Briefing by Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia
Security Council Meeting

Madam President, distinguished members of the Security Council,

I am grateful for this opportunity to update you on the latest developments regarding the implementation of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement and other efforts to consolidate peace in Colombia [spoken in French].

It is an honor for me, Madam President, to be accompanied once again by Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. I would like to thank the Government of Colombia, through him, for its invaluable support and collaboration with the Verification Mission.

I would also like to acknowledge the presence in your delegation of the Minister of the Interior, Juan Fernando Cristo, who has new and very important responsibilities in advancing the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

I also greet Counsellor Commissioner for Peace Otty Patiño, who is leading the different dialogue tables within the total peace policy.

I am pleased to count once again with the presence of Diego Tovar in this room, representing the other signatory party to the Agreement, in a clear demonstration of the strength of this process where former adversaries now work as partners in the construction of peace in Colombia.

I also welcome Beatriz Quintero, founder of the National Women's Network of Colombia. She and her organization have played a fundamental role in promoting women's participation in peacebuilding efforts, including the design of the upcoming national action plan on resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

Madam President, Members of the Council,

The current administration is the third to shoulder the responsibility for the implementation of the Peace Agreement.  With two years remaining in its term -- and as the eighth anniversary of the Peace Agreement approaches next month -- historic progress has been made, but much more remains to be done. 

I am pleased therefore to report that since the Security Council last convened on Colombia in July, with the participation of President Petro, we have seen follow through on steps announced at that time that signal an important recentering of the Peace Agreement at the heart of the peace policy of the Government. The rapid response plan –or “Plan de Choque”– being developed by the Minister of the Interior, with inputs from Comunes, local authorities and communities in conflict-affected regions, is a new instrument that should serve to energize implementation.

I had the honour to join the Minister in several of his visits to these regions, including Cauca and Putumayo, where I heard the urgent plea by these communities for development projects, public investments and services. I greatly appreciate these and other opportunities afforded to the Mission to accompany this process and to offer recommendations on how and where to focus efforts that could inject renewed momentum.

I welcome initial indications that the plan will focus strongly on rural reform in order to transform the conflict-affected regions, as well as on strengthening security guarantees. I welcome that Council Members will have the opportunity today to hear directly from the Government about the scope of the plan and its expected impact on the ground.

Madam President,

The peace architecture established under the Final Agreement, especially the Commission for the Follow-Up, Promotion and Verification of the Final Agreement, has a key role to play in any successful effort to accelerate its implementation.  

The recent joint meeting of the National Commission on Security Guarantees and the High-level Unit of the Comprehensive Security System for the Exercise of Politics, chaired by President Petro, led to important decisions on the roll-out of the policy on the dismantling of illegal armed groups and criminal organizations. These include the identification of several priority regions where insecurity is acute, and where this policy can help to bring improvements in the situation.

Madam President,

As reflected in the latest report of the Secretary-General, we remain encouraged by the Government’s commitment to advancing the rural reform chapter of the Agreement – provisions that have a transformative potential, attacking structural causes of the conflict, but which had lagged in their implementation in previous years. Day by day, for example, more land is being distributed and formalized for those in need, bringing the promised benefits of peace to landless peasants and those dispossessed of it during the conflict.

However, despite this and other welcome progress towards the transformation of the territories, the results to date, as recognized by the Government itself, are still modest in relation to the overarching goals established under the Peace Agreement.  I am also concerned about reports that peasant organizations working to advance rural reform have been receiving threats from illegal armed groups in different regions of the country.

Much more also must be done to advance the Ethnic Chapter of the accord, designed to bring the benefits of peace to Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities, to redress the disproportionate impact of the conflict on them, and to ensure their participation. Whereas progress has remained limited overall, I hope that the promulgation last week of a decree to strengthen the ability of Vice-President Francia Marquez to carry out her leading role in guiding this key area of the Agreement will contribute to more tangible progress. 

Madam President, Distinguished Member of the Council,

It was not pre-ordained that Colombia’s peace process would set a global standard for the inclusion of women in a peace process and for the incorporation of specific gender-related provisions in a peace agreement. This only happened because Colombian women’s leaders such as Beatriz Quintero with us today, organized and demanded that it be so. I greatly value my regular meetings with these leaders and organizations and the engagement with them by the Mission throughout its work. I assure you that women’s voices continue to be heard very strongly as they advocate for greater progress overall and in the implementation of the gender provisions of the Agreement, and for the effective inclusion of women in the dialogue processes underway. 

Madam President, Members of the Council,

Regarding transitional justice, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) continues to take forward its pioneering work, so central to the transition from war to peace. The country remains expectant as to the coming stages of the process, especially the issuance of its first sentences to those responsible for serious crimes.  The SJP’s success will lie in achieving a delicate balance between multiple elements, which include the rights of the victims and the legal security of those under its jurisdiction, as well as the rigor and celerity with which it will be able to proceed and dispatch justice. The Government also bears an important responsibility to ensure that all necessary conditions are in place for the practical implementation of the sentences once issued. Amidst continued debate, at times public, over aspects of its proceedings, constructive dialogue between the various stakeholders remains paramount, along with respect for its autonomy and independence. The Mission remains available to all concerned to continue to facilitate such dialogue.

Across all areas of the Peace Agreement, adequate financing is a basic condition for consolidating and expanding upon progress. I am concerned in this regard that resources for peace priorities could be impacted by general fiscal constraints that appear to be looming over the budget for the government for the year ahead.  With understanding, but also a conviction that peace cannot be shortchanged, I trust that every effort will be made despite those limitations to ensure that critical resources for peace implementation are protected in the national budget. And I call for the international community to continue to fill critical gaps with its continued assistance.

Madam President, Distinguished Members of the Council,

The complex security situation in several regions of the country continues to be one of the major obstacles to peacebuilding. In some territories, signatories to the Agreement and social leaders continue to be the target of violence, pressure and threats from armed actors fighting for territorial control and strategic routes linked to illicit economies. Since the beginning of the reintegration process, five former territorial areas for training and reintegration have had to be relocated for these reasons, the last one being the emblematic Miravalle area in the department of Caquetá.  

The difficult situation in some areas continues to impact the lives of communities that are caught in the crossfire and subjected to condemnable phenomena such as the recruitment of minors, displacement and confinement. Also of concern are the new phenomena of social control, particularly over women and girls.  I heard painful testimonies of women being told how to dress or which color to paint their nails.

The complexity and fluidity of the conflict dynamics in various regions and the insecurity it produces for the affected populations require a comprehensive and complementary approach. On the one hand, it is necessary to advance in the effective implementation of the security guarantee provisions of the Final Peace Agreement and, on the other hand, to follow up on the measures agreed at the various peace talks aimed at reducing violence and protecting the civilian population. At the same time, it is important to reduce the violence between illegal armed actors for the ultimate benefit of communities. Likewise, effective implementation of security policies is complementary to dialogue initiatives, as part of a greater State presence –in all its dimensions– in the most affected regions.

Madam President, Members of the Council,

Despite a series of challenges, the Government is persisting in its efforts to broaden the scope of the peace through various dialogue initiatives.  The state of the dialogues, and the good offices provided by myself and my team to those processes with groups of a political nature, are presented in the latest report of the Secretary-General.

Of utmost concern has been the months-long stalemate in the talks between the Government and the ELN, leading to the expiration of their bilateral cease-fire in August.  Sadly, since the parties returned to armed confrontation, there has been a doubling of the numbers of deaths and wounded persons on both sides compared to the entire year during which the ceasefire was in effect.  Amid mutual recriminations, trust unfortunately has been lost.  

I am encouraged nevertheless by the statements of both parties a few days ago expressing their willingness to meet to examine ways to overcome the current stalemate. I trust that the parties will use that opportunity to begin to regain momentum in a process that had advanced promisingly before this latest impasse. It is our hope also the parties will resume negotiations and reestablish and strengthen their ceasefire in order to save lives, rebuild confidence at the peace table, and enable the implementation of other areas of progress such as the agreement on the participation of the society in the peace process.

It will be important for the Verification Mission to retain its readiness in this context as we continue to keep the Council informed on developments. We also continue through the good offices to accompany dialogues initiatives with the two armed groups deriving from the former FARC-EP.

We welcome the announcement made by the Peace Commissioner of the expected extension as of tomorrow, for six additional months, of the bilateral ceasefire with the structures of the group known as the Estado Mayor Central FARC-EP (EMC). And we hope that this will save lives and bring relief to communities, and that the parties will make progress at the negotiation table.  We look forward to progress with regards to the dialogue process between the Government and the group known as Segunda Marquetalia, as the parties are planning for a second round of talks soon.

Our call to all the armed actors is to demonstrate a sincerity of commitment to peace by taking measures to protect civilians. Foremost among these is to cease the recruitment of minors. It is also of utmost importance for the viability of current and future peace processes, that they respect the lives and the rights of former combatants and their families currently reintegrating into society.

Madam President and Members of the Council,

As was highlighted during the holding of the General Assembly last month, the multidimensional challenges to peace and security in the world demand ever-more innovative responses. In this respect, Colombia continues to provide valuable lessons and inspiration.

Supporting Colombia’s peace process is a privilege and a unique opportunity for the United Nations. First, because despite all they have endured and countless setbacks along the way, Colombians maintain an irrepressible vocation for the pursuit of peace through dialogue.  We see this determination in authorities at all levels and across the society. Secondly, and while this remains a fully nationally owned peace process, Colombians have been incredibly receptive to the kind of support that the United Nations can provide.  That carries with it a big responsibility.  So let us continue, then, to do our absolute best to support Colombia along this challenging and yet courageous road to peace.

I thank you, Madam President [spoken in French].

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