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Colombia

Statement to the Security Council by SRSG Jean Arnault Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia

Mr. President,
Distinguished members of the Council,

Permettez-moi d’adresser mes condoléances personnelles au Gouvernement et à la Mission Permanente de la Côte d’Ivoire à l’occasion du décès de l’Ambassadeur Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoué. Son appui résolu à notre travail a été une grande source d’encouragement pour notre Mission.

Mr President,
Distinguished members of the Council,

It is a privilege to share once again the floor with Vice President Oscar Naranjo in the presence of Foreign Minister María Angela Holguín. Both have been firm pillars of the peace process during the negotiation as well as the implementation phase, and they we are grateful for the close and supportive relation they have maintained with the Mission.

On 11 March, millions of Colombians turned out to vote for congressional elections that were a clear step forward in the country´s transition from conflict to peace. The elections were also a milestone in the transition of FARC from weapons to politics. The presidential election is now five weeks away, and against a background of political polarization, the campaign so far has confirmed the trend towards a reduction of electoral violence.

Among legislative developments since the publication of the Secretary-General´s report, let us also note that a couple of weeks ago, the Constitutional Court endorsed the Law on the Status of the Opposition – a piece of legislation derived from the Peace Agreement that had previously been on the agenda of Congress since the adoption of the current constitution in 1991. In particular, it provides opposition parties with access to media, to additional funding and to representation in the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives for runners-ups in the presidential and vice presidential elections.

In addition, last night the same Court unanimously declared constitutional the political participation of FARC, including the 10 seats in Congress provided for in the Peace Agreement. This is a particularly important ruling at this juncture.

With regard to the socioeconomic reintegration of FARC members, the Superintendent of Banks issued the expected decree to facilitate the opening of bank accounts for FARC cooperatives. It confirms that entities under the supervision of the Superintendent can provide banking services to former members of FARC in the process of reintegration on an equal footing with the rest of the population, and that, with the exception of individuals on international sanctions lists, they cannot deny those services on account of being former combatants.

With respect to security guarantees, a significant development was the approval two days ago, after many months of consultations with a large array of civil society organizations, of a program for the security and protection of communities, organizations, social leaders and human rights defenders throughout the areas affected by the conflict. This programme was one of the main commitments in the Peace Agreement. It supplements the current focus of the National Protection Unit on protection of individual leaders with a more collective approach to the security of communities. This is in line with challenges that have been identified in the countryside by state institutions, social organizations and the Mission itself. The programme also provides for a ground-up approach to security on the appropriate premise that local authorities and communities are best placed to identify threats and protection measures.

We will provide maximum support to its implementation.

Mr. President,
Distinguished members of the Council,

The last couple of weeks have also brought new challenges to the peace process. The arrest of one of the leaders of the FARC on drug trafficking charges reverberated in a country that remains divided around the peace process. From the FARC leadership, and particularly from the party´s president Timoleon Jimenez, calls for calm and statements of resolve to continue to pursue the path of the Peace Agreement have been very important in addressing misgivings and mistrust among former combatants in the reintegration areas. In addition, the Government has stated its commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Peace Agreement, particularly with regard to reintegration.

We welcome that the Special Jurisdiction for Peace is able to take on its responsibilities in relation to this case, in accordance with the Peace Agreement.

We also agree wholeheartedly with the need for a sustained drive to put the reintegration of former combatants on a more solid basis before the end of the Government´s mandate. Weaknesses in this effort can only increase the risk of the drift of some ex-combatants to criminal groups such as those responsible for the tragic killings and kidnappings of Ecuadorian nationals operating in the border area with Ecuador. As mentioned by the Secretary-General in his report, the ingredients for a breakthrough are known – viable productive projects, functional cooperatives and the availability of land - and much of the legal and technical preparation has been done. We look forward to the prompt approval of the decree allowing access to land to former combatants.

Mr President,
Distinguished members of the Council,

I mentioned earlier the new programme on the protection of communities. I should note that with its adoption, implementation of the most important commitments of the Peace Agreement on security matters is underway: the National Commission on Security Guarantees, the Special Investigative Unit of the Attorney General´s Office, the Elite Corps of the National Police, the strengthened Early Warning System of the Ombudsman´s Office, and the National Protection Unit´s Special Protection Measures for FARC. Furthermore, the decree on the Comprehensive Security System for the Exercise of Politics was passed and endorsed by the Constitutional Court.

The Secretary-General reported on the activation of the National Commission on Security Guarantees, on whose leadership we count to focus the attention of state institutions on bringing much needed security to the countryside and address the threats and attacks against community leaders and human rights defenders.

In this respect, the Special Investigative Unit has now expanded its investigations to cover killings of those leaders after initially focusing primarily on the assassination of FARC members. As of this month, it has assumed 58 such cases of community leaders and human rights defenders. It is currently prioritizing those with a view to achieving results as soon as possible.

While it is too early to take stock of a peace process that has set ambitious and long-term goals, we already observed that it has achieved a notable reduction of violence in the congressional elections. Similarly, it has created a series of institutions dedicated to overcome the patterns of social, economic and political violence in the conflict areas. This is a substantial change. And the next few months provide an opportunity to bring together government institutions, local authorities and social organizations to press forward with this agenda.

Mr. President.
Distinguished members of the Council,

As mentioned in the Secretary-General´s report, negotiations between the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army have resumed. The Catholic Church and the Mission, who supported implementation of the temporary ceasefire from October 2017 to early January 2018, have presented their recommendations to both parties to support their effort at reaching a more reliable ceasefire. The two parties have reiterated their interest in UN support to the implementation of a future ceasefire. The Security Council will make the appropriate decisions in due time. Meanwhile we will do our best to ensure that the design of the ceasefire is as robust as possible.

Mr. President,
Distinguished members of the Council,

Throughout the implementation phase of the Peace Agreement, circumstances have occasionally tested the commitment of the two parties to stay the course. They have stayed the course. The unanimous support consistently voiced by the Council have helped sustain their resolve. It will continue to be a source of confidence and strength.

Thank you.