Although the implementation of the Agreement is far from complete, it has yielded significant results and laid the foundations for consolidating peace in the country.
 

• The Secretary-General stressed the importance of strengthening civilian protection commitments and complementing the ceasefires with the prompt implementation of the security guarantees mechanisms of the Final Agreement.

Bogota, 9 July 2024 - In the latest report to the Security Council on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, welcomed that, during the reporting period, President Gustavo Petro reaffirmed his commitment to the comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement, while acknowledging unresolved challenges. Recognizing this historical responsibility is also a reflection of the desire of millions of Colombian men and women to achieve a peace that corresponds to their yearnings for social justice and an end to violence.

“The Colombian peace process has yielded significant results and laid the foundations for more progress. Colombians now have the opportunity to consolidate and broaden the scope of peace in the country. This will require political will, the active participation of all sectors of society and concrete actions,” said Guterres.

During the reporting period, covering from 27 March to 26 June 2024, the Secretary-General saw noteworthy efforts to enhance coordination and coherence among entities involved in the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.

For the first time since the signing of the Agreement, the parties initiated a process to review the Framework Plan for Implementation to accelerate results. The Secretary-General also highlighted the rapid response plan developed by the National Planning Department and the Unit for the Implementation of the Final Agreement, as well as the issuance of the decree aimed at galvanizing the Peace Cabinet. All of these are encouraging developments for an accelerated implementation of the Agreement. “Unequivocal commitment from all Government entities to direct efforts and resources towards implementation is imperative, he added.”

Regarding progress in the Comprehensive Rural Reform, the current administration has adjudicated 85,002 hectares out of all the hectares it has acquired. Although this constitutes an important step, progress is still far from the 3-million-hectare goal set out in the Agreement. It is necessary to accelerate efforts to adjudicate land with productive assets. The report also highlights the participation achieved in the dialogue with the new local and regional authorities, which led to the inclusion of PDET (Development Programme with Territorial Focus) initiatives in 97 per cent of development plans in the 170 prioritized municipalities.

The Secretary-General noted that “progress in the implementation of the comprehensive rural reform requires concerted efforts by the Government and State institutions. Active engagement at the highest institutional level is key to enabling a coordinated, strategic, effective, and timely execution of the unprecedented resources allocated to rural reform”.

António Guterres also highlighted progress in the community-based reintegration strategy, which included the definition of joint action plans between former combatants and community members in 66 municipalities. “The continued implementation of the strategy will help prevent stigmatization against former combatants and strengthen reconciliation processes”, he added.

With regard to security guarantees for communities and former combatants, the second quarter of 2024 saw a reduction in the number of homicides of former FARC-EP  combatants (from 11 to 5), and reported killings of human rights defenders and social leaders (from 42 to 25) compared to the previous quarter. Since the signing of the Final Agreement, 421 former combatants (including 11 women, 51 Indigenous People, and 57 Afro-Colombians) have been reported killed, 142 have survived murder attempts and 40 have been reported as missing.

Violence remains a concern in specific regions. Between January and May 2024, OCHA recorded 28,151 people affected by mass displacement and 53,065 people in confinement in 11 departments, mainly in Bolívar, Cauca, Chocó and Nariño. Similarly, António Guterres highlighted the disproportionate impact suffered by Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities, and women in some regions, amid the ongoing struggle for territorial control between different armed actors.

The Secretary-General recalled the importance of strengthening civilian protection commitments and complementing the ceasefires with immediate and concrete measures for the benefit of communities, including “the prompt implementation of the mechanisms of security guarantees of the Final Agreement, as well as the effective and integrated deployment of the State throughout the national territory.”

António Guterres welcomed the issuance of the decree formally adopting the public policy to dismantle illegal armed groups and criminal organizations, as well as a related action plan. “This was an important outstanding commitment from the Final Agreement to address structural drivers of persisting violence,” he added.

Regarding the restorative sentences to be issued by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the Secretary-General called upon the Government “to spare no effort to create, in a timely manner, the necessary conditions for the implementation of the restorative sentences”. He also urged those individuals under the authority of the SJP who have not done so to fulfill their obligation to contribute to the truth and acknowledge responsibility for the crimes committed during the conflict.

The Secretary-General also noted the efforts to find common ground for understanding between the differing views regarding the scope of the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.

António Guterres reiterated the fundamental complementarity between the full implementation of the Final Peace Agreement and the ongoing efforts to resolve the armed conflict through dialogue. “The Agreement aims to address the root causes of conflict and promote long-awaited transformations. Dialogue with other armed groups provides a clear opportunity to address the ongoing violence in the countryside, which has impeded fuller implementation of the Final Agreement,” explained Guterres. Likewise, the results of the implementation of the Agreement set an important precedent for any ongoing or future peace initiatives.

Referring to the peace negotiations with the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), the Secretary-General welcomed progress made during the reporting period, including the signing of the agreement on the process of participation of society in peacebuilding and the continuation of the ceasefire, which has been broadly observed by both parties. Similarly, he encouraged the parties to continue resolving their differences at the negotiation table.

Regarding the negotiation with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), Guterres noted that, despite the complex situation and the decision of some fronts to abandon the process, the continuation of the dialogue and the definition of concrete initiatives to transform the regions in the east of the country represent a positive step.

The Secretary-General also welcomed the recent establishment of the negotiation table with the Segunda Marquetalia and described it as a significant step for peace in Colombia and an opportunity for communities affected by violence to benefit from the results of the negotiation process.

In view of these efforts to achieve peace through dialogue, and with United Nations support, the Secretary-General emphasized that they require the good faith of all parties and gestures of peace and humanity. Likewise, he reiterated his call “on all armed actors to respect the life, integrity, freedoms and wellbeing of civilians and communities, and to avoid any acts that negatively affect them.”

Colombia, and especially the communities most affected by the conflict, maintains high expectations regarding the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement. The Secretary-General reiterated the United Nations commitment to continue supporting all sectors in this effort, which should unite the country.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, will present the report of the Secretary-General to the United Nations Security Council on 11 July 2024.

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Download the Report of the Secretary-General on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. S/2024/509

Download the Infographic Report of the Secretary-General on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. S/2024/509