Vol. 493 No. 5
95 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in relation to the political and human rights position in El Salvador; the progress, if any, made on the outstanding recommendations of the two commissioned reports in 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16600/98]
El Salvador has been emerging from the legacy of the war which was brought to an end by the 1992 peace accords. It is generally accepted that while there have been significant strides forward since the end of that conflict, more remains to be done to consolidate respect for human rights and due process. Ireland and its EU partners wish to see further consolidation of the gains made since the end of the conflict and further progress made in the area of human rights and democratisation, including electoral reform. A priority is to guarantee unrestricted access by all sectors of the population to civil, political and economic rights, and to strengthen the democratic institutions, particularly the Human Rights Ombudspersons Office and the mechanisms which deal with police discipline.
The EU has in recent weeks underlined to the El Salvador authorities the importance of the independence of, and respect for, the Ombudspersons Office. It will be important to bring an end to abuses of human rights by the security forces, and to the significant degree of impunity which exists in relation to human rights abuses and other crimes. There is a continuing need for greater toleration of divergent political views and those who hold them, as well as for full respect and protection for those who are working to ensure greater respect for human rights in El Salvador. In this connection, a new penal code has been introduced which creates new offences such as torture and enforced disappearance. It is understood that these crimes will not be subject to statutes of limitations.
