U.K., Irish Statement on Colombian Peace Agreement Anniversary

On Wednesday, 147 parliamentarians from the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Houses of the Oireachtas of the Republic of Ireland, and the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland signed a declaration to support the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Colombian State and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP). The text of this declaration is presented below.

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“We take this moment of the fifth anniversary of the signing of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian state and the FARC-EP to reiterate its historic importance and our ongoing commitment to supporting its full implementation.

We recognize the international community has a responsibility to support the Colombian people in their efforts to ensure the success of the peace process as declared through United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2261 of 2016 and 2366 of 2017.

We welcome the full compliance of the FARC-EP with its obligations regarding the laying down of weapons, as was verified by the United Nations on 27 June 2017, and its ongoing fulfilment of its obligations relating to the transitional justice process being carried out under the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition.

We highlight the important progress being made by the transitional justice system in general through its three components, the Truth Commission, the Unit for the Search of Disappeared Persons and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). We consider all three to be integral structures for the hope of a sustainable peace in Colombia, and we give our full support to their ongoing work. 

However, five years since its signing, we must express our profound concern at the lack of progress overall. The lack of implementation by the Colombian government of some its crucial obligations in the agreement has left the peace process weakened and is denying the Colombian people the opportunity to experience the agreement’s transformative potential to build a sustainable and lasting peace. 

The first chapter of the agreement focused on rural reform has advanced far too slowly. A similar picture is faced regarding the chapter on illicit crops with far too few of the families who entered into the manual substitution programme being given access to an alternative economic project, a fundamental part of the agreement to ensure sustainability.

We welcome the transformation of the FARC-EP into a political party engaged in parliamentary politics and, while delays have been worrying, we hope to see imminently the full activation of the 16 specially created congressional seats for areas with high levels of historic violence. Advancement in these areas is particularly important given they relate to the structural causes behind the armed conflict.

We congratulate the significant efforts being made by former FARC combatants to set up cooperatives and economic projects as part of their reincorporation process, often with essential support from the international community. However, roughly half have still not been given access to funds, thereby undermining a fundamental commitment in the agreement.

Meanwhile the lack of security in many rural areas and the urgent human rights crisis is extremely alarming. Over 290 former FARC combatants and approximately 1000 community activists have been killed since the peace agreement was signed.

The Colombian peace agreement remains Colombia’s best hope to respond to this crisis. The peace agreement offers a major opportunity to take significant steps in addressing the historic, structural factors that have been at the root of so much violence over so many years.

It is essential that the current and future Colombian governments remember that it is their obligation to implement the peace agreement as it was signed, a commitment made in front of the international community and enshrined in the Colombian constitution. A recent report from the Comptroller General in Colombia stated that at the current rate of funding implementation would take 26 years rather than the stipulated 15 – this is a damning reflection of the attention given to the peace process in recent years. 

Just as the international community’s involvement assisted Colombia in reaching the historic moment five years ago which saw the signing of the agreement which brought an end to a half-century armed conflict, it continues to have an important role to play. We will keep working in our respective parliaments and with all those internationally committed to supporting peace in Colombia to ensure the weight of the international community remains focused on implementation of the 2016 agreement and building a complete, stable, and lasting peace. 

Signed by:

Members of the Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom: Alan Brown MP (SNP), Alison Thewliss MP (SNP), Allan Dorans MP (SNP), Alyn Smith MP (SNP), Andrew Gwynne MP (Labour), Angela Crawley MP (SNP), Angus Brendan MacNeil MP (SNP), Anne McLaughlin MP (SNP), Anum Qaisar MP (SNP), Apsana Begum MP (Labour), Baroness Christine Blower (Labour), Baroness Gloria Hooper (Conservative), Baroness Lindsay Northover (Liberal Democrat), Baroness Mary Goudie (Labour), Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP (Labour), Brendan O’Hara MP (SNP), Carol Monaghan MP (SNP), Chris Bryant MP (Labour), Chris Hazzard MP (Sinn Féin), Chris Law MP (SNP), Chris Stephens MP (SNP), Claire Hanna MP (SDLP), Clive Efford MP (Labour), Colum Eastwood MP (Leader, SDLP), Dan Carden MP (Labour), Deidre Brock MP (SNP), Dr Philippa Whitford MP (SNP), Drew Hendry MP (SNP), Francie Molloy MP (Sinn Féin), Ian Byrne MP (Labour), Ian Lavery MP (Labour), John Finucane MP (Sinn Féin), Jon Cruddas MP (Labour), Kate Osborne MP (Labour), Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP (Labour), Lord Des Browne (Labour), Lord John Alderdice (Liberal Democrat), Lord John Monks (Labour), Marion Fellows MP (SNP), Mary Kelly Foy MP (Labour), Michelle Gildernew MP (Sinn Féin), Mickey Brady MP (Sinn Féin), Navendu Mishra MP (Labour), Neil Coyle MP (Labour), Órfhlaith Begley MP (Sinn Féin), Owen Thompson MP (SNP), Patricia Gibson MP (SNP), Patrick Grady MP (SNP), Paul Maskey MP (Sinn Féin), Sarah Champion MP (Labour), Sir Peter Bottomley MP (Conservative), Tony Lloyd MP (Labour)

Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas of the Republic of Ireland: Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Sinn Féin), Alan Kelly TD (Leader, Labour), Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD (Labour), Brendan Howlin TD (Labour), Brian Stanley TD (Sinn Féin), Catherine Murphy TD (Leader, Social Democrats), Chris Andrews TD (Sinn Féin), Claire Kerrane TD (Sinn Féin), Darren O Rourke TD (Sinn Féin), David Cullinane TD (Sinn Féin), Denise Mitchell TD (Sinn Féin), Dessie Ellis TD (Sinn Féin), Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD (Sinn Féin), Duncan Smith TD (Labour), Eoin O Broin TD (Sinn Féin), Gary Gannon TD (Social Democrats), Gerald Nash TD (Labour), Imelda Munster TD (Sinn Féin), Ivana Bacik TD (Labour), John Brady TD (Sinn Féin), Johnny Guirke TD (Sinn Féin), Johnny Mythen TD (Sinn Féin), Kathleen Funchion TD (Sinn Féin), Louise O’Reilly TD (Sinn Féin), Mairead Farrell TD (Sinn Féin), Mark Ward TD (Sinn Féin), Martin Browne TD (Sinn Féin), Martin Kenny TD (Sinn Féin), Mary Lou McDonald TD (Leader, Sinn Féin), Matt Carthy TD (Sinn Féin), Maurice Quinlivan TD (Sinn Féin), Pa Daly TD (Sinn Féin), Pádraig MacLochlainn TD (Sinn Féin), Pat Buckley TD (Sinn Féin), Patricia Ryan TD (Sinn Féin), Paul Donnelly TD (Sinn Féin), Pauline Tully TD (Sinn Féin), Pearse Doherty TD (Sinn Féin), Réada Cronin TD (Sinn Féin), Rose Conway Walsh TD (Sinn Féin), Ruairí Ó Murchú TD (Sinn Féin), Sean Crowe TD (Sinn Féin), Seán Sherlock TD (Labour), Senator Annie Hoey (Labour), Senator Fintan Warfield (Sinn Féin), Senator Joe O’Reilly (Fine Gael), Senator Lynn Boylan (Sinn Féin), Senator Marie Sherlock (Labour), Senator Mark Wall (Labour), Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Féin), Senator Paul Gavan (Sinn Féin), Senator Rebecca Moynihan (Labour), Sorca Clarke TD (Sinn Féin), Thomas Gould TD (Sinn Féin), Violet Anne Wynne TD (Sinn Féin)

Members of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland: Áine Murphy MLA (Sinn Féin), Aisling Reilly MLA (Sinn Féin), Cara Hunter MLA (SDLP), Carál Ní Chuilín MLA (Sinn Féin), Cathal Boylan MLA (Sinn Féin), Ciara Ferguson MLA (Sinn Féin), Claire Sugden MLA (Independent), Colin McGrath MLA (SDLP), Colm Gildernew MLA (Sinn Féin), Conor Murphy MLA (Sinn Féin), Daniel McCrossan MLA (SDLP), Declan Kearney MLA (Sinn Féin), Declan McAleer MLA (Sinn Féin), Deirdre Hargey MLA (Sinn Féin), Dolores Kelly MLA (SDLP), Doug Beattie MLA (Leader, Ulster Unionist Party), Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA (Sinn Féin), Emma Rogan MLA (Sinn Féin), Emma Sheerin MLA (Sinn Féin), Gerry Kelly MLA (Sinn Féin), Jemma Dolan MLA (Sinn Féin), John O’Dowd MLA (Sinn Féin), Justin McNulty MLA (SDLP), Linda Dillon MLA (Sinn Féin), Liz Kimmins MLA (Sinn Féin), Maolíosa McHugh MLA (Sinn Féin), Mark H. Durkan MLA (SDLP), Matthew O’Toole MLA (SDLP), Michelle O’Neill MLA (Sinn Féin), Nichola Mallon MLA (SDLP), Nicola Brogan MLA (Sinn Féin), Órlaithí Flynn MLA (Sinn Féin), Pádraig Delargy MLA (Sinn Féin), Pat Catney MLA (SDLP), Pat Sheehan MLA (Sinn Féin), Patsy McGlone MLA (SDLP), Philip McGuigan MLA (Sinn Féin), Sinéad Bradley MLA (SDLP), Sinéad Ennis MLA (Sinn Féin), Sinead McLaughlin MLA (SDLP).