UN welcomes El Salvador’s efforts to tackle political problems and violence

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the decision announced on Wednesday by El Salvador’s political parties to set up a new “negotiating framework”.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the decision announced on Wednesday by El Salvador's political parties to set up a new "negotiating framework".

In a statement from his Spokesperson, the UN chief describes the framework as an effort "to reach medium and long-term agreements for the benefit of the country."

The statement released on Wednesday night added: "He congratulates the members of civil society, constituted in a UN-facilitated Group in Support of Political Dialogue, who have helped bring into being the commitment of political parties."

The statement added that Mr. Guterres hoped "the political parties will now join their efforts in translating their commitment into concrete agreements that will benefit all Salvadorians."

Acute political problems and virtually endemic gang violence in the country have led some families to seek refuge outside the country, with many choosing to head north into Mexico and on to the border with the United States.

In recent years a growing number of people across El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have fled violence at the hands of organized criminal groups – including murder, rape, abduction and forcible recruitment of children into gangs.

El Salvador is also one of the main countries from which asylum-seekers have been separated from their children along the southern border of the United States.