Deputy Secretary-General Meets with Women Human Rights Defenders, Praises National COVID-19 Response, in First-Ever Virtual Visit to Colombia
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, held a virtual visit to Colombia on 28 and 29 October. She was accompanied by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women); , Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; and Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
This first-of-its-kind virtual visit coincided with the 20-year anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. The virtual visit included opportunities to witness first-hand the work of the United Nations in Colombia and meet with women peacebuilders and civil society organizations, as well as with Government officials at the national and local levels.
The Deputy Secretary-General and her delegation were hosted for a meeting with President Ivan Duque Márquez, the Vice-President, ministers and presidential counsellors. The President shared the deep social and economic impact the current crisis has had on the country. He also outlined the range of efforts the Government is pursuing with the United Nations team to protect the most vulnerable, promote inclusive, green and sustainable recovery, and commit to peace implementation.
“We’ve been in Bogota to hear from President Duque Márquez and the first gender-parity Cabinet about implementing Colombia’s strong peace agreement, particularly from a gender perspective,” said the Deputy Secretary-General. “And we had the opportunity to visit Vista Hermosa to meet with young women peacebuilders, deeply affected by armed conflict and committed to find peace and dignity for their communities.”
She added: “The United Nations stands with you in solidary towards implementation — which we recognize is not without challenges — to support the growing momentum for economic and social reintegration for all.”
The Deputy Secretary-General commended Colombia’s commitment to promoting gender equality and was encouraged to learn about the Vice-President’s efforts to ensure women are at the heart of the COVID-19 recovery and the country’s peace implementation efforts. She reiterated the United Nations firm support for efforts to reduce gender inequalities in Colombia and advance the active and meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding.
In addition, the Deputy Secretary-General met with women human rights defenders and women leaders to discuss the advances and challenges in implementing Colombia’s 2016 Peace Agreement. She was inspired by the courage and resilience shown by women’s organizations and women leaders who continue to be a driving force for peacebuilding amid continued insecurity. She reiterated the Secretary-General’s call to enhance effective measures for women’s security and protection from violence.
She further stressed the importance of the full and comprehensive implementation of the Peace Agreement. Underscoring the historic opportunity for Colombia to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals and fully transition towards a more peaceful society, she noted that full implementation of the Peace Agreement is an important avenue to sustainable and resilient communities post-COVID-19 — especially if it extends broadly across the territory and includes a focus on rural areas most impacted by both violence and the pandemic.
The high-level delegation recognized Colombia’s comprehensive whole-of-Government strategies set in place to respond to the COVID-19. This includes a significant financial effort aimed at mitigating the pandemic’s socioeconomic impact and the impressive increase in social protection coverage in a few months — from 2.6 million households to almost 6 million — which was showcased as part of the “SDG Moment” during the recent General Assembly high-level week.
Commending those measures, the Deputy Secretary-General also encouraged a rapid scale-up in order to respond with urgency to the pandemic, which is exacerbating existing inequalities. Despite the current global challenges, she was encouraged by Colombia’s continued commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to building a future of sustainable peace and development that leaves no one behind.