FARC and Colombia Govt Outline Plan for Peace Tribunal Process

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the Colombian Government unveiled Friday an independent mechanism for selecting judges for special peace tribunals, a process in which they will seek to enlist the participation of Pope Francis and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

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The agreement outlined in Havana, Cuba, the venue for peace talks dating back to late 2012, mentions the designation of prominent figures and institutions that will be tasked with naming the members of the judge selection committee.

The figures and institutions proposed by President Juan Manuel Santos' administration and the FARC include Pope Francis, Ban Ki-Moon, the Criminal Chamber of Colombia's Supreme Court, the International Center for Transitional Justice's Colombian delegation, and the Standing Committee of the State University System.

The Tribunal for Peace will be made up of 24 judges: 20 of them Colombian and four from other countries.

A group of separate chambers to handle matters such as acknowledgment of truth and responsibility, amnesty, and determination of legal status will be made up of 18 Colombian judges and six foreigners.

These bodies will try those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while "political crimes" or offenses of lesser severity will be eligible for amnesty.

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The Colombian government and the FARC announced a historic cease-fire deal on June 23, but peace negotiators are still working in Havana to resolve pending issues prior to the signing of a definitive peace agreement at a still-undetermined date.

Negotiators also are still discussing one final point on the agenda: implementation, verification and ratification of the peace deal through a "Yes" vote, which the Colombia government insists must be approved by popular referendum.

The plebiscite needs the approval of at least 4.4 million Colombians, 13 percent of the approximately 33 million people eligible to vote in the country.

Colombia’s five-decade internal armed conflict has claimed over 220,000 lives and displaced some 6 million people.