Information About Belize

	Chronological Summary of Belize's Relationship with the U.N.

	14th December 1960	GA Resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
	1975	"The Office of the Belize observer to the U.N." established in New York.
	8 December 1975	GA Resolution 3432 (XXX) which affirmed Belize's right to a secure Independence with all its territory. 110 yes, 9 against, 16 abstentions.
	1976-79	Successive G.A. resolutions: 1 December 1976, 31/50; 28 November 1977 32/32; 13 December 1978 33/36; 21 November 1979 34/38 with support improving as "Latins changed their votes in Belize's favour"
	11 November 1980	GA Resolution 35/20 calling for Belize's secure Independence by the end of 1981 with all its territory intact. 139 in favour. It was supported by the all the members of the Security Council.
	21 September 1981	Attainment of Independence
	23 September 1981	Unanimous Security Council resolution 491 (1981) recommended to the General Assembly that Belize should be admitted to membership in the United Nations.
	25 September 1981	GA Resolution 36/3. Belize admitted as a member of the United Nations.
	1987 - 89	Belize's tenure as a member of the UN's Economic and Social Council.
	1988 - 89	We were successful at efforts at including Belize, as a state granting asylum to thousands of Central American refugees, under the CIREFCA process.
	1991 - 92	Belize held the position as one of the twenty-one Vice Presidents of the U.N. General Assembly.
	June 1992	Belize participated in the World Conference on Environment and Development, "Earth Summit" (Rio de Janeiro)
	September 1994	Belize participated in the U. N. Conference on Population and Development, (Cairo)
	November 1994	Belize participated in the Inaugural Meeting of the Assembly of the International Sea Bed Authority (Kingston, Jamaica)
	December 1994	Belize coordinate and introduced a General Assembly Resolution to enhance U.N. CARICOM cooperation.
	1994	Successful lobbying efforts procured a formal UNDP Liaison office in Belize.
	March 1995	Belize participates in the United Nations World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen). Belize was successful in having references made to the deleterious influence of the explicit portrayal of violence and sex in the electronic media, included in the conference documents.
	May 1995	Belize appointed to the U.N.'s Committee on Information.
	1995	The Belize Defence Force participated in the United Nations Mission in Haiti. Belize's Contingent assumed the responsibility as CARICOM Force Commander.
	September 1995	Belize participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.
	October 1995	Belize appointed Vice President of the Bureau of the High Level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid- Term Global Review of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.
	1996- 98	Belize's term as a member of the Joint Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.
	Back to Top

	HISTORY British settlers arrived in what was then Belize at the end of the seventeenth century. They found a logwood export business and it thrived. After Guatemala broke away from the United Provinces of Central America in 1838, it claimed British Honduras as an inheritance from Spain. A treaty recognizing Belize's territoriality was signed between Guatemala and Britain in 1860. British Honduras became a colony of Britain in 1862. British Honduras attained self-government in 1964.
Belize's road to membership in the United Nations was made difficult by a territorial dispute with its neighbor, Guatemala. The dispute has manifested itself in various incarnations and continues even after a peace agreement in Guatemala after many years of civil war.
Click for the National Anthem of Belize	Belize started actively seeking independence in 1975, tabling a resolution at the United Nations. Support for Belize's independence efforts came slowly but surely until Guatemala stood alone. A Security Council- resolution recommending Belize's admission to the United Nations and a General Assembly resolution admitting Belize to membership in the United Nations were adopted in 1981.
Belize got independence from the United Kingdom on 21 September 1981 and became a member of the United Nations four days later on 25 September 1981. The Chancery was set up immediately and the diplomatic staff went to work.
People The population of approximately 250,000 people consists of a mixture of Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Spanish, Maya, English, Mennonite, Lebanese, Chinese, and Eastern Indian.	Language English is the official language of Belize, although Spanish, Creole, Garifuna, and Mayan are widely spoken throughout the country.
GOVERNMENT Belize's form of government is a parliamentary democracy with a written constitution. The power of government is legislative, executive, and judiciary. The legislative power is the 37-member National Assembly, the executive power is the 13-member Cabinet, and the power of the judiciary is the Chief Justice and the Puisne Judges. The Foreign Service Belize has a relatively small foreign service. The foreign service consists of six posts. They are in London, New York, Brussels, Washington, Guatemala, and Mexico. Each post functions with at least two diplomats. The Foreign Affairs Ministry is structured as follows: The Minister is the supreme commander. The highest ranking civil servant is the Permanent Secretary. All correspondence from the MFA to the foreign posts go in the name of the Permanent Secretary. All instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore come from the Permanent Secretary. Likewise, all correspondence from foreign posts are addressed to the Permanent Secretary. The rest of the staff are a Director of International Affairs, four professional liaison officers (regional desk officers), a Finance Officer, and various support and logistics staff. Back to Top

	Belize Media
	Belize Times Amandala Channel 5 Reporter Love FM The Guardian News Online Back to Top
	Other Useful Links
	Belize Government Web Site Belize Embassy, Washington DC (BELTRAIDE) Belize Trade and Investment Development Service CARICOM Back to Top