YouSaid · the spoken record

Ruiz Massieu

lines on the record: 218
first: 2019-01-23
most recent: 2023-10-11
sittings or episodes: 16
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I should also condemn once more and in the strongest terms possible the killings of former FARC- EP combatants. Two such killings have occurred since the report was issued, and nearly 400 former combatants have been killed since the signing of the Final Agreement. That is simply unacceptable, and it demands that the authorities take urgent and concrete measures for their protection and that of social leaders and human rights defenders. An important step in that direction was the recent adoption by the National Commission on Security Guarantees of the long- delayed implementation of a public policy dismantling illegal armed groups and criminal organizations. That policy — a product of consultations between the Government and civil society — seeks to address the multiple causes favouring the emergence and strengthening of criminal actors.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“In a project supported by the Mission, women former combatants who work in artisanal mines have augmented their incomes and those of the community by crafting and selling jewelry. Former combatants and community members have also joined forces in planting trees to combat deforestation. However, as I heard in my conversations with ex- combatants and leaders of social organizations, those initiatives have been imperilled by threats from illegal armed groups. In fact, that reintegration area, like several others before it, is likely to be relocated in the near future, owing to insecurity. As the relocation is planned, I reiterate my call on the authorities to ensure dignified living conditions in the new location and to continue to look after the safety and welfare of the communities that remain behind.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“The Secretary-General’s report also contains multiple examples that illustrate the interdependence between the implementation of the 2016 Final Agreement and other efforts by President Petro’s Government to consolidate peace. A few weeks ago I visited the former territorial area for training and reintegration of Carrizal, in Antioquia department, where more than 50 former FARC-EP members and their families are living alongside members of the local community. There, as in similar locations around the countryside, one can see an admirable persistence among former combatants and communities as they join efforts to improve their lives and realize the transformations outlined in the Final Peace Agreement.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“That commitment has been brought to life in human terms in scenes such as that witnessed this past weekend in the town of San Juan de Arama, in the southern department of Meta, where land purchased by the Government was delivered to some 500 beneficiaries, among them former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) combatants, peasants and Indigenous members of the communities where they have resettled. Hopeful moments such as those are now increasingly common as Colombia’s Government takes up that crucial aspect of the Peace Agreement, for which action is overdue, with greater dynamism.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“The Secretary-General’s latest report highlights important policy actions in that regard, pointing to a year marked by substantial budget allocations for rural reform and its prioritization in the national development plan; increased dialogue with peasant and landholder organizations and recent steps taken such as the establishment of the National Agrarian Reform System and the designation of four priority regions for comprehensive rural development interventions.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“It is therefore not surprising that the lagging progress in that area in the initial years of implementation has limited the extent to which the agreement has been able to bring the hoped-for transformations to rural and conflict- affected areas that have long been marginalized. Nevertheless, while we are still a long way from attaining the ambitious goals of the agreement in that respect, I wanted to begin my briefing today with an acknowledgement of the increasing Government efforts under way to bring about these reforms. I would say that a commitment to that section of the agreement and the new peace dialogue initiatives were the outstanding features of the Petro Urrego Administration’s recently concluded first year as it sought to further consolidate peace in the country.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“We meet as milestones in the peace process are approaching, with the seventh anniversary of the signing of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace coming up and nearing the halfway point in the 15-year timetable for its implementation. Those who have studied Colombia’s armed conflict deeply have pointed to skewed land distribution and the failure to enact essential rural reforms as one of its underlying causes. It was for that reason that the parties to the agreement placed comprehensive rural reform at its heart, making it the first chapter of the agreement and the area requiring the most substantial long-term investment.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“Mr. Ruiz Massieu: I am grateful for this opportunity to brief the Security Council as it takes up the most recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/701) on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. As always, I am honoured to be joined by Minister for Foreign Affairs Álvaro Leyva Durán. I once again thank him and the Government of Colombia for their continued trust in the work of the Mission in support of peace. I also welcome Mr. Rodrigo Botero’s participation in today’s meeting. He is a leading Colombian environmentalist and participant in the ongoing peace efforts whose work illustrates the important connections between conflict, peacebuilding and the environment.”
2023-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9434 (2023) · source
“The recent signing of a temporary bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Ejército de Liberación Nacional, due to enter into force on 3 August, attests to the success of that approach. We also welcome the announcement of a resumption of peace negotiations with the Estado Mayor Central Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia as a first step towards the implementation of a ceasefire. In order to ensure full compliance by all parties with the stipulated protocols, Switzerland reiterates its full support for extending the mandate of the Verification Mission to include the monitoring and verification of ceasefires. The Council must continue to respond promptly to Colombia’s calls for verifying and eventually consolidating the ceasefire agreements, which have the potential to be mutually reinforcing.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“In order for Colombia to finally see the fulfilment of its desire for non-repetition, it is essential to preserve and build on what has been achieved, decisively face the security challenges and not to falter in the search for a solution to the violence that gives priority to dialogue. We have before us a window of opportunity in which the support of the Security Council is decisive. (spoke in Spanish) “children and young people belonging to those [armed] groups must be recognized both as victims of conflict and as agents of change and peacebuilding” (S/PV.9366, p.8). (spoke in French) Lastly, we welcome the holistic approach taken by the Colombian Government to prioritizing continued dialogue with all key actors and armed groups.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“This and other dialogue initiatives are an opportunity to achieve concrete commitments to reducing the suffering of civilian victims of the conflict and in particular to reducing violence against ex-combatants and social leaders. The dialogues also offer opportunities for the United Nations to redouble its support for peace. Colombia is going through a critical moment in which the determined will of the parties, with the support of the international community, could build on incipient peace processes. In this context, I reiterate the Secretary-General’s belief that the Mission can make an important contribution through the monitoring and verification of ceasefires. Undoubtedly, the progress made during this period shows that, with the cooperation of various actors, the efforts to build peace are yielding important results.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“Likewise, in a few days, the National Commission on Participation, which will promote the broad involvement of society in the peace process, will be set up. I trust that the will of the parties will be maintained and that it will lead to further progress. Moreover, and despite the challenges, the rapprochement with the group that identifies itself as the Estado Mayor Central Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo is also noteworthy. The joint announcement made by the Government and this group on 8 July with regard to setting up a round of peace talks is positive news. I hope that the building of trust between the parties continues and that we will soon have developments with respect to the formal start of negotiations and a renewed national ceasefire.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“I reiterate my call to the authorities to take the measures needed to ensure that the elections take place in a safe and participatory environment, with full guarantees for the participation of women in politics. The Government’s push for the implementation of key aspects of the peace agreement has been paralleled by efforts at dialogue with armed groups of various kinds. These two strands are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The results achieved in Cuba in the third round of negotiations between the Government and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional are very encouraging. Last week, the cessation of hostilities between the parties went into effect, a step towards the full effectiveness of the bilateral, national and temporary ceasefire on 3 August.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“I trust that support from the Government will soon result in lasting solutions for both former combatants and host communities. Much more must be done to protect those who exercise leadership and stand up for the rights of entire communities, as well as those who have laid down their arms in good faith under the peace agreement. (spoke in Spanish) I would like to take this opportunity to condemn once again the recent armed attack against members of the Catholic Church in Caldono, Cauca, and to reiterate our solidarity with the Church, which is an invaluable ally in peacebuilding and reconciliation. Likewise, in view of the territorial elections in October, I call on illegal armed actors to respect the right of citizens and candidates of all political parties to participate in campaigns free of threats.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“Their pleas for an increased presence of State institutions and services, legal alternatives to illicit crops, and perseverance in resolving armed conflict through dialogue, are the same ones heard in many parts of the countryside. As the implementation of rural reform advances, we see an increase in violence against peasant leaders and land claimants and in obstacles posed to Government officials working on land reform. Also concerning is the persistent violence against former combatants, five of whom have been killed since the publication of the report of the Secretary-General. Just last week, another reintegration area was relocated due to insecurity, as dozens of former combatants and their families moved from Vista Hermosa, Meta, to the nearby municipality of Granada.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“The approval of new collective projects, additional support for individual initiatives and for access to employment would significantly boost thousands of former combatants’ livelihoods and help anchor their transition into civilian life. Regrettably, violence continues to hinder the realization of the full potential of the Agreement. I trust that recent actions with regard to security guarantees such as the adoption of a new security and defence policy will soon yield results and help improve the situation in conflict-affected regions. One such region is Catatumbo, where I recently had the opportunity to attend a humanitarian round table convened by local leaders and grass-roots organizations.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“Finally, with respect to the SJP, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my solidarity in the face of the new threats denounced yesterday by the President of the SJP, Justice Roberto Vidal. (spoke in English) With regard to the reintegration process, I echo the Secretary-General in commending the Government’s new approach, stressing sustainability, community- based reintegration with an emphasis on reconciliation, access to land, and gender and women’s empowerment. The approval by the parties of a sustainability strategy to support collective productive projects and the allocation of funding for this purpose are important actions.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“Public security force witnesses gave impactful testimonies acknowledging their responsibility in extrajudicial executions — crimes that illustrate the degradation of the conflict. The presence of several Government Ministers and officials at these proceedings is a significant gesture and an important step towards the imperative goal of non-repetition. I am confident that the SJP will continue to move decisively towards the issuance of the first sanctions of its own, which will undoubtedly mark another milestone in the Colombian peace process. In addition, victims and civil society organizations have persisted in seeking justice for crimes related to sexual violence in the conflict and continue to await a final decision by the SJP with respect to the opening of Case 11 on this issue.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“I welcome the approval of legislation pertaining to the comprehensive rural reform and trust that all political actors will continue to find ways to build consensus to consolidate peace. (spoke in Spanish) The centrality of victims is a promise of the Agreement and a fundamental principle of its implementation. As the Special Jurisdiction for Peace continues to move forward in its various macro-cases, including through new indictments, the voices of victims demanding truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition have resounded loudly in recent hearings of the Jurisdiction, with participants from the various parties to the conflict. One such hearing took place in Dabeiba, Antioquia, despite death threats from those seeking to obstruct truth and justice.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“The establishment of the Ministry of Equality, led by Vice-President Francia Márquez, as well as progress by her Office in crafting ways to further the implementation of the Agreement’s ethnic chapter, are important steps for improving the situation of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and other vulnerable groups. Sound planning and coordination will be important if we are to maximize the potential of those initiatives to bring tangible peace dividends. To that end, I take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of following through on the decision to appoint a top official within the presidency dedicated to overseeing the implementation of the Final Agreement. Congress also has a key role to play in the implementation of the Agreement.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“I believe that the advances registered in the Secretary-General’s latest report are an indication that implementation is gaining traction across several sections of the Agreement, including those that have been lagging behind despite having the greatest potential to address the root causes of the conflict. Especially noteworthy are the numerous peace-related provisions of the National Development Plan, the increased attention given to comprehensive rural reform and the allocation of much-needed funds for the implementation of the peace agreement.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“Diana María Salcedo López, an outstanding leader who has worked tirelessly on the implementation of the gender provisions of the Agreement and on the national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security. (spoke in English) When the Council met in July last year (see S/PV.9094), a new Administration had just been elected in Colombia amid great optimism about the prospects for peacebuilding to advance. At that time, I highlighted the enormous opportunity and responsibility that the Government of President Gustavo Petro Urrego would have in accelerating the implementation of the Agreement.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“I welcome this new opportunity to present the Secretary-General’s latest report on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (S/2023/477) and to update the Council on developments related to the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace and other peacebuilding efforts. It is a pleasure, as always, to be with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Mr. Álvaro Leyva Durán, to whom I reiterate my gratitude for the continued collaboration of the Government of President Petro Urrego with the Mission and with the United Nations, as a whole. I am also honoured to be in the presence of Ms.”
2023-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9374 (2023) · source
“Also noteworthy is the dialogue and ceasefire process under way between the Government and the group self-identified as Central High Command-FARC. After six decades of armed conflict, an environment conducive to peace will not be created through more bloodshed among Colombians, quite the contrary. In that regard, I urge all illegal armed actors not to waste the opportunity presented by the bold pursuit of peace through dialogue. The United Nations will continue to support every effort aimed at alleviating the impact of violence and at consolidating peace.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“I would like to conclude by referring to the ongoing peace dialogue processes. As highlighted by the Secretary-General in his report, negotiations between the Government and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) continue to advance. Just as I welcome the constructive spirit that characterized the first two cycles of dialogue, held in Venezuela and Mexico, I hope that the talks during the next round, which will take place in Cuba next month, will yield additional results in terms of violence reduction and the participation of society in peacebuilding. The tragic loss of human lives in recent events serves to highlight the urgent need for the parties to make progress in negotiating a bilateral ceasefire.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“Undoubtedly, the decision announced last year by the Jurisdiction to investigate those serious crimes, which the Council took note of in its 22 October 2022 press statement (SC/15063), is a step in the right direction. I hope that, as it already does in other cases, the SJP will soon be able to open this case and work to honour the rights of the victims. Advocacy by women’s organizations has also been palpable in the process of designing the national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security. I am pleased to report that, under the leadership of the Government, a series of regional forums have begun for the development of the action plan, with the participation of women leaders from all over the country, including women former combatants.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“During a gathering with students at a university in Bogotá, both described the stories that led them from being part of the armed conflict to the path of peace on which they walk today; expressed their desire that the acknowledgement of their responsibilities contribute to the reparation of victims, reconciliation and non-repetition; and invited youth present to understand the value of peace built on truth and justice. Also with regard the transitional justice process, civil society organizations, particularly those of women, LGBTQI persons and victims, continue to insist on the prompt opening by the SJP of Case 11, on sexual and gender-based violence.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“As State entities prepare to implement the first sentences themselves, the trial phase has begun in cases involving former FARC-EP commanders, members of the public security forces and civilian third parties. Recently, the fundamental role of the truth about what happened during the conflict was highlighted in a powerful act of reconciliation between Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri and retired Army Colonel Luis Fernando Borja, who is appearing before the SJP within Case 03 so-called “false positives”.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“It is precisely in those rural areas and for those vulnerable populations that we can see again the way in which fuller implementation of the agreement and dialogue processes with armed groups can be mutually reinforcing. In acutely conflict-affected areas, such as the Pacific coast, progress on provisions of the agreement aimed at increasing the State’s presence and at providing development opportunities to historically neglected communities can help address the root causes of the conflict, while steps towards de-escalation through dialogue can contribute to reducing violence, thereby enabling better conditions for implementation. (spoke in Spanish) The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) continues to move forward in its essential mandate of investigating and sanctioning crimes committed by all parties during the conflict.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“This is the first time the report of the Secretary- General includes matters related to the comprehensive rural reform and the ethnic chapter of the Final Agreement as part of the mandate entrusted to the Mission by the Council. Those provisions of the agreement are of enormous magnitude — from bringing much-needed infrastructure and investments to remote rural areas, to ensuring equitable access to land and redressing the specific impacts suffered by ethnic communities during the conflict. I am therefore glad that the Mission is already cooperating with the Government and State entities, as well as mechanisms created by the peace agreement, as they work to deliver on the expectations of Colombian peasants, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“It is hard to envision either fully succeeding without the other, given the realities on the ground in many of the conflict-affected areas where violence by remaining armed groups is a major obstacle to the implementation of the Final Agreement, and where insufficient implementation also fuels the conditions for that violence. In recent days, the Government has made clear, through additional actions, its commitment to the Final Agreement. An important example of that is its decision establish an office headed by a high-level official, within the presidency, tasked solely with looking after the comprehensive implementation of the Final Agreement. The President also announced plans to cut through legal and bureaucratic impediments to implementation and to involve a whole-of-cabinet approach to complying with the agreement.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“The security of former FARC-EP combatants and the protection of social leaders is, and will continue to be, our top priority. (spoke in English) The situations I described to begin this briefing are an illustration of one of the key themes of the Secretary- General’s latest report — that is, the critical importance of both aspects of the “total peace” policy put forth by the current Government — on the one hand, the core task of fully implementing the Final Agreement and, on the other, its efforts through dialogue, however challenging that may be, to reduce the levels of violence by other illegal armed groups so as to expand the scope of peace in the country. The two aims have become inextricably linked.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“I am glad to report that, during the visit — the first one by President Petro Urrego to one of those areas — the President announced several measures to strengthen the reintegration process and security, as well as to expedite the implementation of the agreement more broadly. While I regret that that group of former combatants had to leave the area where they invested so much effort and work into their reintegration into civilian life, it is positive that an orderly relocation plan to a new location with greater security and access to productive land was agreed upon for them and their families. Members can rest assured that the Mission will continue to support former combatants and their families and to monitor progress on the announced measures.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“Londoño Echeverri in Bogotá, as well as their joint visit to the former territorial area for training and reintegration in Mesetas, in the Meta department, in the wake of a serious threat by an illegal armed group against dozens of former combatants and their families, are an example of how the parties can work together to address the multiple challenges facing the process and to advance implementation. I had the opportunity to be part of that visit and to hear at first-hand the concerns of men and women in the reintegration process and witness their constructive dialogue with the authorities.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“I am also honoured to be in the presence of Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, former Commander of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia- Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), a signatory party to the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace and now President of the Comunes political party. Mr. Londoño’s leadership in the transition from war to peace has been, and will continue to be, fundamental. His participation today is certainly testimony of the commitment of thousands of former combatants to the Final Agreement. I am pleased that today’s meeting provides a first opportunity for the Council to hear directly from both signatory parties about the current status of implementation. The recent meeting between President Gustavo Petro Urrego and Mr.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to present the most recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/222) on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia and to inform the Security Council about important developments related to the consolidation of peace in the country. As always, it is a pleasure to be in the company of Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva Durán. I take this opportunity to thank him and, through him, the Government of Colombia for the continued collaboration with the Mission and with the United Nations in general.”
2023-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9303 (2023) · source
“I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the hundreds of men and women in the Mission and the country team whose day- to-day work is a clear reflection of that commitment.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“If the dialogues are successful, they will make a great contribution to creating the security conditions necessary for the realization of the various provisions of the Final Agreement. The effective implementation of the agreement in itself would bring about the transformations required for lasting peace to take root. The Council’s decision today to authorize the expansion of the Mission’s mandate to include the Agreement’s comprehensive rural reform and the ethnic chapter in its verification tasks will enable the Mission to increase its contribution to peace in Colombia. I am very grateful for the Security Council’s trust and that of the parties. There are many opportunities ahead for peacebuilding in Colombia. The role of the United Nations and the solid support of the Council remain as important as ever.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“If carefully designed and carried out with commitment, such de-escalation measures agreed with armed groups can help to significantly reduce the violence and the suffering of conflict-affected communities, while building trust in ongoing dialogues. There is a fundamental reality that must be acknowledged. The lasting success of the Colombian peace agreement, which we all wish to see, is contingent on the ability of the Colombian authorities to address the persistent violence that poses its greatest threat. The Government is making an admirable effort to do so, in part through differentiated dialogues with the illegal armed groups aimed at ending the violence.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“I have been carrying out that role as part of a supporting group that includes the guarantor and accompanying countries, and the Catholic Church. The parties have also decided to share with the Security Council documents agreed at the negotiating table. I will ensure that the first such document, focused on the rules and architecture of the negotiating process, reaches the Council through the Secretariat. The new year began with a hopeful announcement by the President of six-month ceasefires with several illegal armed actors operating in various areas across the country. The Secretary-General welcomed that announcement.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“(spoke in English) While pressing forward with the implementation of the Final Agreement, Government engagement with illegal armed actors has continued within the framework of the total peace policy. Last month, the Government and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional concluded the first round of peace dialogues in Venezuela amid a constructive environment. They plan to hold a new round in Mexico in the coming weeks. The parties’ decision to reinitiate discussions is widely supported in Colombian society, and is especially valued by communities affected by the conflict in several regions. At the request of the two parties, the Secretary- General has agreed to permanently support their dialogue process through my presence at the talks.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“The progress made by the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition, a fundamental pillar of the agreement and one of its most innovative aspects, is encouraging. The issuance by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) of its first concluding resolutions is a decisive step towards the first restorative sentences, which could be delivered this year. As noted by the Secretary-General, the recommendations included in those resolutions, arrived at through a process of dialogue involving victims and participants, clearly illustrate that peace and justice can, and should, be mutually reinforcing. The Mission will continue to support the SJP and Government entities as they prepare to ensure the conditions for the implementation of those sentences.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“Of particular concern is the ongoing violence against indigenous leaders and communities, such as the Awá, and Afro-Colombian communities, such as the Community Council of Alto Mira and Frontera, both in Nariño department, where the implementation of the ethnic provisions of the Final Agreement is imperative. As the Government takes bold steps to reduce violence under its “total peace” policy and implements a new human security approach, the coordinated implementation of the agreement’s provisions on security guarantees is also necessary. I am confident that the steps recently taken by the National Commission on Security Guarantees will enable progress towards that goal.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“The recent extension until 30 June of a basic income, which guarantees access to a basic monthly income for thousands of former combatants, is also a very positive step, while the parties continue to work together to adopt medium- and long-term measures to ensure sustainable reintegration. To that end, it remains critical to ensure the necessary resources to support the thousands of ex-combatants, men and women, who remain committed to their transition to civilian life despite immense challenges and threats. It is regrettable that, more than six years since the signing of the Final Agreement, violence continues against communities, social leaders and former members of the FARC-EP. In recent weeks, there have been numerous acts of violence, especially in areas prioritized for the implementation of the agreement.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“(spoke in Spanish) The success of the reintegration process is an essential part of building a stable and lasting peace, as envisioned by the Government and the former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) in the Final Agreement. In that regard, I welcome the recent appointment of Alejandra Miller, a former member of the Truth Commission and a women’s rights advocate, as the new Director of the Agency for Reintegration and Normalization, which is a key entity in ensuring that success. Her emphasis on mainstreaming gender and ethnic approaches in the reintegration process is extremely encouraging.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“As the Secretary-General has reiterated, constructive dialogue between the parties, as well as between the Government and civil society, is of the essence. I am very encouraged by the positive environment that characterized the past few months within the Commission for the Follow-Up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement and other forums created by the agreement. I trust that that spirit will shortly translate into joint actions to overcome pressing challenges so as to move forward decisively. This year is also key to advancing outstanding legislation to implement the peace agreement. Victims’ representatives in Congress, as well as members of political parties from across the spectrum, will all have a fundamental role to play.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“I echo his praise for steps taken in the past few months regarding comprehensive rural reform, such as the agreement on the purchase of land and the increase in the budgets for agriculture. Further momentum in rural reform issues was seen in the convening by the authorities of the first National Convention of Peasants, which I attended last December. At the Convention representatives of peasant communities shared testimonies and came forward with many proposals for deepening the implementation of elements of the agreement’s comprehensive rural reform, thereby once again reaffirming their key role in peacebuilding. Rural reform is now at last clearly moving to the centre of efforts to build a more peaceful and prosperous Colombia.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“Just a week ago, President Petro Urrego and Vice-President Márquez Mina travelled to Chocó, one of the most neglected regions of the country, to sign the law to enact the Ministry of Equality. That is an exciting development for Colombia. That new institution, under the leadership of the Vice-President, seeks to address deep inequalities that especially affect women and indigenous and Afro-Colombian peoples. It can certainly be an important instrument for advancing the goals of the peace agreement by helping to bridge disparities within Colombian society. In his report, the Secretary-General welcomes the Government’s recent actions to move forward in some of the areas of the agreement with the greatest transformative potential.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“I am also pleased with the participation at this meeting of Mr. Armando Wouriyu Valbuena, a prominent indigenous leader and Secretary of the High- level Forum of Ethnic Peoples of Colombia, which was established by the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, who works day in and day out to promote the rights of ethnic communities throughout the country. (spoke in English) The developments described in the most recent report of the Secretary-General on Colombia (S/2022/1004) speak of the potential of the year ahead for the consolidation of peace in Colombia. I am confident that, with the commitment of the parties, the year 2023 can bring with it decisive progress to deliver much-needed security and development opportunities for communities in conflict-affected regions.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source
“Mr. Ruiz Massieu: It is a pleasure to address the Security Council at the beginning of this important year for peace in Colombia. (spoke in Spanish) It is a special honour to be here in the presence of Vice-President Francia Márquez Mina, who today is Vice-President but who has been a historic peacebuilder in Colombia. I would also like to especially acknowledge Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva Durán, who is also a historic figure in achieving peace in the country. I take this opportunity to thank them both for the confidence and the support extended by the Government of Colombia to the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, and overall to the entire United Nations system. I want to once again express my solidarity and to reiterate my absolute condemnation of the attempted attack on the Vice-President reported yesterday.”
2023-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9240 (2023) · source