situation in another part of the world, the Council cat- egorically- opposed the disruption of international shipping and the blockading of ports. In resolution 540 (1983) it affirmed, in paragraph 3, “the right of free navigation and commerce in international waters’* and called upon the belligerents “to cease immediately all hostilities in the region of the Gulf, including all sea- lanes, navigable waterways, harbour works, terminals, offshore installations and all ports with direct or indi- rect access to the sea”. 82. What is happening in Central America clearly re- fleets the major choices facing the international com- munity: on the one hand, the absurd attempt to achieve peace by waging war, and on the other, the negotiated and rational solution of existing conllicts; the arms race on one hand and the quest for just balances and lasting settlements of contemporary problems on the other. 9 83. The military actions of destabilization and eco- nomic blockade taking place in Central America are in flagrant opposition to the peace-making efforts that the countries of the Contadora Group have been making for more than a year. Therefore President de la Madrid, on his recent visit to Colombia, stated: “Contadora is a Latin American effort to resolve a Latin American conflict. The region can find its own answers to the problems affecting it. We reject the use of force: genuine peace and democracy in the area can be achieved only through abandonment of the temptation to resort to violence and, through effective promotion of the full development of our nations. For Central America, Contadora is not just one choice among many; it is the only possible way lawfully to achieve harmonious co-existence among 79. It is precisely that “increase in acts of destabiliza- tion” that has given rise to this meeting of the Council. 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the conflict in Central America and the efforts of the Contadora Group to resolve it peacefully. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding the use of force and promoting the full development of nations. The text also mentions the disruption of international shipping and the blockading of ports, which suggests that the conflict has an impact on the global economy. However, the main focus is on the political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, rather than on specific economic or environmental issues.

**Category**
International trade, Transport and communication