UN Urges Duque to Support Compliance With the Peace Agreement

Almost five years after signing the Peace Agreement in Colombia, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, urged the Colombian government to provide resources and continue working to fulfill all its points.

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The head of the multilateral organization announced in the quarterly report of the Verification Mission of his entity in the country. The report stated that the agreement faces many challenges and risk factors for its compliance in the long term despite the points already implemented.

Among the achievements, Guterres mentioned the successful ceasefire, the laying down of arms by former combatants for their participation in democracy, and the creation of spaces for communities to integrate into the design of development plans and alternatives to illicit economies.

 In addition, the report highlighted the gender approach as a pioneering element in peace processes around the world.

However, the diplomat noted that "violence against former combatants, social leaders and human rights defenders continues to be concentrated in 25 municipalities in the country. 

He also reported that 14 ex-insurgents of the Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC), all men, were murdered in the last quarter covered by the report, making 292 dead since the signing of the agreement, including nine women.

The report also stated that the Cauca, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca departments account for more than a third of the total number of murders. The security of ex-combatants has deteriorated considerably. 

Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights received information of 43 human rights defenders killed, bringing the total to 158 in 2021. Eleven massacres left 38 victims and another 16 that are being verified.

On the other hand, Guterres highlighted the progress of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the Integral System for Peace to pursue transitional justice and compensation to relatives of victims of enforced disappearance. He called on all Colombians to support, respect, and contribute to its efforts.

The Secretary-General mentioned that massive displacement continues to be a consequence of persistent violence in indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in Antioquia, Bolívar, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba and Nariño.

The diplomat stated that a comprehensive State presence is necessary to stop the violence and called on institutions to act on the recommendations of the early warnings issued by the Ombudsman's Office.