The Republic of El SalvadorPosition Paper Page 1

The Republic of El Salvador

Position paper

The Republic of El SalvadorPosition Paper Page 2

The Republic of El SalvadorPosition Paper for the 2018 ESMOAS Summit of the Americas

I. GENERAL STATEMENT

The Republic of El Salvador is proud to attend the 2018 Organization of American States General Assembly and is eager to collaborate with other member states to improve the lives of those living in the Americas. The Delegation of El Salvador looks forward to promoting the pillars of human rights and Democracy throughout our hemisphere. We look forward to formulating best practices and policies to better utilize the resources available to the OAS. As we move forward into this new tumultuous age The Delegation of El Salvador would like to state the feelings of unity and camaraderie fostered by the institution of the OAS is paramount in seeing our way through it. The Delegation of El Salvador is committed to maintaining the freedom and prosperity of the hemisphere now and into the far future.

In 1948 when the OAS was found El Salvador was proud to stand aside its other founding member states and have welcomed the entry of new states as they have joined in turn. Our president Salvador Sanchez is proud to continue in the traditions and spirit democratic leadership the OAS was founded under. President Salvador Sánchez Cerén believes that now more than ever the cooperation and effectiveness of the OAS stands as beacon of hope and example of good governance to be emulated. Our delegation believes that the OAS represents the most effective vehicle for this cooperation as we faces at times many aspects of the same problem individually solutions to these problems can only be found through a unified effort.

The Republic of El Salvador declared its independence from Spain on September 15th 1821. Through the countries tumultuous history the people of the Republic of El Salvador have come to understand the importance of stable governance and respect for human rights not just within our own borders but we feel it is also important that our neighborhoods understand and hold these values as well. The delegation of El Salvador understand the importance of treating all people regardless of their background with dignity and respect. We see this years OAS general assembly as an opportunity to strengthen the ties of democratic leadership between member states as. The delegation of El Salvador understand that any competent government is not only responsible for the protection of its citizens; governments must also make the best long term decisions for its population based on the resources and knowledge it wields.

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II. PARTICULAR STATEMENTS

A. Committee: General Committee (GC)

Topic A: Addressing the Rights of Migrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers

Many member states suffer from an atmosphere of violence created by the drug cartels which affect every country in our hemisphere to some extent. In recent decades however those member states in the Northern Triangle of Central America have become a nexus for cartel activity. Our country in particular has the highest murder rate in the hemisphere 1. The government of El Salvador and other member states have been have been working together to combat this threat, our Naval Task Force Trident of the Salvadoran Naval Force (FNES) has recently acted on information provided by the US coastguard to intercept drug traffickers moving through our waters. 2 This threat continues to grow however and citizen in many cases have chosen to leave their home in hopes of living peacefully somewhere else. In the past citizens of our own and other member states have chosen to live outside the borders of their home countries and support their families from afar; and even those who choose to become citizens of their new homes take pride in their countries of origin.

Many citizens from this region have attempted to peacefully immigrate to neighboring countries but hundreds of thousands have either been denied asylum or sent back to their home country either through bureaucratic mishaps or erroneous policies.3 The citizens of many of the member states present have fled their homes with verifiable threats of violence which their home governments struggle to combat. The credible threats to the lives of peaceful individuals should always be taken seriously and it seems in recent times there has been a coordinated effort to deny those who would seek asylum without even hearing their claims. As the drug cartels have begun to organize into a supra-organization known as Mara-503, which has pledges to take a

1 El Salvador 2018 Crime & Safety Report, www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=24052.2 Pelcastre, Julieta. “Salvadoran Naval Force Deals Blow to Narcotrafficking.” Dialogo Americas, Diálogo, dialogo-americas.com/en/articles/salvadoran-naval-force-deals-blow-narcorafficking.3 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Northern Triangle of Central America Situation Factsheet (February 2017), February 2017, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/58aae2bb4.html [accessed 12 October 2018]

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more direct action against our government4, the strain on our national infrastructure will increase and become more radical and unpredictable than ever before.

To that end the delegation of El Salvador hopes to collaborate with member states on policy solutions to address the source of the issues that face our region as a whole and not just the symptoms they inflict over time. The delegation feels it that plight of migrants seeking asylum across the continent is complex and deeply tied to the stability of the region as a whole. The Republic of El Salvador understands the pressure to maintain stability within ones own borders at all cost but would like to point out that such reckless deportation polices in the past only intensified this problem to unseen levels.5 To further burden the governments of countries that struggle to maintain stability as a reflexive action to

Topic B: Hemispheric Standards on Protection of Journalists and Freedom of the Press

When El Salvador held another free and fair election, the 15th to be observed by the OAS, its people reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a credible democratic system even as the cartels increase their political violence at the polls themselves.6 Though much of the cartels undue influence can be attributed to acts of open violence and intimidation the more impactful methods of influence tend to take place in secret. Those who choose to independently investigate and report on these and other notable incidents, in order to keep the public better informed, occupy a more dangerous and more vital role than ever before.

The freedom of the press is a constitutional right in El Salvador , one that we feel is a vital pillar of any true democratic society. In 2011 El Salvador abolished laws that inhibited press freedom by imprisoning journalist for years on charges of libel or slander. In the age of the internet and social media reporters must take on a much more complex and sophisticated role. The Republic of El Salvador understands that the American continent is home to many new and developing cultures who have not only learned to co-exist with one another but how to flourish through cooperation. The Delegation of El Salvador believes the OAS is in an opportune position

4 Patrick J McNamara; Political Refugees from El Salvador: Gang Politics, the State, and Asylum Claims, Refugee Survey Quarterly, Volume 36, Issue 4, 1 December 2017, Pages 1–24, https://doi-org.libproxy.txstate.edu/10.1093/rsq/hdx011

5 Arana, Ana. “How the Street Gangs Took Central America.” Foreign Affairs, vol. 84, no. 3, 2005, pp. 98–110. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20034353

6 Hill, Seth J. “Changing Votes or Changing Voters? How Candidates and Election Context Swing Voters and Mobilize the Base.” Electoral Studies, vol. 48, 7 May 2018, pp. 131–148., doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2017.06.001.

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to contribute to the safety of journalist operating within countries that may not be able to guarantee their safety at all times. The delegation wishes to collaborate on a proposal that respects the sovereign wishes of all nations while helping to maintain the freedom of a free and independent press across the hemisphere.

B. Committee: Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI)

Topic A: Hemispheric Cooperation on Climate Change Initiatives

The Republic of El Salvador asserts that Hemispheric Cooperation on Climate Change is the right direction for all member states of the Organization of American States (OAS). The delegation of El Salvador fully supports the objectives set by the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI). El Salvador has the world's most at-risk country for climate change in 2009 and the fourth most vulnerable in 2011.7 El Salvador has made progressive steps in climate-related policies and legislation. Since executing the first National Climate Change Plan (NCCP) in 2015, the delegation has managed to streamline climate change concerns with development initiatives, and two consecutive national development plans have included climate change and risk management as priorities.8 The five-year development plan has intensified climate change action by fortifying institutions and promoting coordination between government and non-government institutions. El Salvador is also currently the largest producer of geothermal energy in South America. The Electricity Generation Law which came into effect in 2007 aims to invest strictly in renewable energy such as hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass. The National Energy Policy established in 2010 assess the need to battle climate change. This policy highly promotes a drastic reduction in the use of fossil fuel in industry, transportation, and households. The overall goal for The National Energy Policy is to focus on increasing renewable energy for the country while eliminating the need to import non-renewable energy from other countries. El Salvador is the second most deforested country in Latin America: nearly 85% of native forests have disappeared since 1960. The country’s land area is approximately 27% forest and tree cover.9 The 2011-2030 National Forest Policy Proposal aims to deal with this significant problem. The policy is implementing a 15% recovery of deforested areas throughout El

7 Nachmany, M., Fankhauser, S., & Davidová, J. (2015). The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study A Review of Climate Change Legislation in 99 Countries. CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION IN El Salvador. Retrieved from http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ELSALVADOR.pdf

8 Nachmany, M., Fankhauser, S., & Davidová, J. (2015). The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study A Review of Climate Change Legislation in 99 Countries. CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION IN El Salvador. Retrieved from http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ELSALVADOR.pdf

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Salvador. On top of this, the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources developed a National Ecosystem and Landscape Recovery Program (NELRP). The main reason for adding such a tool is the result of environmental degradation adds to the subjection of climate change. Following the NERLP the delegation implemented the 2013 National Climate Change Strategy which prioritized emphasis on agriculture, water resources, infrastructure and health; restoration of critical ecosystems and natural landscapes; and urban and coastal planning. Lastly, the delegation also managed to pass a historic piece of legislation banning and limiting the use of 53 agro-chemicals and eventually riding them all together. This not only shows that El Salvador is not only ready for a better greener future, but that delegation feels that OAS does as well.

Topic B: Creating Mechanisms to Encourage Free and Fair Trade

Obstacles to trade and investment in the Republic of El Salvador are crime and security, a weak criminal justice system, and an unstable economy. For over a decade, the nation has seen an increase in incidences of crime, violence, and insecurity. In 2015, El Salvador, which has a population of 6.2 million, reported a homicide rate of 104 per 100,000 people, the highest in the world.10 Many companies and foreign investors are deterred by the constant threat of insecurity. The lack of confidence in the government administration of security has led to the employment of independent security by businesses and private citizens while the government must rely on the military for public security service. Impunity runs rampant within the nation; nearly 92 percent of crimes committed in El Salvador go unpunished.11 The nation’s long history of corruption, lack of resources, efficacy, and transparency, have all led to the broken Salvadoran justice system. According to the World Economic Forum Business Leader Survey, El Salvador ranks 61st in independence of the judiciary, and a better 40th overall in corruption.12 The most significant barrier to growth within El Salvador is its underperforming economy, which is in direct correlation to the lack of public and private investment. The International Monetary Fund reports El Salvador posted an economic growth rate of 2.4 percent in 2016, the lowest of any country in Central America.13 The absence of foreign direct investment (FDI) plays a major part in the continued weakening of the country’s economy. From January to September 2016, every Central American country averaged $1 billion in foreign direct investment, while El Salvador’s FDI inflows totaled 345 million, according to El Salvador’s Central Bank. 14 9 Nachmany, M., Fankhauser, S., & Davidová, J. (2015). The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study A Review of Climate Change Legislation in 99 Countries. CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION IN El Salvador. Retrieved from http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ELSALVADOR.pdf

10 Clare Seelke, El Salvador: Background and U.S. Relations (Washington D.C., Congressional Research Service, 2017) 6.11 Maria Martinez, Ellie Rizzo, Criminal Violence and Transitional Justice in El Salvador (Counterpart International, 2018) 2.12 Amy Morrison Piehl, Enhancing Deterrence to Control Crime in El Salvador (Massachusetts, JFK School of Government, 2003) 9.13 Seelke, El Salvador: Background, 11.14 Seelke, El Salvador: Background, 11.

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Through the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI), the Organization of American States (OAS) has taken considerable measures to move forward the objective of promoting free and fair trade throughout the Americas. The Department of Economic Development (DED) was established to promote economic growth, competitiveness, and innovation in the OAS member states. Operating at two levels, the DED facilitates human and institution capacity building along with policy dialogue and public policy formulation using the OAS to convene sectoral authorities of member states. Trade and Economic Development (TED), a section of the DED, was created to provide support to member states in order to strengthen their institutional capacities for the design and execution of public policies and programs in the areas of micro, small and medium sized enterprises and trade through training, horizontal cooperation and the sharing of lessons learned. For further outreach and networking of ideas within TED, the Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities was formed. This program provides a forum for the exchange of experiences and identification of cooperation initiatives for enhancing the competitiveness, innovation and internationalization of MSMEs. For effective execution of its programs, the OAS has established partnerships with numerous international and regional organizations. Some of the collaborators are the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Republic of El Salvador has made significant advances to promote economic progress within the country. In 2004, El Salvador elected to participate in the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the first agreement between the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. In 2007, El Salvador entered into an agreement with Honduras and Taiwan, and later that year, an agreement was signed into action between the Northern Triangle (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) and the Republic of Colombia. On June 29, 2012, El Salvador signed onto a multilateral free trade agreement deal, the EU-CAAA (European Union Central America Association Agreement), between the European Union and the Central American Common Market. Its most recent accord, which was signed in 2018, but is not yet in force, is the Central American and Korea free trade agreement.

My resolution, the Cooperation with NPO Investment and Enterprise Support to Enfranchise Youth Entrepreneurs in the Hemisphere, endeavors to bridge the current gap left by the lack of public and foreign direct investment. The proposal seeks to empower teens and young adults through entrepreneurial programs and funding of businesses. This program would provide tax incentives for banks and lending institutions which reduce and/or eliminate stringent lending practices for business start-up loans. Partnering with financial institutions to eradicate lending barriers and discrimination would allow for the location and availability of required capital for business building. Doing this would facilitate a closer relationship between lending organizations, young entrepreneurs, and member states with the Republic of El Salvador.

C. Committee: Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS)

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Topic A: Combating Human Trafficking in the HemisphereCentral American countries in particular have suffered directly and intimately at the

hands of Narco-terrorist destruction and violence. None more so than El Salvador which has highest murder rate of country not currently at war, this mainly from the Mara cartel which plagues many the countries within the Northern Triangle of Central America. Some progress had been made in peaceful resolutions and the dispersal of gang members in the past such as in the governments mediated gang truces and local outreach programs in 2012.15 However more recently the Mara cartels which once operated as many separate cells has begun to organize into the Mara-503.16 This new super syndicate has become even more. Active in in kidnapping citizens in forcing them into human trafficking.

The Delegation of the Republic of El Salvador hopes that through the collaboration with other member states a policy can be formulated to address threat of international human trafficking. El Salvador in the past has found that enhanced security at points of entry have yielded incredible results.17 It is the hope of this delegation that member states in the OAS can raise the standards of security at their own ports of entry to address these critical junctures in the fight against human trafficking. Many member states across the hemisphere cannot always contribute vast forces of military might and firepower, to that end the OAS must organize what resources and mechanism it has to best address this issues at its source.

Topic B: Improvement of Food Security & Sustainable Forestry and Fisheries

The Republic of El Salvador believes that communication between its citizens to be an effective course of action to solve the issues of sustainability of forestry, fisheries and food security. Often times food security can come into conflict with sustainable forestry due to new farms being built. However, The State of the World’s Forests 2016 (SOFO), a report done by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) found that “over 20 countries succeeded in improving food security while maintaining or increasing forest cover since 1990, demonstrating that it is not necessary to cut down forests in order to produce more food.” While

15 "." Infoplease.© 2000-2017 Sandbox Networks, Inc., publishing as Infoplease.18 Oct. 2018 <https://www.infoplease.com/country/el-salvador/gang-truce-leads-to-drop-in-crime/>.16 Patrick J McNamara; Political Refugees from El Salvador: Gang Politics, the State, and Asylum Claims, Refugee Survey Quarterly, Volume 36, Issue 4, 1 December 2017, Pages 1–24, https://doi-org.libproxy.txstate.edu/10.1093/rsq/hdx011

17 reka.furtos. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved October 19, 2018, from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2018/August/multi-agency-law-enforcement-project-in-el-salvador-detects-passenger-wanted-for-terrorism-charges.html?ref=fs1

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it is also worth noting that there are still native tribes and small villages that live in these protected forestry and live off the land. Then there also an issue of new farms being abandoned due to soil erosion that is caused by the lack of trees to keep the soil in place.18 Lack of resources for a country is often times what leads to war due to there not being enough resources to sustain the country and thinks that it has no other choice.

The OAS has pushed for food security with an emphasis of sustainability and diversity in farming techniques. For example in 42nd regular session, Declaration of Cochabamba held to the OAS principles mentioned before, but also promotes the diversity approach for the OAS is to promote a nutritious diet and to prevent excessive volatility of the agriculture products. The resolution also promotes agricultural research and development and “promoting technology transfer under mutually agreed on terms and the sharing of knowledge and good practices.”

The President of the Republic of El Salvador is currently urging the United Nations (U.N.) to support a decade of ecosystem restoration, as “We would invite this general assembly to consider this initiative in a coordinated manner in order to tackle the ever faster loss of forests, soil degradation, and the degradation of ecosystems which have a negative impact on the well-being of 3.2 billion people.”19 Nationally the Republic of El Salvador spent $23.5 million dollars in 2016 for an environmental restoration.20 This plan involved reforestation, restoration to water recharge areas and sustainable farming practices for plantations and local training. The plan also provides restoration for a total of 62,500 hectares (~154,440 acres) of forests.

The Republic of El Salvador would like the OAS countries to discuss strategies to implement their pre-existing environmental laws more effectively21. Communication is very important because then known strategies that work can be implemented and others know what does not work so the same mistakes do not happen multiple times. This communication does not only apply to member states, but it also applies to governments informing their citizens on the laws and that there are consequences for breaking the law that will be taken.

18 FAO: Commercial agriculture accounted for almost 70 percent of deforestation in Latin America. Retrieved October 15, 2018, from http://www.fao.org/americas/noticias/ver/en/c/425600/19 UN Web TV. (2018, September 26). El Salvador – President Addresses General Debate, 73rd Session. El Salvador – President Addresses General Debate, 73rd Session. UN Web TV. Retrieved from http://webtv.un.org/en/ga/watch/el-salvador-–-president-addresses-general-debate-73rd-session/5840639845001/?term=?lanchinese&sort=date

20 El Salvador: $23 million for Reforestation. (2016, April 25). Retrieved October 15, 2018, from https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/El_Salvador_23_million_for_Reforestation21 Ungar, M. (2017, May 22). Prosecuting Environmental Crime: Latin America's Policy Innovation. Retrieved October 15, 2018, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/lamp.12116

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