• Press release of the presentation of the latest Secretary-General’s Report on Colombia to the United Nations Security Council.

New York, 12 October 2022. — “Colombia is going through a moment of renewed expectations, as a result of President Gustavo Petro’s bold proposal of “total peace”. This policy is anchored in the comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement with the former FARC-EP”.  This was highlighted today, before the United Nations Security Council, by Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, in the presentation of the Secretary-General's most recent Report on this Mission, it covers the period from 28 June to 26 September 2022.

He added that, “in addition to dialogue efforts, peacebuilding requires materializing pending commitments in the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement”. For this reason, the Special Representative considers that it is positive that the Congress had discussed in recent weeks “key reforms with enormous potential”, such as the bill to create the Agrarian Jurisdiction and the proposed political reform. Ruiz Massieu also highlighted that the Congress is advancing the discussion of the 2023 budget and said it is expected that the necessary resources for entities with responsibilities for implementation be approved.

He also stressed that, as the Secretary-General has stated in his Report, it is encouraging that the new Government's approach prioritizes dialogue as the main recourse to resolve social and armed conflict; focuses security strategies on the protection of vulnerable communities; acknowledges the interdependence between lasting solutions to violence and overcoming historic inequalities, especially in rural and impoverished areas; and promotes the active participation of broad and diverse sectors of Colombian society.

During his speech, Ruiz Massieu referred to the anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, and stressed that “it is important to remember that the peace process in Colombia has been an example in this matter. The search for “total peace” is therefore an opportunity to continue building on this foundation, ensuring the broad and effective participation of women”.

He added that making the promises of the Agreement a reality requires a continuous and constructive dialogue between the parties and with civil society within the framework of the institutions created by the Final Agreement and stressed the importance of meeting, for the first time under the new administration and chaired by President Petro, the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement and the National Commission on Security Guarantees.

In the face of the continuing violence in various regions of the country, the Special Representative echoed the Secretary-General's message for the armed actors to demonstrate their will for peace and to respond positively to the call for a ceasefire proposed by President Petro, for this, he said, “would increase the chances of ending violence through dialogue and open an opportunity for these communities to build a life in peace and dignity.”

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General said that “the decision announced last week by the Government of Colombia and the ELN to resume peace talks, based on what was previously agreed, is encouraging.” Ruiz Massieu stressed that, with the will of the parties, the support of Colombian society and the international community, it will be possible to put an end to a conflict that has lasted decades and whose resolution is fundamental to widen the reach of peace in the country. The Head of Mission expressed his confidence that “Colombia can demonstrate to the world, once again, that there is no better alternative to end conflicts than the path of dialogue”.

In this session of the United Nations Security Council, participated Elizabeth Moreno, an Afro-Colombian leader from the Chocó department, who knows first-hand the crudity of the conflict and embodies the will of the communities to end violence through dialogue. The Colombian government was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Álvaro Leyva, and the new Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations, Ambassador Leonor Zalabata.

To access the full statement by the United Nations Special Representative in Colombia, click here.

To access the full report, click here.

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