UN Mission in Colombia: Updates, Press Conferences, and Visits by the Security Council

2024-01-12 19:50:16

Carlos Ruiz Massieu – Head of the United Nations in Colombia

Photo: GUSTAVO TORRIJOS

Following the presentation to the UN Security Council of the quarterly report of the Verification Mission in Colombia on the implementation of the ceasefire, the special representative of the UN Secretary General in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, gave a press conference virtual where he spoke regarding the conditions that the United States gave to expand the mandate of the Mission that can verify the ceasefire with the dissidents of the former FARC and gave details regarding the visit that the Security Council will make to the country in February.

In context: UN calls for Petro to comply with the Agreement with FARC in the midst of Total Peace

The UN Verification Mission report says that “no case of violation of the ELN ceasefire has been confirmed” and that has generated noise, especially due to the kidnapping of Luis Díaz’s father, where even the guerrilla itself accepted responsibility. Why is that conclusion reached?

The report speaks of 170 cases received, several of which were dismissed and others that are in different stages. That does not mean that there cannot be incidents that can be considered violations. As of today there are none, but precisely because the different stages are being completed and we still cannot be categorical and say that following the analysis of the 170 cases there is no incident of rape. But I repeat that this does not mean that there are no incidents, it just means that not all the stages have been completed.

I would like to highlight two things that show the importance of the Verification Mechanisms: the first is, without a doubt, the prevention of confrontations. That has been key in this process: And the other is conflict resolution. If we see that there is a situation, even if it is not related to the ceasefire, those cases have often been addressed.

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How likely is it that Verification Mechanism reports will be made public? There is supposed to be a quarterly delivery and we understand that this has been done for the table, but when for the public?

As determined in the protocols, this report goes to the table to be evaluated and adjustments made both to the way the mechanism works, but also to the issue of dissemination. I can tell you that from the United Nations we have a great interest in this report or the work of the mechanism being disseminated in the broadest way with public opinion, with Colombian society and of course through the media. We hope the parties are with us on that. We are convinced that we must have much more information.

Could you give us more details regarding the UN Security Council visit that was announced for February?

More specific details regarding this visit will surely be announced more formally in the coming days by the Government and the Security Council. For now, it is a visit that is planned for the first half of February. It is a four or five day visit in which there will be meetings with the different counterparts of the 2016 Agreement – the Government and the FARC ex-combatants – to carry out an on-site evaluation of the implementation.

There will be field visits to also see how implementation is progressing in different areas of the country, how the situation of the communities is, how the Ethnic Chapter and rural reform are progressing. This visit includes both elements of national dialogue and field visits, precisely to make this evaluation.

This is the third visit that the Security Council has made since the signing of the 2016 Agreement and the second during my administration. This is a great opportunity for the Security Council, directly, to make that evaluation and express support for the Colombian peace process and for the parties to share their evaluation and how things are progressing. We are halfway to the 15 years projected for its implementation.

What will be the areas that the Security Council will visit? Is there already information regarding them?

I am not yet in a position to confirm the specific areas. What I can anticipate is that it will be, on the one hand, in an area where the reintegration process of FARC ex-combatants will take place. It will surely be in one of the old ETCR (territorial training and reintegration spaces). In the other area, the aim is to have contact with ethnic groups and deepen the dialogue with indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. The agenda is yet to be confirmed.

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The United States representative to the Security Council conditioned the expansion of the mandate of the UN Verification Mission to verify the ceasefire with the dissident group known as the Central General Staff (EMC). How do you read that conditioning?

Indeed, we still do not have the mandate of the Security Council to verify that cessation, however it has collectively expressed its willingness to consider giving us that mandate. What we are going to do is bring information to the Council regarding what is happening at the negotiating table so that it can assess whether or not to give us the mandate. For now we are participating as observers.

In context: US conditions extension of mandate of UN Mission to verify cessation with dissidents

The United States expressed that, in its opinion, the dialogues with the EMC and the ceasefire itself are not yet mature enough for the Council to get involved. That being the case, what they express is that the process is required to move forward.

There is a discussion process, in which we trust, to renew this ceasefire and structure and focus the agenda of these dialogues. Other countries expressed that they were ready to consider expanding the mandate for this process, but the members of the Council have different very valid visions and it is up to us to put all the elements under consideration so that they can make the decisions they consider appropriate regarding the involvement of the Council. of Security and Mission.

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