YouSaid · the spoken record

Mejia Velez

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246
first
2014-03-07
most recent
2018-08-29
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42
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un-security-council

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  1. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for the invitation to speak in today's debate at a crucial time for Haiti when, with the support of the Security Council and the Group of Friends of Haiti of the Organization ofAmerican States, ofwhich Colombia is part, Haitians are taking a new step in the right direction in order to build an environment of sustainable peace, now with a special emphasis on justice. I would also like to thank Ms. Sandra Honore Braithwaite, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, for her briefing on the Secretary-General's report (S/2017/604) and for the long years of commitment that she has shown to the Haitian people and to the United Nations in carrying out her duties.”

    2017-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8005 (2017) · source

  2. “President, or any Council member how precarious building sustainable peace is once the agreements between parties to a conflict have been signed. It has always been said that the first years of reincorporation are the hardest and are when the political will, the action and the commitment of the parties and the support of the international community are put to the test. That is why I would like to reiterate once again the gratitude of my Government and of the citizens of Colombian. Now that we are preparing to establish a second political mission whose mandate responds to the contents ofthe Peace Agreement itself, we are confident that the history of Colombia, which until now has been a success story, can continue and be strengthened. With the Council's support, I am sure that this will be so.”

    2017-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7995 (2017) · source

  3. “Similarly, and based on what we have learned together, Colombia and the United Nations - through the one-of-a-kind tripartite mechanism format, which Mr. Jean Arnault mentioned - have learned lessons that can certainly serve Council members on other matters, bearing in mind the unique aspects of each case, and even, in a not-too-distant future, can serve to reciprocate the unwavering support given to us by the international community, the United Nations and the Security Council throughout this process. At the end of the day, the Peace Agreement seeks to build a more inclusive Colombia in which there is room for everybody, so we can all contribute to the building of our nation, whose success lies primarily with all Colombians. I know that I do not need to tell you, Mr.”

    2017-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7995 (2017) · source

  4. “In the coming months, by the time we finish the first Mission's mandate in September, we must work to complete the phase of locating, extracting and destroying unstable armaments in the caches, as the Special Representative mentioned during his briefing. This peace process is largely the result of the leadership of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon and of Colombia's commitment to moving forward with strength and determination on the path towards lasting peace. I am honoured to be here before Council members representing a country that has bid farewell to arms as part of a monumental effort in which Colombians have insisted, over and over again throughout the years, with successes but also many failures, until we reached this moment that opens the door to a future that is possible for all of us.”

    2017-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7995 (2017) · source

  5. “More than nine months have elapsed since the start of the United Nations Mission in Colombia and, through the reports of the Secretary-General, members of the Council have witnessed the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, the registration of weapons, the surrender of all individual weapons, the 9,604 members of the FARC-EP, including militiamen and guerillas, who are in the process of being reintegrated, a series of legislative and institutional reforms required for the implementation of the Peace Agreement and the start of plans for the reintegration process, which the Post- Conflict Minister so eloquently explained last week. For all those reasons, I dare say that, despite the remaining tasks, both the FARC-EP and the Colombian Government have in fact fully upheld their commitments. These are not minor tasks.”

    2017-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7995 (2017) · source

  6. “Arnault and his entire team for their remarks and for facilitating the surrender, on 27 June, of all individual weapons held by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia- Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP) to the United Nations, an organization that we acknowledge and respect for its impartiality and its role as the guarantor of global peace and security.”

    2017-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7995 (2017) · source

  7. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): As Mr. Arnault stated - and I would like to reiterate - the visit to our country by the members of the Security Council was of the utmost importance. For the very first time, we witnessed both supporters and detractors of the peace process engaging in dialogue, gleaning additional information and trying to deepen their understanding about the common goal that unites us. I would like to thank the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, for being part of the Council's mission to Colombia last week. I think that the visit was very valuable. I also thank Mr.”

    2017-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7995 (2017) · source

  8. “I should like also to thank the Secretariat for all its work, and we hope that this positive news will continue at this second stage we as Colombians are beginning, with the support of the Council.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  9. “We acknowledge the Council's concern over the murders of certain social leaders and human rights defenders, as reported in recent months. All of the relevant bodies of the Colombian Government are working to investigate, capture and bring those responsible to justice. The authorities have noted that although some cases involve killings associated with the defence of human rights, the Government is aware of the damaging presence of other factors outside the law. They are advancing negotiations in the area of public security, an area that we also have to address. Lastly, as Ambassador Sacha would say, the Council's support is extraordinary. Truly, on behalf of all Colombians, I want to say that it was extremely moving to see its commitment, dedication and determination to ensure that this exercise was a positive one.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  10. “This model, in which agencies of the Colombian Government, coordinated in the framework of the border plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, complemented by 17 social and infrastructure projects, made it possible to deliver results to a community that include what we hope will be Day D+181, namely, the first 100 days post-conflict and of the laying down of arms; to continue the task of rebuilding the first 50 municipalities with respect to their social fabric, through reconciliation and the strengthening of the security mechanisms that, as the Council has noted, are of concern to many people; and to bring to all Colombians - why not? - that rural prosperity that has eluded them until now. Finally, the goals and challenges involved are many.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  11. “I want to share with the Council another major piece of news that we heard about yesterday: that another area in the Andes, in the department of Antioquia, El Orejon, which over past decades experienced what may be one of the worst wars ever and was infamous for being the most heavily mined Colombian municipality, was visited yesterday by the Foreign Minister and representatives of the international community, who certified it as being free of landmines, free of illegal crops and free of clashes involving the F uerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - Ejercito del Pueblo.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  12. “The Council's visit to Vista Hermosa showed them the progress in the laying down of arms, the ceasefire and the monitoring of such activities. There will, undoubtedly, be setbacks but we are confident that the process will proceed according to the agreed timetable, despite the enormous challenges it entails.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  13. “I will employ the metaphor used by Ambassador Rycroft, that the peace process is not longer the bus stuck in the mud but rather a venture with tangible results. Considering that the past eight months have resulted in no conflict-related deaths, no wounded, no attacks on national structures and no abductions, 2,670 lives have been saved by the Peace Agreement - as President Santos Calderon pointed out. Meanwhile, we continue the process of providing reparations to the victims, which has been a core issue since the beginning of the negotiations, as well as land restitution. The degree to which the victims feel compensated and taken into account will determine how successfully the deep wounds left by the protracted Colombian conflict will heal.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  14. “The Council vote of confidence in the peace process will bear fruit despite the specific difficulties that have been voiced in the Chamber. We are at a crucial stage in the peacebuilding process, one in which the support of the Security Council and the Secretary-General have been unwavering and, in which my Government has asked that the process be verified and monitored through this tripartite mechanism. We are faced with the formidable challenge of maintaining the methodology of work on three fronts, which must now transition to a new process aimed at ensuring the economic, social and political reintegration of ex-combatants. I think that this stage of the implementation of the political mission of the tripartite monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the ceasefire and disarmament timetable has been critical.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  15. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): I thank the President, the United Kingdom Ambassador, who co-led the mission, and all the members of the Security Council. On behalf of my Government and on my own behalf, I thank the Council for having gone to my country to see first hand what is taking place, to be informed by the "prime movers of Colombia" - to quote Ambassador Rosselli - by the State, by civil society, by ex-combatants, who, as we build peace through the implementation of the Agreement, need to be increasingly united. That was also the perceived goal of the visit and of the Council's message to Colombia - one of unity and of seizing the enormous opportunity of having reached a negotiated rather than elusive peace.”

    2017-05-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7941 (2017) · source

  16. “We therefore offer our experiences as to how we have been able to make progress in providing redress to victims of sexual violence.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  17. “Colombia recognizes the impetus and contributions provided by civil society, which has been mentioned throughout this open debate, especially women's organizations, which played an active role in the Council's recent visit. Council members were able to interact with women's organizations and it added real substance to the human rights and peacebuilding agenda because these organizations are the ones that contribute and help the Government effectively implement early warning and prevention mechanisms to address sexual violence. Finally, we are aware that enormous challenges still lie ahead and I am certain that international cooperation will be key to finding solutions and to sharing experiences and lessons learned, which may be useful for other countries.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  18. “A second important step that was taken in the legislative area is the approval this month in the Congress of the Republic of the constitutional amendment that establishes a special jurisdiction for peace and a unit in charge of investigations, which will include a special team for cases of sexual violence. The peace agreements reached in Colombia are just a road map that will allow us to initiate a long process of reconciliation, which could be more challenging, as it requires restoring victims' rights and establishing decent living conditions in the countryside. In the peace agreement, we envisioned that this process would take at least 15 years and the women and peace and security agenda will play a crucial role.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  19. “In the light of the recommendation in the Secretary-General's report (S/2017/249), Colombia is committed to ensuring that the mechanisms stemming from the agreement place particular attention on the rights of victims, including victims of sexual violence, in particular women and girls, in the context of the armed conflict in my country. I would also like to underscore the establishment of the Truth Commission and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, which define crimes of sexual violence committed in the framework of the armed conflict as crimes that do not qualify for amnesty. We must know the truth about all these events, sentence those who committed them and provide reparations for victims.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  20. “It is worth underscoring the strategy designed by the peace process negotiators, as there were many women team members; the gender subcommittee that was established and which ensured that whatever was agreed would meet the particular needs of women and girls; and that, in the implementation phase, 20 per cent of the military and civilian observers of the special political mission designated by the Security Council are now women. As the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs ofUruguay and other members said this morning, it is important that women be actively involved in the peace process and now in the implementation process.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  21. “I would like to begin by mentioning the progress noted in the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Colombia (S/2017/252) and the support given by the Office of Special Representative Bangura, who personally, along with Executive Director of UN- Women Mlambo-Ngcuka, travelled to Havana and were able to see first-hand the process as it developed and to publicly express their commitment to providing support to survivors of sexual violence in our country.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  22. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this open debate and for the great commitment of your country and all Council members in their recent visit to Colombia. I am sure that, after the Council's visit to my country, delegations were able to see first-hand how important the gender issue has been in the negotiations on the peace agreement and going forward in the implementation phase. Colombia endorses the statement delivered by the representative of Canada on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security.”

    2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source

  23. “That will require very close coordination between the country team and MINUSTAH and, later, with the special political mission, but the Government of Haiti can count on our support in that effort.”

    2017-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7920 (2017) · source

  24. “We hope that the force's 2017-2021 strategic plan will also include a major component on gender and the prevention of and response to acts of sexual violence. As Special Representative Honore pointed out, it is urgent that progress be made on reforming the justice system so as to cut down on illegal and prolonged detentions without trial, ease congestion in prisons and improve respect for the rule of law and human rights, an ongoing task that still needs work. The Haitian State has shown itself able to comply in that regard through its acceptance of 175 of the 213 recommendations set out in its submission to the Human Rights Council's universal periodic review. Our brotherly people and the Government of Haiti face many challenges, but there are tools available that can help to build a peaceful, stable country with sustainable development.”

    2017-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7920 (2017) · source

  25. “The future presence of the United Nations in Haiti must have as its goal to ensure a responsible transition that would prevent the emergence of security or institutional gaps. The central responsibility for the transition lies with the Government and its leaders. The progress made by the Haitian National Police force, which the Special Representative outlined, in particular with regard to its performance and the duties that it must undertake in this new phase so as to ensure democratic continuity, will continue to be supported by my country through both the presence of our officers and police in the country and the training of female Haitian police officers in Colombia. Female police officers, to date, barely account for 9 per cent of the force, but we will continue to train them.”

    2017-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7920 (2017) · source

  26. “The election of President Moise and the formation of his Government are significant and tangible steps towards the consolidation of democracy in Haiti. We also welcome the election of 30 per cent of women to municipal councils. We hope that the United Nations will continue to provide them with the support needed to allow them to carry out their work efficiently. I have repeatedly stated here in the Security Council that we must protect, at all costs, the achievements of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Now that we have renewed its mandate for the final time and are moving towards the establishment of a new mission, it is essential to preserve the progress that has been made in order to overcome some of the challenges and hurdles that still prevent the Haitian people from reaching their full potential.”

    2017-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7920 (2017) · source

  27. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): We are grateful for today's debate on the situation in Haiti. My delegation aligns itself with the statement that will be made by the Ambassador of Peru on behalf of the Group of Friends of Haiti. I thank, in particular, Special Representative Honore for her briefing on the report of the Secretary- General (S/2017/223) and for her tireless commitment to Haiti over the past four years. Everyone here has stated that it is encouraging that tangible progress has been made in a situation that, just a few months ago, seemed dire on many fronts. I would also like to acknowledge the Government and the people of Haiti for demonstrating their ability and resilience to hold free elections, which illustrates their respect for democratic values.”

    2017-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7920 (2017) · source

  28. “The authorities have been able to observe that, although in some cases this is so, it is not possible at this time to generalize about the origin of these criminal actions, which shall not prevent our Government, aware of the harmful presence of outlaw actors, to move forward with relevant public safety actions. I conclude by reiterating our appreciation and by saying that the commitment of Colombia to implementing the mandate of the United Nations Mission is producing concrete results, which the Council will have the opportunity to see first-hand on its trip in May. We strongly hope and trust that the progress will be obvious.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  29. “It will also be necessary, in conformity with the scheduled programme, for the Mission to expedite the procedures for registration, identification and collection of weapons, as well as procedures for locating and destroying unstable weapons and explosives, concerning which Mr. Arnault spoke earlier. The Government is ready to provide logistical and legal means to contribute to this work. Lastly, with respect to the killings of recent months that are referred to in the report and have been cited by a number of Council members, the Colombian Government wishes to reiterate that it is premature to affirm that all such killings are associated with the work of defending human rights or the handiwork of criminal organizations that have succeeded paramilitary groups.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  30. “I should like to highlight the confidence of the national authorities and the international community in the ceasefire and disarmament process, thanks in large part to the work of the highly innovative Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, composed of the Government, the FARC and the United Nations. My Government believes that, in order to guarantee the legitimacy and credibility of the Mechanism, permanent and effective coordination among its members is indispensable, in compliance with the protocols governing the ceasefire, the laying down of arms and the preparatory activities of the reintegration and transition to legality, which we hope will be swift.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  31. “That, together with the presence of a woman as Deputy Special Representative, Ms. Tania Patriota of Brazil, reinforces the strong gender dimension that has been present throughout the peace process and now in its implementation, where women are a strong presence in the ex-combatant component. The second is the regional component, where the members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States have shown the extraordinarily important part that the presence of regional mechanisms has played in settling the last remaining conflict in the American hemisphere.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  32. “Fifty-seven minors have been separated from the FARC so far, and the process is continuing. As the Special Representative said, on the legislative front we have also made progress on transitional justice, and yesterday President Santos Calderon signed decrees on the establishment of the Truth Commission and a special unit to search for persons who have disappeared, as part of the development of an integral system ofjustice, truth and reparation. I would like to highlight two elements that I believe are important for the United Nations Mission in Colombia, because they could serve as examples for other missions in future. The first is that it has achieved a 20 per cent rate of participation of women, both military and civilian - currently the highest of any mission.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  33. “The past seven months have seen violence de-escalating at unprecedented rates in a nation that for more than 50 years dealt with a brutal internal conflict with enormous human costs. Those numbers include 1,546 days without any attacks on communities, 580 without kidnappings, 375 without assaults on public law enforcement and 307 without any incidents attributed to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). The homicide rate for the first quarter of this year is 12 per cent below last year's. There is no question that there have been some worrying events, which we will have to address going forward, but as of today, we have fully registered 8,345 FARC-Ejercito del Pueblo guerrillas and militias and more than 7,000 weapons that have been registered by the United Nations.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  34. “I would like to read out something of great interest to us Colombians that the Secretary-General indicated in his report, "Colombia's remarkable journey towards peace has continued. The images witnessed in February of thousands of FARC-EP members making their final march into the zones where they will begin their reintegration into civilian life and FARC-EP will transform into a political organization were images of peace that many Colombians thought they would never see. These historic steps forward, as part of a comprehensive peace agreement, are testament to the resilience of the peace process and the commitment of the parties." ( S/2017/252, para. 75) And the numbers are proof of this.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  35. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): I would like to thank you, Madam President, and all the members of the Security Council for the expression of solidarity made on behalf of the people of Macoa, a very harsh jungle region that has suffered a tragedy that none of us could have anticipated to befall them. I would like to congratulate you, Madam President, and your country on assuming the presidency of the Security Council, and I wish you great success in conducting the work of the Council this month. I also thank the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Jean Arnault, and his entire team, because as members of the Council have indicated and have seen first-hand, we have established a level of coordination that, I believe, is very valuable and essential for the work being done.”

    2017-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7916 (2017) · source

  36. “That is why, among other legal and governmental measures, we joined the initiative of the Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants, which the Government will support with a view to assisting and protecting victims and vulnerable people, as well as advancing prevention, investigation and prosecution efforts. Echoing the appeals of the Secretary-General and the President this morning, only together can we tackle this scourge and in that way seek to free our countries from the transnational organized crime that profits from it.”

    2017-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7898 (2017) · source

  37. “That is why I wish to reiterate the unswerving commitment of the Government to the fight against that phenomenon, which has a nature and effects that lead to human rights abuses. Consequently, we believe it is essential for our efforts to be able to bolster countries' capabilities to more comprehensively combat this kind of crime. Between 2012 and 2016, the Government of Colombia assisted 199 citizens who were victims of human trafficking, and in 2016 alone, we provided immediate assistance to 37 victims of reported cases of human trafficking. Similarly, in 2016 there were 28,052 undocumented - and often exploited - migrants in Colombia, most coming from countries of our region and other parts of the world that use this transit route to countries in the North.”

    2017-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7898 (2017) · source

  38. “Most trafficking victims are vulnerable women and children, almost always tricked or abducted and forced to live a life of suffering, exploitation, torture or servitude. That cruel practice has become a global industry, and it must be decisively combated by all. In September 2015, through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States committed to adopting measures relating to the trafficking of persons. As the Secretary-General himself expressed in his statement this morning, the Agenda is a valuable tool for all States, in keeping with our commitments, to contribute to the eradication of that scourge. The figures are disheartening, and Colombia is no stranger to this issue.”

    2017-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7898 (2017) · source

  39. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): First, I welcome the Security Council presidency of the United Kingdom and thank it for having convened this open debate and for the presidential note (S/PRST/2015/25), which deals with what is perhaps one of the most tragic topics: the trafficking of persons in armed conflicts. The statements we have heard this morning paint a picture of the horror that millions of people suffer due to trafficking ofpersons in armed conflicts and the challenges that the international community confronts in effectively addressing that phenomenon, which especially afflicts women and children. The trafficking of persons is the slavery of our times. It is not only an abomination of the past; millions of people today live in conditions of slavery.”

    2017-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7898 (2017) · source

  40. “Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, civilization, ethnicity or nationality.We reaffirm our commitment to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism and its financing, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, with full respect for the sovereignty of States, the rule of law and international law.”

    2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source

  41. “President, emphasized in your concept note (8/2017/104, annex), in my country we have been working with various communities based on trust and dialogue, and, as the Chef de Cabinet and the Secretary- General of INTERPOL mentioned this morning, States must identify vulnerabilities in all possible sectors, strengthen cooperation on prevention and mitigation and ensure greater technical cooperation to enhance the capacities of States, including through the exchange of intelligence, good practices and lessons learned. For Colombia, acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, whatever their motivation, wherever they occur and whoever commits them.”

    2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source

  42. “Those attacks forced us to develop within our armed forces the Centres for Special Operations for the Protection of Critical and Economic Infrastructure of the State, which make cooperation possible among communities, the public service and the private sector - the businesses who provide those services - by launching initiatives such as those involving the development of standardized documents and security protocols, which are developed jointly between security agencies and sectors that seek to optimize security in their activities. Fortunately, the peace process will make it possible for those lessons learned to be shared with others and, hopefully, that will be of use to the international community. As you, Mr.”

    2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source

  43. “As a result of the internal conflict that affected us for more than 50 years, my country has suffered terrorist acts that have sought to destabilize the functioning of the Government and society. Those attacks or attempted attacks targeted oil infrastructure, telecommunications centres, power grids, transportation, networks for the warehousing of gas and fuel, banking and financial systems, water supply systems and emergency services.”

    2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source

  44. “Ms. Mejia Velez (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): I congratulate Ukraine on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. I would also like to thank the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General and the representatives of the various entities who shared their points of views this morning on a matter of global concern. The convening of this debate comes at a time when the frequency and threat of terrorist attacks witnessed around the world is latent in all countries without any distinction. We are confronting new challenges that challenge our capacity for prevention and effective responses. For Colombia, the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks has been at the centre of our Government policy.”

    2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source

  45. “The support of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has been very important. At yesterday's debate (see S/PV.7857) we talked about the importance of the commitment of regional organizations. This is a clear example of how, with observers and forces from our region, and with empowerment rooted in a decision taken by the Latin American and Caribbean region that this process belongs to us, the oldest and last conflict in our hemisphere has been overcome. Amid so many concerns before the Council and before us as Member States, Colombia is pleased to bring news of peace to the Security Council.”

    2017-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7859 (2017) · source

  46. “Colombia believes that the professionalism and neutrality of the Mission's members must be maintained at all times in order to fully fulfil the mandate that was entrusted to them. As I said at the beginning of my statement, the assessment of the first three months is generally favourable. The Mechanism, as it has been designed, generates trust among the parties. The spirit that characterized the Havana negotiations must be reflected at both the regional and local levels. We are sure that we will be able to continue to count on the support of the Security Council and the new Secretary- General. I am sure that, based on the conversation he had with President Santos Calderon, as well as in future conversations, that major commitment will continue, including, of course, the commitment of the United Nations Mission.”

    2017-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7859 (2017) · source

  47. “We must to intensify our efforts - by the Government, the FARC- EP and the United Nations - to conclude as soon as possible the establishment and structure of the Mission in order to begin activities that have to do with the specific task that the Council entrusted to the Mission related to the laying down of weapons, including the technical installations that are required and that will help us comply with the Council's mandate in the agreed timetable. I would like to emphasize that we need to conclude as soon as possible the administrative, logistical and legal aspects that are still outstanding, including the letters ofassist, all ofwhich can sometimes take a great deal of time and be an impediment. It is important to find a flexible mechanism to provide speedy assistance from the Secretariat.”

    2017-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7859 (2017) · source

  48. “However, implementing the ideas from Havana and from the negotiation period was not an easy task, as we had to actually implement them in the field, which owing to the tripartite nature of the Mechanism, occurs sui generis and is perhaps a disappointment. Despite the progress, we must acknowledge the difficulties in the implementation of the Mechanism itself. In that context, it is important not to lose the momentum and commitment shown by all.”

    2017-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7859 (2017) · source

  49. “We trust that, with the arrival of security thanks to the deployment of the police and the Colombian army; with the modifications and construction in the new zones, the majority of which, as members have been able to see for themselves, have no roads, drinking water, electricity or any sort of infrastructure; with the establishment of the Mission's structures; and with the deployment of international observers and the investigation of incidents by the Mechanism, which has in the past been a behind-the-scenes task - we have managed to move forward in ensuring the alignment of the three components: the rebel forces, the United Nations and the national police.”

    2017-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7859 (2017) · source

  50. “I shouldl ike to inform the Council that, following President Santos Calderen's visit to the field, a commitment was ratified by all the parties involved - the Government, the FARC-EP and the United Nations Mission in Colombia - to complying with the 180-day period, with modifications and adjustments, as the Mission has mentioned, in order to ensure the handing over of all weapons. We welcome the report of the Secretary-General isued on 23 December 2016. I thank Mr. Arnault and his entire team. It was not an easy task. There are in fact two Colombias: the urban Colombia, which members are familiar with and which is developed and thriving, and another rural Colombia, which is perhaps neglected and, owing to the conflict, is often very difficult to reach.”

    2017-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7859 (2017) · source