Proposals presented to settle Guat claim
It was a day that was long awaited by thousands of Belizeans. Indeed the waiting–over two years–was so long that right up until last month there was some doubt that the facilitators would even be able to come up with any proposals at all. But they have…and today those proposals–put together by Sir Shridath Ramphal representing Belize, and Paul Reichler for Guatemala–were presented simultaneously in both countries. The presentation, which finished just a short time ago, was carried live by Channel 5 from the Radisson Fort George Hotel…and that is where reporter Janelle Chanona and News Director Stewart Krohn are standing by. As you may have guessed, our newscast will take on a different format tonight as we try to get a handle on just what these proposals entail. Janelle, can you give us some details…
Janelle Chanona
“Thanks Ernesto. Yes, there were plenty of details to be had.”
Stewart Krohn
“And not only details, but there were also plenty people on hand. Indeed, the room at the Radisson was full; standing room only. The presentation started a little bit after 3:00, with Foreign Minister Assad Shoman, giving a brief overview of the facilitation process. He was followed in his presentation by The Deputy Secretary General of the OAS, Luigi Enaudi, who tried, and I think very successfully, to put what was happening in the Belize facilitation process, put it into the more regional and global context.”
Janelle Chanona
“But of course, the main reason for everyone’s attendance was the official presentation of the proposals package. Granted that honour was Belize’s facilitator Sir Shridath Ramphal. Ramphal broke down his presentation into three principle elements: land issues, maritime issues, and a development fund. Here’s what he had to say.”
Sir Shridath Ramphal, Facilitator for Belize
“The settlement package is basically as follows. On land issues, Guatemala recognises Belize’s land boundary based on the 1859 Treaty line. All that land to the east of that line belongs to Belize. All the land to the west of that line belongs to Guatemala. Belize’s borders as defined and described in its independence constitution are intact and secure.” (applause)
“A model human settlement is to be established in Guatemala designed to bring modern amenities to peasant communities there and to relieve the pressure on the Belize border from landless Guatemalan farmers. A small community of Guatemala farmers, a hundred and thirty-four persons to be exact, currently occupying some land on the Belizean side of the border will have priority rights of occupancy when this settlement is established, (crowd murmurs) but they can remain in Belize at their option with humanitarian entitlement under Belizean law.
On maritime issues, Belize and Honduras join in facilitating an Economic Zone for Guatemala in the golf of Honduras leading to the Caribbean Sea. This is achieved by for the first time delimiting the Exclusive Economic Zones of Belize and Honduras, and doing so in such as way, as to provide this special Guatemalan Maritime Area with the attributes of an Exclusive Economic Zone. It comprises a zone of some two thousand square nautical miles–one thousand facilitated by Belize and Honduras respectively; but with Belize and Honduras retaining full fishing rights in the area and fifty percent of any mineral resources that may be in the seabed beneath. (Applause) The wider area of the Gulf of Honduras will be managed by a Tripartite Regional Fisheries Management Commission in relation to what are described as `straddling’ fish and other highly migratory fish stocks.
This is major element of the settlement and the involvement of Honduras in the role of a neighboring country facilitating such a resolution is an honourable precedent of great hemispheric significance.
All three countries will join in establishing an Ecological Marine Park including some of the Belize Cayes and parts of the coastal areas of Guatemala and Honduras. (Crowd murmurs) The Ecological Park will be managed by a separate tri-national commission with a view to “conservation of the resources of the area, including in particular the marine resources, and the development of eco-tourism.” All rights of sovereignty in the park will be preserved.
The settlement package provides for the establishment of a Development Trust Fund, to be managed by the Inter-American Development bank. The fund, which has been the subject of preliminary discussion by the facilitators with prospective donour countries is targeted at two hundred million dollars. The fund will be devoted to development purposes in both countries, but with special emphasis on the implementation of the various elements of the settlement and poverty alleviation projects, of the kind I have mentioned, in Guatemala’s border region with Belize–a matter of immense importance to both countries.”
The full text of the proposals can be found on the government website at www.belize.gov.bz.
