OAS official played major role
Janelle Chanona
“Something that we touched on earlier today was the fact that today is historic not only for Belize, but for the Organisation of American States. This is the first time the OAS has been involved in something like this. And to be sure if this process if successful, it will be used as a model for other countries with territorial differendums. That was a point Luigi Enaudi touched on today. He is the Deputy Secretary General of the OAS.”
Stewart Krohn
“It was interesting Janelle because the name Luigi Enaudi is not one that we in Belize have really been made familiar with. But it is my understanding that he has played, throughout the facilitation process, as the Deputy Secretary General of the OAS, he has played a tremendously important role in the facilitation process and I think that came out today. He and Sir Shridath were the prime speakers and I think the perspective that Mr. Enaudi brought to the gathering was impressive. He has a strong background in conflict resolution, a key man in pacifying the dispute between Peru and Ecuador. And this is a man obviously who has been around, but one got the impression that even though he has been involved in some bigger time problems, he really brought a lot of passion to our problems with Guatemala. I got the feeling that he spoke from the heart, or at least he was a very good actor, which makes no difference, he gave the appearance of speaking from the heart and I think we have a clip from one of the many things he said today.”
Don Luigi Enaudi, Deputy Secretary General, OAS
“It took ten years before Guatemala accepted Belize’s membership in the OAS, and another year before Guatemala recognised the existence of Belize. We are today faced with proposals, a very rare moment that will allow the definition jointly, by both countries, of a recognised line. If you have visited the border area between Guatemala and Mexico, you will realise it is a cleanly marked border, that brush and trees have been removed and that there is no way to confuse this is that, this is not, I am in my proper place, you are not.
That once the two countries, through their people and their constitutional procedures accept this arrangement, the same clarity will apply to the border between Guatemala and Belize. And it is one of the great benefits of this negotiation that as I said, it has to some extent, recognised that the past line, and this is exactly what Sir Shridath has said, and what has I think been insisted, and I as a distance witness of honour can tell you that in conversations there were a lot of games that could have been played. We have a lot of very intelligent people hanging around and they say, oh can’t you give that for this after all and this was never done. There was a very strong, solid posture by the participants, which is one of the reasons I spoke with the admiration for them. And what was to some extent not gained by Guatemala, but let me say something, clarity benefits everyone. It is a win/win situation, because Guatemala is also gaining clarity and stability on the land border. And what is not gained there, is in some ways adjusted in the maritime area. Not again, through any giveaways, but through a move forward away from the past and to the future.
And let me assure you, I have been involved as a special envoy in some cases of maritime controversy and have been fortunate enough to contribute to the silencing of guns while things went to the World Court. Don’t think for a minute that that is a positive outcome in and of itself, because the World Court, in spite of the efforts of some of the judges from poorer countries, is an unbelievably expensive operation, and an unbelievable time-consuming one. What has been achieved now, thanks to Sir Shridath and Paul Reichler, with the generalised support of the international community and its major players, and of some international bureaucrats like myself, is to cut through all of that and get a solution that some people will cry to others, as they always do when sovereignty is involved, traitor, I don’t want to give up anything. The fact is things have been gained, not given up and I am convinced that ultimately, when the balance it taken, it will be seen as one of those rare moments when two neighbours can in fact stop writing each other’s history as a negative anti of each other, but work together to make the region and the people who live in it more prosperous. And it makes it clear that they will do it according to Belizean law and what is now clearly defined as Belizean territory and similarly according to Guatemalan law, and what is known as clearly defined Guatemala territory. Thank you.”
