June 2, 11

NEWS / Ban welcomes decision to reinstate Honduras into Organization of American States

2 June 2011 –
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the reinstatement of Honduras into the Organization of American States (OAS), which had expelled the Central American nation two years ago after a military coup d’état ousted former president Manuel Zelaya.

The regional organization made the decision on Wednesday, just days after Mr. Zelaya returned to Honduras after living two years in exile.

He was overthrown in June 2009 – seven months before the end of his term – in a move that was condemned by Mr. Ban and other top United Nations officials.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson last night, Mr. Ban voiced the hope that the decision by the OAS and the upcoming report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission “will contribute to healing the wounds of the recent past and to bringing the people of Honduras together once again.”

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by former Guatemalan vice president Eduardo Stein, was set up by Honduran President Porfirio Lobo after his election in November 2009 to investigate events leading up to the coup that took place in June of that year.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38583&Cr=Honduras&Cr1=