WORLD : El Salvador, Rebels OK Monitor

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica —  Negotiators for El Salvador and leftist guerrillas agreed today to have a U.N. commission monitor human rights in El Salvador, where tens of thousands of civilians have died in the civil war.

The accord was reached after an all-night negotiating session in San Jose. The talks turned to the human rights issue after failing to make progress on a cease-fire in the decade-old war. The commission would not begin work until a cease-fire agreement is reached.

Nevertheless, negotiators said the rights accord was a significant step. It was the first concrete agreement between the sides since peace talks began in May, and both delegations had expressed concern that the absence of an accord in the San Jose talks might deal a devastating blow to the negotiating process.