The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert R. Ramdin, together with a delegation representing the Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala, will meet with the foreign ministers of both countries and visit the Adjacency Zone from August 31 to September 2, 2026.
The visit by the Secretary General and the delegation of the Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala seeks to reaffirm the OAS's commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, assess the implementation of Confidence-Building Measures on the ground, and highlight the positive impact of community and educational initiatives in the area. It will also aim at strengthening the international community's technical and financial support for the work of the OAS Mission in the Adjacency Zone.
The delegation of the Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala is expected to include representatives of Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Spain, Türkiye, and the European Union, among other international partners.
At the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone, Secretary General Ramdin and the delegation will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize, Francis Fonseca, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado. They will also receive briefings on the work of the OAS Mission and recent developments in the area.
The delegation will also tour the "Ta' Amay" Peace Promotion and Training Centers and participate in the unveiling of a mural on peaceful coexistence created jointly by Belizean and Guatemalan youth as a symbol of binational integration and community trust.
As part of his broader official agenda, Secretary General Ramdin will also hold bilateral meetings with both foreign ministers in Belmopan and Guatemala City. While in the latter, he will also meet with the Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA), Lina Eugenia Ajoy Rojas.
About the Adjacency Zone and the OAS Mission
The Adjacency Zone between Belize and Guatemala is a territorial strip 213 kilometers long and two kilometers wide-extending one kilometer east and west of the Adjacency Line-and covers approximately 426 square kilometers. It was established in 2000 as a key confidence-building measure to preserve stability, dialogue, and peace during the process to resolve the territorial dispute.
Through the Office of the General Secretariat in the Adjacency Zone (OAS/AZ), formally established in 2002, the OAS maintains a continuous presence dedicated to preventive diplomacy, security, and social development.
The Mission's principal achievements include verifying more than 500 incidents on the ground, facilitating regular coordination meetings between the armed forces of both countries-including eight annual meetings between mid-level officers and four between senior commanders-and maintaining a permanent channel of communication between the two foreign ministries.
At the community level, the OAS manages four "Ta' Amay" Peace Promotion and Training Centers in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Melchor de Mencos, Santa Cruz, and Aldea El Arenal. More than 2,500 students-over 80 percent of them women-have received training through these centers, which also host community initiatives focused on health, access to justice, and social and cultural development.
Reference: AVI-090/26
