S/PV.7859 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Colombia to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Jean Arnault, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in Colombia, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/1095, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Colombia. In December, the members of the Security Council welcomed the ratification by the Colombian Congress of the new Final Peace Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo. It is important to ensure that the international community continues to fully support the Peace Agreement’s implementation so that it can rapidly deliver tangible benefits that will enable the people of Colombia to live in peace. I now give the floor to Mr. Arnault. Mr. Arnault: I would like to thank the Security Council for this opportunity to brief it on the work of the United Nations Mission in Colombia and on developments in the implementation of the Colombian Final Peace Agreement since the end of the period covered in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2016/1095), dated 23 December. In spite of the holiday season, it was a short but very active period that has brought about some very encouraging results. I will begin with the legislative agenda. As the Council may recall, in early December Colombia’s Constitutional Court empowered Congress to fast- track the adoption of laws deriving from the Peace Agreement. As a result, on 28 December Congress was able to pass an amnesty law — one that excluded serious crimes, however  — which President Santos Calderón ratified two days later. That responded to a key request of the guerrilla organization, and besides paving the way for the release or conditional release of some 4,000 prisoners, it should facilitate the first major step towards the lay-down of weapons, which involves moving the members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) to the 26 zones where the lay-down will take place. Next week, on 16 January, Congress will take up two more critical pieces of legislation, a draft constitutional law that will enable the establishment of an integral system for truth, justice and reparation, including a special jurisdiction for peace, a truth commission and a missing persons search unit. According to the Colombian Government, approximately 20,000 cases may be brought before the special jurisdiction for peace. Congress will also consider the inclusion in the Constitution of a provisional article granting constitutional rank to provisions in the Agreement that are directly connected to international humanitarian law and the fundamental rights recognized in the Colombian Constitution. I would now like to say a few words about the implementation of the Agreement itself. A key dimension of that, of course, is the reintegration of FARC members into civilian life, which, as the Council can imagine, has a very direct relationship to the success of the process of laying down weapons. As the Secretary-General’s report mentions, reintegration in Colombia faces some unique challenges, including those relating to the thriving illegal economy in conflict areas. A national reincorporation council was established on 20 December, and has since held four meetings devoted primarily to reintegrating pardoned FARC members and preparing a socioeconomic census of FARC combatants. Unfortunately, some disagreement remains regarding attention to children, which we hope will be resolved soon. The logistical dimension of the implementation of the ceasefire and weapons lay-down agreement has posed perhaps the most difficult challenges so far, due in part to the political uncertainty surrounding the peace process in the wake of the October plebiscite, but also to the large number and remote location of the zones where the process of disarmament is to unfold. As the Secretary-General’s report mentions, in early December the tripartite monitoring mechanism pointed out the need to redouble efforts on the logistical front. Good progress has been made in the past three weeks with regard to setting up the mechanism’s local headquarters. The Monitoring and Verification Mechanism is now deployed in 18 of the 26 headquarters at local level and has established a presence in another three temporary locations. Conditions are still spartan, of course, but there is enough accommodation available to enable the Mission to deploy around 350 of the 450 observers required for the full implementation of its mandate. The observers will be joined at local headquarters by 33 civilian staff before the end of the month. Let me note in passing that, at 15 per cent, the United Nations Mission in Colombia currently has the highest percentage of female observers of all our peace operations, that with the inclusion of civilian observers deployed at the local level, the number reaches 21 per cent, and that today women constitute 55 per cent of the Mission’s substantive personnel. Among other things, that has enabled the Mission to develop close ties with women’s organizations at national and local levels. Indeed, a special effort has been made to engage with women’s groups in order to include their views and recommendations on the ceasefire process and the Mission’s activities, and to establish the confidence required to prevent and deal with potential gender- based violence. With the Mission and the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism now deployed at 21 local sites, the monitoring of the FARC camps, the army units in the vicinity and the 3 kilometre security zone between them has now intensified. Monitoring activities have tripled since early November. In that regard, I would like to stress the dedication and professionalism of the Mission’s staff, both observers and civilians, who have been doing their work in the too-often precarious conditions of a start-up. Incidentally, I should add that we are delighted and relieved that an agreement was reached last night between the Government of Colombia and United Nations Headquarters on providing full casualty evacuation, medical evacuation and medical coverage to all observers. With regard to health care for FARC members, an equally sensitive and urgent issue, progress has also been made in the past couple of weeks; in fact, on 28 December, 2,500 FARC members became affiliated with the national subsidized health system. The main focus of the effort must now be on setting up the FARC camps. To date, construction has begun in one third of the zones and preparations are ongoing in another third, while the remainder still face difficulties. Last week, I accompanied President Santos Calderón on a visit to one of the zones in southern Colombia where he reviewed progress. He gave specific instructions on overcoming existing obstacles and redoubling efforts to enable the 26 camps to be ready as soon as possible. At yesterday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers, he emphasized the urgency of that endeavour and tasked the Cabinet with prioritizing implementation in the zones. That is an important decision and will hopefully allow the arms lay-down process to begin in the next few weeks. As the Council is aware, the United Nations Mission bears responsibility for verifying that process, and observers will be deployed permanently in all FARC camps for that purpose. In anticipation of the operation’s start, the equipment required for the initial storing, marking, recording and monitoring of weapons is being distributed to the Mission’s regional and local offices. For a number of reasons, including the logistical issues I just mentioned, it has proved impossible to meet the first benchmark of the ceasefire timeline, which was achieving the full concentration of FARC combatants and militias in the zones by 1 January. I must also confess that it will hardly be possible to meet the 30 January deadline for the destruction of all the unstable ammunition that is spread in caches around the country. In spite of that setback, last week President Santos Calderón and the FARC secretariat reaffirmed their determination to do everything possible to meet the original goal of a comprehensive lay-down of weapons by early June. We share the perception that an overly protracted process and a loss of momentum would be in nobody’s interest. Fast-tracking the ceasefire process alongside fast-tracking of the legislative agenda makes sense. Even with determination on all sides, it will not be impossible to accomplish that objective. Among other things, there is room to review the timelines once the logistical imperatives have been met. Some of the more complex processes, such as the destruction of unstable ammunition, could begin right away and extend beyond the very short deadline originally specified in the Peace Agreement. The timetable for storing weapons under United Nations monitoring could also be adjusted. Such flexible adjustments could be made without extending the overall 180-day time frame. The Colombian peace process has faced, and still faces, a host of challenges, many of which are mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report. But it also has very solid assets. In the first place, it has the resolve of the Colombian Government and the FARC leadership to persevere in spite of difficulties, and the overwhelming support and aspiration of the people of Colombia for bringing one of the world’s longest armed conflicts to an end. The support of the region and the broader international community will also continue to be a very significant success factor. I want to once again thank the countries that are contributing observers, and the Governments and the organizations that have responded to the parties’ call for assistance in implementing the Peace Agreement provisions. I would also like to acknowledge the united effort of United Nations agencies and programmes in Colombia to bring help to the people and areas most affected by the conflict. Finally, I would like to recall that almost exactly one year ago, on 19 January, the parties invited the Council to oversee the United Nations monitoring of the ceasefire and weapons lay-down process. In Colombia, across political lines, that was widely viewed as a guarantee of success. As the process of implementation of the Peace Agreement gets under way, the Council’s attention and unanimous support to the peace process, and its encouraging voice, will continue to be a very important source of confidence and strength.

I thank Mr. Arnault for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements.

I thank Mr. Jean Arnault, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in Colombia, for bringing us up to date. Ukraine welcomes the Secretary-General’s first report (S/2016/1095) on the implementation of the Mission’s mandate. We welcome the new Final Peace Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), which has ended more than 50 years of armed conflict in their country. The ability of the parties to move forward and work together during the period between the plebiscite and the approval of the new peace agreement has affirmed their determination to ensure a transition to peace that benefits all Colombians. There was an extensive debate, which led to the revision of the agreement; as such, the main concerns of various sectors of Colombian society were addressed and the necessary commitment was achieved. It is now essential that the open dialogue that led to the agreement continue. The swift implementation of this historic agreement must remain the main task for all the parties involved. All political forces and all sectors of Colombian society must actively participate in this crucial task. Greater unity around the Peace Agreement is essential to achieve its objectives, in particular with respect to the ceasefire and the surrender of weapons, as well as rural reform, combating illicit drugs and expanding political participation. The issue of training and the functioning of the FARC camps, as well as the implementation of the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism are fundamental at this stage. In that regard, we commend the Government’s commitment to redouble its efforts to address those unique challenges. We realize that the transition from conflict to peace will be complicated by social, economic, political and security difficulties. Given the complexity of the process, we believe that it is important to maintain focus on the needs and interests of the children affected by the conflict, as well as a gender perspective. Ukraine reiterates its determination to support the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement, in accordance with resolutions 2261 (2016) and 2307 (2016). We commend the efforts of the international actors supporting the implementation of the Peace Agreement, in particular those Member States that have provided observers to the United Nations Mission in Colombia, as well as the role played by the guarantor and supporting countries during the peace process. The Security Council should continue to play a proactive role in supporting the parties as they move forward with the implementation of the provisions of the Final Peace Agreement, and in ensuring the effective functioning of the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism. We hope that the Colombian experience of involving the United Nations as the international component of the tripartite mechanism will become an instructive success story for the region and for the Organization.

I would like to thank the Swedish presidency for having included this meeting in the programme of work for January an issue of such great importance to Colombia, the American continent and to the international community in general. I would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Jean Arnault, for his thorough briefing. To begin, I would like to congratulate the Government of Colombia as well as the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) for having given us once again an example of a commitment to peace in signing a new Final Peace Agreement on 24 November in Bogotá, which was ratified by the Colombian Congress, thereby beginning the process by which the FARC-EP will lay down its arms. The Agreement is the result of a successful negotiation that included various national actors from the political, social and religious sectors, as well as victims. We wish to extend our congratulations to them all. We note that the task was not a simple one, and that there are still many challenges along this complex path. However, the firm will to conclude the conflict and to build a stable and lasting peace, which has been evident in different aspects of the process, gives us hope that the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement will also be successful. The six points of the Agreement are a sign of the breadth and the complexity of the tasks that remain ahead. The establishment of the truth and verification commission for the Final Agreement as well as the framework plan for the implementation of the agreements are important measures that were planned in order to guarantee the implementation of all that was agreed. We are pleased to note the announcement that the framework plan will include, as a matter of priority, the practical and strategic needs of women, and we congratulate the protagonists of the process for paying special attention to the fundamental rights of women as well as of vulnerable social groups. The latest report (S/2016/837) of the Secretary- General on children and armed conflict in Colombia indicates that there has been a decrease in the number of violations committed against children since the beginning of the peace process in Colombia in 2012. At the same time, it highlights the work that has been done by the Government of Colombia in order to strengthen the framework designed to prevent and put an end to violations committed against children and adolescents, and also to respond to them via legislation and public policies. The report points out that the Peace Agreement has been the most important achievement in the area of the protection of children. Among its many provisions in this area, worthy of mention are those that refer to the reintegration of minors who left FARC-EP camps at the beginning of the peace talks, as well as those who who will emerge through the end of the process of laying down arms. Minors will be the object of special protection measures that take a differentiated approach to guarantee the restitution of their rights, prioritizing their access to health and education, their return to their families whenever possible, as well as their final placement in their communities of origin. The Agreement also establishes that the implementation of all the provisions refering to children guarantees the protection of the higher interests of children, as well as their rights and the prevalence of their rights over the rights of others. Uruguay places very high priority on the protection of civilians in situations of conflict and in post-conflict situations. We are of the view that the provisions of the Peace Sgreement in Colombia, among which we find those referring to the protection of women and children, can serve as a model for other peace agreements to be implemented in other parts of the world. With the same spirit and hope with which a year ago we adopted resolution 2261 (2016), we take note of the fact that the FARC-EP and the Government of Colombia have agreed that they will require the international support of various countries as well as international entities when it comes to implementing the agreements. In that respect, we will accord particular attention to any request made to the Security Council, as well as the regional organizations, such as the Union of South American Nations. In conclusion, we would like to reaffirm the support and the commitment of Uruguay to peace in Colombia, and to highlight the importance of the principle of sovereignty in each stage of the process, given the fact that — as we said earlier — this is a process that was initiated and led by Colombians themselves, and one that belongs entirely to them. We trust that the peace agreements in Colombia, along with international support from the United Nations, will soon become an example of good practice or a success story, as referred to in recent days by the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, and that it can be presented as such.

We would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important briefing. We would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the United Nations Mission in Colombia, Mr. Jean Arnault, for sharing with the Security Council the first progress report (S/2016/1095) of the Mission under his charge. Allow me also to welcome the presence of my sister the Permanent Representative of Colombia and other members of her Permanent Mission at this meeting of the Security Council. After over half a century of armed conflict, seven attempts over 34 years to reach a peace agreement, six of which were unsuccessful, a long path has been followed by the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia — Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) to arrive at the achievement of this historic Final Peace Agreement in the brethren country of Colombia. Today Colombia has become an example for the world. Furthermore, this historic process has given the Security Council an opportunity to fulfil the main responsibility that the peoples of the world have entrusted to it: maintaining international peace and security. The signing, on 24 November 2016 in Bogotá, of the Final Peace Agreement — with all of its necessary ammendments so that all parties could commit to a cessation of hostilities and an establishment of a lasting peace  — fills us with hope and satisfaction. We acknowledge the important contributions of the brotherly nations that supported the process of dialogue between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP. There is no doubt that regional cooperation in resolving conflicts is essential in order to reach understanding. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) has clearly expressed that and endorsed the peace process. CELAC has also underscored that “a definitive end to the conflict in Colombia would benefit the region, and we reaffirm the principles agreed to by the Heads of State of CELAC in the Declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was adopted in Havana, Cuba, on 28 and 29 January 2014”. As President Evo Morales Ayma said to his counterpart His Excellency President Santos Calderón of Colombia, everyone knows that the peace process has not been easy, and sustaining the Agreement will require as much effort as it took to achieve it. Sidelining the enemies of peace and the warlords who stalk our peoples will require an outsized effort, and in that regard we make ourselves available with the greatest humility. In that regard, and with the same humility, it is an honour for me to point out that Bolivia is among the countries contributing a significant number of observers to the United Nations Mission in Colombia. We would also like to highlight the importance of the establishment of a national commission of security guarantees and the establishment of the national council of reintegration so that members of the FARC-EP can lead normal lives within Colombian society. That will be an important contribution to the objectives of the cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a lasting peace. We encourage the United Nations Mission in Colombia to work closely with both of those entities. We also take note of the observations presented by the Secretary-General in his report. We would like to underscore a number of points that merit the Council’s attention. First, it is essential to establish conditions for increasing the flow of information from the parties to the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism. Secondly, it is necessary to ensure the necessary logistical support in order to facilitate the work of the Mechanism. Thirdly, it is necessary to have support for the verification of the destruction of dangerous materials and hidden caches of FARC-EP weapons. Finally, as a third component of the Mechanism, we should constantly encourage the development of trust between the members of the Armed Forces of Colombia and the FARC-EP. I would like to conclude by congratulating the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP, as well as the United Nations Mission in Colombia, for the commitment that they have demonstrated in building a society that can develop peaceful coexistence. As Evo Morales Ayma has said, “Dialogue and negotiations have triumphed in Colombia. Peace has won, and we have all won because of that. We extend congratulations to Colombia”.

I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jean Arnault for his strong commitment. As this is the first time that, as a member, we participate in the Security Council in a meeting with the delegation of Colombia, we would like to take this opportunity to commend the agreement signed in Colombia and to encourage all stakeholders to contribute to peace and to strengthen efforts so that peace dividends will be delivered by the agreed deadlines. On 15 and 16 December 2016, President Santos Calderón attended the International Conference on the Rule of Law and Security in Latin America, organized in Rome. On that occasion, he met Italy’s President Mattarella, Prime Minister Gentiloni Silveri and he heard of Italy’s strong commitment to assuring the success of the peace process in Colombia. On that occasion, three bilateral agreements on judiciary cooperation were signed. We are two countries that have a lot of know-how with respect to fighting international criminal organizations. I want to point out something very important to us regarding the recruitment and use of children in the armed conflict. Italy commends the Government of Colombia for structurally including the separation of children in the framework of the Final Peace Agreement. We believe that such an approach could establish best practices and serve as a good example for other countries that face similar challenges. We also welcome the agreement in May 2016, which laid out a way forward for the separation for children under the age of 15 and for a special programme for the restoration of rights and the reintegration of all children under the age of 18. We encourage moving forward with its implementation. Italy is willing to support the Government of Colombia in that endeavour. We are ready to cooperate with the Council in the vested interest of its people. Congratulations to Colombia.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity as the representative of Sweden. I would just like to echo the last point by the representative of Italy, which related to the way that the peace agreements have dealt with, and how the Colombian Government deals with, the particular issue of the children. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. After all those very encouraging and supporting statements, I now give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

I would like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jean Arnault and the members of the Security Council. As you just said, Mr. President, it is very encouraging to not only receive the briefing of Mr. Arnault and the report (S/2016/1095) of the Secretary-General, but also to receive the support that Colombia has always felt from the Security Council since we started along this long path a year ago. On 2 October 2016  — I think it was a surprise for everyone  — the referendum voted “no” by a narrow difference. This had an obvious consequence of a delay of the beginning of the actions that were proceeding for the implementation of what we had agreed upon. However, and I believe that it required a huge commitment and singular perseverence, it was an opportunity that opened the door to President Santos Calderón to initiate a national dialogue to conclude a new peace agreement, which we were finally able to celebrate on 24 November 2016. It incorporated a good number of the changes that were based on the proposals of the political leaders of the “no” movement. The new Final Peace Agreement was ratified by the National Congress 30 November 2016. The first day of December 2016 was set as the date to start the demobilization schedule — to group the ex- combatants of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) into temporary territories while they transitioned to the agreed upon zones — as well as for the handing over and collection of weapons, which must be completed within a 180 days. Thanks to a spirit of great commitment on the part of the Colombian legislature, the Constitutional Court approved the fast-track. The approved period of six months has made it possible for the legislature to introduce six important legal reforms  — the first of which was mentioned by Mr. Arnault, namely, the amnesty law for those members of the FARC who have not committed crimes against humanity, as well as a subseqeunt law on a special peace jurisdiction, both of which flowed from the special capacities conferred on Colombia by the Constitutional Court. The personal commitment of President Santos Calderón to go to a gathering site and meet with the tri-party mechanism, along with the Foreign Minister and Mr. Arnaud and his entire team, is another way in which we will manage to overcome the time that — well, I do not want to say “lost” but, rather, the setback of the referendum. I shouldl ike to inform the Council that, following President Santos Calderón’s visit to the field, a commitment was ratified by all the parties involved  — the Government, the FARC-EP and the United Nations Mission in Colombia — to complying with the 180-day period, with modifications and adjustments, as the Mission has mentioned, in order to ensure the handing over of all weapons. We welcome the report of the Secretary-General isued on 23 December 2016. I thank Mr. Arnault and his entire team. It was not an easy task. There are in fact two Colombias: the urban Colombia, which members are familiar with and which is developed and thriving, and another rural Colombia, which is perhaps neglected and, owing to the conflict, is often very difficult to reach. We trust that, with the arrival of security thanks to the deployment of the police and the Colombian army; with the modifications and construction in the new zones, the majority of which, as members have been able to see for themselves, have no roads, drinking water, electricity or any sort of infrastructure; with the establishment of the Mission’s structures; and with the deployment of international observers and the investigation of incidents by the Mechanism, which has in the past been a behind-the-scenes task — we have managed to move forward in ensuring the alignment of the three components: the rebel forces, the United Nations and the national police. However, implementing the ideas from Havana and from the negotiation period was not an easy task, as we had to actually implement them in the field, which owing to the tripartite nature of the Mechanism, occurs sui generis and is perhaps a disappointment. Despite the progress, we must acknowledge the difficulties in the implementation of the Mechanism itself. In that context, it is important not to lose the momentum and commitment shown by all. We must to intensify our efforts — by the Government, the FARC- EP and the United Nations — to conclude as soon as possible the establishment and structure of the Mission in order to begin activities that have to do with the specific task that the Council entrusted to the Mission related to the laying down of weapons, including the technical installations that are required and that will help us comply with the Council’s mandate in the agreed timetable. I would like to emphasize that we need to conclude as soon as possible the administrative, logistical and legal aspects that are still outstanding, including the letters of assist, all of which can sometimes take a great deal of time and be an impediment. It is important to find a flexible mechanism to provide speedy assistance from the Secretariat. Colombia believes that the professionalism and neutrality of the Mission’s members must be maintained at all times in order to fully fulfil the mandate that was entrusted to them. As I said at the beginning of my statement, the assessment of the first three months is generally favourable. The Mechanism, as it has been designed, generates trust among the parties. The spirit that characterized the Havana negotiations must be reflected at both the regional and local levels. We are sure that we will be able to continue to count on the support of the Security Council and the new Secretary- General. I am sure that, based on the conversation he had with President Santos Calderón, as well as in future conversations, that major commitment will continue, including, of course, the commitment of the United Nations Mission. The support of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States has been very important. At yesterday’s debate (see S/PV.7857) we talked about the importance of the commitment of regional organizations. This is a clear example of how, with observers and forces from our region, and with empowerment rooted in a decision taken by the Latin American and Caribbean region that this process belongs to us, the oldest and last conflict in our hemisphere has been overcome. Amid so many concerns before the Council and before us as Member States, Colombia is pleased to bring news of peace to the Security Council.

I thank the representative of Colombia for her very personal dedication to a Colombia in peace. Let me also take this opportunity to once again stress the importance, in an open meeting like this before the international community, that we all come out in strong support for the implementation of this peace agreement. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.