Security Council Press Statement on Colombia
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Ishikane Kimihiro (Japan):
The members of the Security Council reiterated their full and unanimous support for the peace process in Colombia. They stressed the importance of ensuring the comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.
The members of the Security Council welcomed the presence of Vice-President Francia Márquez and Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva of Colombia at the Security Council on 11 January.
The members of the Security Council recalled resolution 2673 (2023) which expanded the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission to include monitoring of the implementation of the comprehensive rural reform and ethnic chapters of the Final Peace Agreement, as requested by the Government on behalf of the parties in its letter of 17 October.
The members of the Security Council welcomed further progress on the comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement including through significant developments on comprehensive rural reform such as the agreement to purchase 3 million hectares of land from the Colombian Federation of Cattle Ranchers and the increased allocation of resources for the agrarian sector in the 2023 budget. They also welcomed renewed momentum within the peace architecture including through the Committee for the Follow-Up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement (CSIVI) and the reactivation of the National Commission of Security Guarantees and the National Reintegration Council. They looked forward to the incorporation of key peace implementation priorities in the National Development Plan. They took note of progress toward the establishment of the Ministry of Equality and Equity as a further step to advance the ethnic chapter and promote women’s empowerment alongside the ongoing work of the Special High-Level Forum of Ethnic Peoples.
The members of the Security Council reiterated that tackling insecurity remains vital for the consolidation of peace in Colombia. They welcomed the steps already taken by the Government aimed at halting the suffering of conflict-affected communities, social leaders and former combatants. They reiterated their concern that violence continues to have a disproportionate impact on women and on Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and called for further implementation of the action plan of the “Comprehensive Programme for Safeguards for Women Leaders and Human Rights Defenders”. They recalled that the approval and implementation of a public policy on dismantling illegal armed groups and criminal organizations would be a significant step towards violence reduction.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their support for the components of the Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition and took note of the concluding resolutions issued recently by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.
The members of the Security Council welcomed the Government of Colombia’s commitment to seek broader peace through dialogue including through the ongoing talks between the Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN). They also welcomed the Secretary-General’s Special Representative’s accompaniment of the talks at the request of the parties.
They welcomed the announcement by the Government of Colombia of a six-month ceasefire with armed groups and hoped that its realization will contribute to alleviating the suffering of conflict-affected communities and to comprehensive peace in Colombia.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their commitment to continue working closely with Colombia to support comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement and welcomed the commitment of both parties to this end. They strongly supported complementary efforts by the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, working in coordination with the United Nations country team.