Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Colombia
We thank Mr. Miroslav Jenča for his detailed report and look forward to the start of his work as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Colombia. We are convinced that his vast experience in various diplomatic posts and his work within the UN system in Latin America will enable him to wisely and effectively lead the UN Verification Mission during this challenging period for the country. We must also thank Mr. Carlos G. Ruiz Massieu, the previous Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who personally made a significant contribution to implementing the Final Peace Agreement. We also welcome the Permanent Representative of Colombia, who joins us for this meeting.
The peacebuilding process in Colombia is now facing a complex reality, perhaps more so than ever in recent years. Despite the authorities’ continued commitment to comprehensively implementing the Final Peace Agreement (FPA), progress is stalling in many areas. Providing security guarantees for former combatants remains a key problem. In the last three months, another nine people who voluntarily laid down their arms and chose peace have been killed. It is unacceptable that the National Commission on Security Guarantees, a body the FPA specifically created to address this issue, has not held meetings for over a year. Without ensuring basic security for former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) members, their full reintegration into society is impossible. Moreover, threats against the lives of demobilized combatants set a negative example for all those who are still engaged in armed struggle and who, against this background, see no point in transitioning to a peaceful life.
At the same time, it is worth noting some positive developments in implementing the agrarian reform. Land distribution in favor of conflict victims is progressing slowly, but it significantly outpaces what was done by the previous Columbian administrations, which sabotaged this process.
The most significant recent milestone in implementing the FPA has been the first rulings issued by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP). We welcome this step, which culminates years of meticulous work by the judges, who analyzed thousands of pieces of evidence and testimonies of crimes committed during the decades of armed conflict. We expect that these and subsequent verdicts of the SJP will restore truth and justice for the victims of the conflict and will also bring long-awaited legal clarity for the accused, the vast majority of whom pleaded guilty and cooperated with the investigation.
The next crucial step should be the full implementation of the SJP decisions, which requires effective action by the authorities, including the allocation of sufficient budgetary resources and measures to ensure the safety of all participants in the process. We count on the significant contribution of the UN Verification Mission, mandated by the Security Council to facilitate the implementation of the SJP judgments.
Beyond the FPA, the government's strategy of conducting parallel negotiations with armed groups that are active in Colombia unfortunately continues to stagnate. Given the fragmentation of “traditional” illegal armed groups and the lack of progress on the relevant dialogue tracks, what merits our attention is the first round of negotiations in Doha between the Colombian government and the Gulf Clan, which calls itself the “Gaetanista Army of Colombia.”
Among the sources of serious concern are the increased armed violence in the country, in particular terrorist acts in the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, and Caquetá, and the brutal murder of the well-known politician and presidential candidate Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. We strongly condemn all manifestations of terrorism. We note the role of UNMOVIC in securing the release of hostages held by rebel groups.
The only response to violence by illegal armed groups can be decisive measures by the authorities to protect the population and scale up the state's presence in the regions affected by the conflict. But for all those high-profile incidents, we should neither question the need to achieve national consensus through peaceful initiatives nor let the heated pre-election fuss to obscure this key task.
The FPA is the cornerstone and model for achieving national reconciliation, and its implementation must remain the focus of the Colombian Government's efforts. As a permanent member of the Security Council, which approved this fundamental document, Russia will continue to firmly defend it, regardless of the political dynamics in Bogota and other capitals. In this context, we support the preservation of the main mandated tasks of the United Nations verification Mission in Colombia as an indispensable tool for the international community to interact with the parties to the peace process and monitor the situation on the ground.
Thank you.
