PRESS RELEASE : The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting broad and lasting peace in Colombia – UK statement at the UN Security Council [April 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 April 2024.
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Colombia.
Thank you, President. I thank SRSG Ruiz Massieu and Ms Sánchez for briefing us today and I welcome Foreign Minister Murillo to our meeting. I would also like to thank the Colombian government for hosting the Security Council in February. The visit was an important opportunity to see firsthand the progress, and challenges, on the ground and to demonstrate the Council’s continued commitment to supporting sustainable peace in Colombia.
President, the 2016 Peace Agreement is a roadmap to achieve peace and security through territorial transformation. We welcome the government’s commitment to full implementation, one of the key messages we heard during our visit. We encourage the government to make full use of the 2016 peace architecture to deliver against the commitments made in the agreement. The “Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement”, is an important mechanism for driving this progress, and we look forward to seeing it continue to meet, with sustained energy and commitment from all sides.
We welcome the government’s commitment to rural reform, including the announcement of $8 million for the Rural Women’s Development Fund.
As set out by Ms Sanchez, violence and criminality – including the killings of former combatants, social leaders, human rights defenders, and members of the LGBTQ community – continue to undermine the implementation of the agreement. We call on the government to take urgent steps to address this, including further support for prevention and protection measures, and redoubling efforts to tackle impunity.
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace has a central role to play, as part of the transitional justice architecture established in the Peace Agreement. And I welcome the presence of Roberto Vidal, the Head of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.
As the Secretary-General notes in his report, concerns have been raised by former members of the FARC-EP Secretariat about the scope of the Jurisdiction’s work. We encourage the parties to address their differences through constructive, open dialogue.
With respect to current peace dialogues, we welcome the extension of the ceasefire with the ELN and progress on releasing detainees. We now call on the ELN to deliver on its commitments to protect civilian populations, respect international humanitarian law, and move ahead with a broader political process.
We condemn recent attacks by the group referred to as the Estado Mayor Central on both civilian populations and security forces. These attacks call into question its commitment to pursue dialogue instead of violence. We call on the group to demonstrate a genuine will to work for peace.
President, in the words of the SRSG, let 2024 be the year of implementation. The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting broad and lasting peace in Colombia.
I thank you.
