Conclusions III. Peace and Reconciliation 147. At the end of 1996, the Government of President Alvaro Arzú Irigoyen, together with the URNG, with the participation of the United Nations as moderator and with the support of the international community, concluded a long negotiating process, by signing the Peace Accords. The Accords established certain obligations that represent an achievement of incomparable importance in the national history of recent decades. 148. During the long process in the search for a political solution, begun in 1987, the intensity of the armed confrontation had diminished considerably. However, during this period, violence, impunity and the militarization of society still prevailed in Guatemala. Considering that there were hostile groups that opposed the peace process because of diverse interests and the complexity of the situation, the CEH recognises the admirable effort and courage of those men and women who contributed to the signing of the Accords after nine years of rapprochement and negotiation between the Parties; the presidents of the Republic over this period and the public officials of the administrations that participated in the negotiations and initiation of the first conciliatory initiatives; the URNG Command; the citizens who participated in the National Reconciliation Commission and the Assembly of Civil Society; as well as the religious sector, especially the Catholic Church. The significant contribution of Army representatives to this process is also worthy of mention. 149. Similarly, the Congress of the Republic has contributed resolutions in support of peace and reconciliation, which should be broadened, based on the recommendations in this Report by the CEH. Of particular importance is Resolution 6-98, which was unanimously approved, and which established that: “historical memory forms part of the social culture and it should serve as an inspiration for reconciliation and peace, so that the events which occurred may never be repeated in Guatemalan society... [and] “That in 1980 a group of peasants assumed the suffering, needs and claims of the vast majority of Guatemalans whose lives hung between poverty and extreme poverty, by occupying the Spanish Embassy, their sole purpose being to make the world aware of their situation.” Likewise, Congress resolved, among other points, “To express solidarity with the relatives of those who gave their lives in order to find a path to a better future and achieve a firm and lasting peace... [and] to exhort Guatemalan society to commemorate these events, which are part of the history of Guatemala...” 150. The armed confrontation has left deep wounds in individuals, in families and in society as a whole. Due to this undeniable fact, making the Peace Accords a reality and achieving true national reconciliation, will be a long and complex process. The immediate key tasks that will facilitate Guatemala’s full transition to reconciliation and the observance of the rule of law in a democratic State are: furthering the demilitarization process of both the State and society; strengthening the judicial system; opening up of greater opportunities for effective participation and ensuring reparations for the victims of human rights violations. 151. To achieve true reconciliation and construct a new democratic and participatory nation which values its multiethnic and pluricultural nature, the whole of society must, among other things, assume the commitments of the peace process. This doubtless requires a profound and complex effort, which Guatemalan society owes to the thousands of brave men and women who sought to obtain full respect for human rights and the democratic rule of law and so laid the foundations for this new nation. Among these, Monsignor Juan Gerardi Conedera remains at the forefront. 152. With humility and profound respect, the Commission for Historical Clarification dedicates its work to the memory of the dead and other victims of over three decades of fratricidal violence in Guatemala.