UN chief welcomes regional declaration supporting the people of Nicaragua

Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the 5 June declaration of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) “in support of the people of Nicaragua.”

The declaration calls on the Nicaraguan Government and all members of society to engage constructively in dialogue to address the country’s challenges and to stop all forms of violence.

The country has been gripped by mass protests since mid-April.

“The Secretary-General is encouraged that the Government is working with the OAS on electoral issues as well as with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on the establishment of a Group of International Independent Experts to investigate the recent violence and expresses his solidarity with the people of Nicaragua,” said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“The United Nations system stands ready to provide technical support to the dialogue mediated by the Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Conference and to the IACHR initiatives,” Mr. Dujarric concluded.

The aim of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights – an OAS organ – is to promote and protect rights in the American hemisphere.