Constructive Dialogue, Protection of Ex-Combatants, Vulnerable Groups Crucial to Solidify Peace in Colombia, Special Representative Tells Security Council
Highlighting progress during the first year of President Gustavo Petro’s Administration, the Special Representative for Colombia, in his briefing today to the Security Council, urged the Government, as well as the former combatants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP), and other stakeholders to prioritize constructive dialogue to further consolidate peace in the country still marred by violence.
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative and the Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report (document S/2023/701), pointed to a commitment to comprehensive rural reform as set forth in the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, a public policy to dismantle illegal armed groups and criminal organizations, and new peace dialogue initiatives since President Petro a took office in August 2022.
However, the Government’s inclusive approach and joint efforts by ex-combatants and communities to improve their lives have been jeopardized because of threats from illegal armed groups. “The initiatives for dialogue promoted by the Government with armed actors are undoubtedly a necessary additional effort to defuse these threats and reverse their impacts on communities,” he stressed. He said 400 former FARC-EP combatants have been killed since the Final Agreement’s signing, urging the authorities to implement urgent, concrete measures to protect them.
Also briefing the Council was Hrvoje Ćurić Hrvatinić (Croatia), Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, who said that challenges remain ahead of the Agreement’s seventh anniversary and that the comprehensive rural reform is key to reinforcing State presence as well as providing development opportunities and public services in conflict-affected areas and historically marginalized regions. He called for continued international backing to implement the accord, welcoming the support of the United Nations Verification Mission and the UN country team, as well as the Secretary-General’s recent decision to extend Colombia’s eligibility to the Peacebuilding Fund for a further five-year period.
The Council also heard from Rodrigo Botero García, General Director of the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development, who said the failure of the State to reach territories previously controlled by the FARC-EP has resulted in armed groups recently occupying conservation areas where people live and where there are sources of income. Colombia has one of the highest rates globally of deaths and threats to environmental and territorial defenders, he said, calling for agreements that would mean untouched areas are not damaged in the pursuit of resources such as gold, coltan and coal, including by the private sector and armed groups.
In the ensuing debate, speakers were near-unanimous in commending the progress made by the Government of Colombia in its implementation of the Final Agreement, particularly rural reform and dialogue with other groups through an inclusive approach. They voiced alarm, however, about the ongoing violence.
Among them was the representative of the United Kingdom who underscored that full implementation of the 2016 Agreement remains central to peace and reform in Colombia. She strongly condemned violence against ex-FARC signatories, human rights defenders, women leaders, and members of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and welcomed progress towards rapid response plans to protect signatories of the Agreement and human rights defenders, as well as the adoption of a public policy to dismantle organized crime groups.
The representative of the Russian Federation stressed that more efforts are needed to ensure the physical safety and security and human rights of ex-rebels, social activists and the most vulnerable segments of the population. On that note, the representative of Mozambique, who also spoke for Gabon and Ghana, voiced regret at the lack of substantive progress in implementation of the Ethnic Chapter and urged the Government to redouble its efforts in expediting implementation of that vital component of the Final Agreement. The rights of Indigenous Peoples must be reaffirmed and respected, he stressed.
Several speakers, including Japan’s delegate, underscored the importance of holding upcoming elections in an atmosphere free of violence. Albania’s representative called on the Government to boost security for broad electoral participation, while the representative of France stressed that security must be guaranteed for both candidates and voters..
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https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15437.doc.htm
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