedland.TheOASOffice provided logistical support for themove, the economic resources to cover thelegal costs for thedocumentationof the landdonatedby theMunicipality, aswell asfoodandfurtherassistancetothebeneficiaryfamilies.Likewise,theOfficeverifiedthecompletedismantlingofthevacateddwellings.ThemunicipalityofMelchordeMencosdeclaredtheareareserved,andprohibitedtheconstructionofhouses,fences,aswellasagriculturalactivities.CurrentandUpcomingChallenges

Since the governments of Belize and Guatemala recommenced talks on theircenturies‐oldterritorialdifferenduminMarch2000,muchprogresshasbeenmade.Forthisreason,asbothgovernmentsbegintomakearrangementstocallareferendumonthequestionofsubmittingthedisputetothe InternationalCourtof Justice it ishighlyimportanttoensurecontinuityoftheconfidence‐buildingmeasures.

Aspartofthosemeasures,thecontinuedoperationoftheOfficeoftheGeneral

Secretariat in theAdjacency Zone is essential since it serves as a neutral and reliablebody to investigate any incident occurring in the Adjacency Zone and proposesmediation options aimed at reducing tensions in the area. Furthermore, without theOffice,therewouldbenoindependentinterlocutorintheAdjacencyZonetocoordinateactivitieswiththearmedforces,thepolice,andotherauthoritiesfromthegovernmentsofBelizeandGuatemala.TheGeneralSecretariatbelievesthattheOAS/AZOfficemustcontinue to functionat leastuntil theproceedingsbeginat the InternationalCourtofJustice. To this end, the General Secretariat will continue to work closely with themembersoftheGroupofFriendsofBelizeandGuatemalatoidentifynewopportunitiesforcooperationandattractnewdonors.

In2010, theOASGeneralSecretariatwasable to fulfill itsmandate to support

the implementation of the confidence‐building measures between Belize‐Guatemala

thanks to the generous contributions from the governments of Canada, Spain, theUnitedKingdomandtheUnitedStates.

However, in 2010, given a decrease in the amounts of contributions received,

theOfficewascompelledtocutcertainimportantactivities,andreducethenumberofverificationofficersfromthreetotwo.This,despiteanincreaseintherequestsreceivedfor verifications aswell as for support to the local communities. For this reason, the2011budgetfortheOAS/AZhasbeenreducedbyalmost40%comparedtolastyear’sbudget.For2011,thetotalbudgetisUS$432,000.