Security Council approves the extension of the UN Mission's mandate to include the comprehensive rural reform foreseen in the peace accords and the ethnic chapter

Colombia: continued violence against indigenous communities "is of particular concern"

photo_camera Misión de Verificación de la ONU en Colombia/Marcos Guevara - Former FARC fighters working the land

The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) in Colombia considered as "regrettable" that, more than six years after the signing of the Peace Accord, "the violence generated by illegal armed groups against communities, social leaders and former members of the FARC-EP" continues.

"Of particular concern is the continuity of violence against indigenous leaders and communities, such as the Awá, and Afro-Colombian communities, such as the Community Council of Alto Mira and Frontera, both in the department of Nariño, where the implementation of the ethnic provisions of the Final Agreement is an imperative," Carlos Ruíz Massieu told the Security Council.

Massieu said that as the government evolves to reduce violence as part of its "total peace" plan and puts in place "a new approach to human security", the need for a "coordinated implementation of the Agreement's provisions on security guarantees" is evident.

"I trust that the steps taken recently by the National Commission on Security Guarantees will allow progress to be made towards this objective," said the Special Representative, who, at the beginning of his speech, expressed "his absolute condemnation of the attempted attack on the Vice-President (Francia Márquez, present at the meeting)".

Peace and justice must go hand in hand

With regard to the progress of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition, the set of mechanisms to guarantee the rights of victims in the Agreement, he stressed that the first resolutions issued by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace constitute "a decisive step towards the first sanctions, which could be issued this year".

"As the Secretary General pointed out, the recommendations included in these resolutions, constructed in a dialogic process in which victims and participants took part, clearly illustrate that peace and justice can and must reinforce each other," he recalled.

The next round of government-ELN talks will be in Mexico

Massieu recalled that the government and the National Liberation Army concluded the first round of peace talks in Venezuela last month in an atmosphere that he described as "constructive", and indicated that the next round of talks is scheduled to take place in Mexico in the coming weeks.

A decision that he said "has broad support in Colombian society, and is especially valued by the communities affected by the conflict in various regions".

Regarding the announcement of a six-month ceasefire with several illegal armed actors announced by President Gustavo Petro in the New Year, he said that "if carefully designed and carried out with commitment, these de-escalation measures can help to significantly reduce violence and the suffering of communities affected by the conflict, while building confidence in the nascent dialogue processes".

Prior to the start of the session on Colombia, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in the country to include the comprehensive rural reform foreseen in the peace accords and the ethnic chapter in its verification tasks, which will allow it to increase its contribution to peace.

Government moves towards peace consolidation

"The new Government has taken steps that attest to its determination to move towards the consolidation of peace in Colombia, the UN Secretary-General noted in his latest report on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, which covers the period from 27 September to 26 December 2022.

"I am pleased that the full implementation of the Final Agreement is at the centre of your efforts," says António Guterres.

The UN chief described as "encouraging" the contacts between the government and rural communities and the subsequent agreement reached with the Federation of Cattle Ranchers for the purchase of land for comprehensive rural reform.

"It is a clear demonstration that all sectors of Colombian society can and should contribute significantly to the implementation of the Final Agreement," he said.

He also highlighted the participation of communities, including those affected by the conflict and former members of the FARC-EP, in the dialogues for the design of the National Development Plan, and hoped that "this instrument, which will guide public policies for the next four years, will incorporate concrete measures aimed at fulfilling their expectations for peace and development, and the implementation of the Final Agreement".

Guterres noted "that it is essential that the parties maintain a constructive dialogue to advance implementation. In this regard, he welcomes the resumption of the sessions of the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement and other instances of the Agreement to address key issues such as ethnic and gender approaches".

The government seeks to turn Colombia into "a world power of life"

The Colombian vice-president addressed the Council as "a daughter of ancestral territory, as spokesperson for the Colombian people and representative of a government that has come to change the history of my country".

Márquez added that the Executive has "the democratic will to confront violence, social injustices and structural inequalities", and that "the government of change is building policies for the people, and policies to make Colombia a world power for life".

The Vice-President expressed the government's support "for the initiatives of the communities that are crying out for humanitarian agreements, now!", and insisted on the ceasefire and on all the scenarios of dialogue and political agreements that demand a safe and peaceful country.

Márquez later affirmed that her "central commitment" is to guarantee the lives of the entire Colombian population".

Finally, she invited all the representatives to hold a session of the Security Council in Colombia "in order to support peace from the territories" and "to learn on the ground" about the challenges they face on a daily basis.

"It is these challenges that encourage us to continue working for a real, lasting and sustainable peace that will lead all Colombians to live in love and joy," she said.

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