Declaration by the Presidents of Central America and the Dominican Republic and the Representative of the Prime Minister of Belize to Not Procure Strategic High-Tech Weapons, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Costly Weapons

November 6, 1997

Over the past decade, Central America has undergone sweeping changes. Once torn by domestic armed conflicts and the victim of Cold War tensions, the countries in the region overcame those tragic chapters in their history, through a sustained effort to achieve peace and strengthen democracy. From the signature of the Esquipulas II agreements in 1987 to the signature of the 1994 Central American Alliance for Sustainable Development and its derivations, the region has shown unequivocal proof of its desire for harmonious growth with justice and pluralism with equity.

The region has made significant headway in strengthening the new security model contained in the Framework Treaty on Democratic Security in Central America, which is based on building democracy, democratic institutions, and the rule of law.

We, the countries of Central America, Belize, and the Dominican Republic, share this new vision of security, which focuses on the observance, promotion, and effective exercise of all human rights, as well as the security of persons and their property.

In the context of this vision of democratic security and bearing in mind the important progress made in strengthening this model, we reiterate our Governments' resolve not to procure high-tech strategic weapons, weapons of mass destruction, and costly weapons. We further reiterate the decision to devote essential resources to economic and social progress to achieve rising indices of sustainable human development.

Similarly, we reiterate our commitment to efforts to prevent the build-up of weapons in Latin America and stress the importance of consensus-building and implementing a process of hemispheric consultation on the limitation and control of weapons of war.

This Declaration was signed on the sixth of November nineteen hundred and ninety-seven.

ALVARO ARZU IRIGOYEN President of the Republic of Guatemala	LEONEL FERNANDEZ REYNA President of the Dominican Republic
JOSE MARIAFIGUERES OLSEN President of the Republic of Costa Rica	ARMANDO CALDERON SOL President of the Republic of El Salvador
CARLOS ROBERTO REINA President of the Republic of Honduras	ARNOLDO ALEMAN LACAYO President of the Republic of Nicaragua
ERNESTO PEREZ BALLADARES President of the Republic of Panamá	MIGUEL ANGEL MENA Prime Minister of Belize