S/PV.9903 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. On behalf of the Council, I welcome Her Excellency Ms. Laura Camila Sarabia Torres, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia; and Ms. Hilda Beatriz Molano Casas, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia. 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/2025/188, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. I now give the floor to Mr. Ruiz Massieu.

I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to update the Security Council on the latest developments regarding the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace and the ongoing efforts to consolidate peace in Colombia. (spoke in Spanish) It is also an honour to be here with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Laura Sarabia Torres, and through her, I would like to reiterate my appreciation to the Government of Colombia for its continued support for and collaboration with the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. I also welcome the virtual participation of Ms. Hilda Molano Casas, representative of the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia. Child recruitment is indeed a matter of grave concern in Colombia. (spoke in English) The Council previously met to discuss Colombia days after the start of the crisis in Catatumbo (see S/PV.9843). That was a major upsurge in violence that drew attention to serious deficits in peace implementation and launched a wide discussion in the country about peacebuilding strategies. In places such as Catatumbo, Cauca or Chocó, continued violence, insecurity, poverty and illicit economies underscore how important it is to continue to advance in the implementation of the peace agreement and the transformations for which it provides. It is in that context that the most recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2025/188) provides a broad look at the state of the implementation of the Agreement The laying down of arms by former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) combatants was a historic step in their transition into civilian life. Eight years later, with the support of three consecutive Governments, reintegration remains a priority, and the vast majority of those who laid down arms — more than 12,000 individuals — remain actively involved in the reintegration process. Looking forward, the priority must be to address the persisting difficulties they face, such as access to land, housing and assistance to ensure that their livelihood projects are sustainable over time. Insecurity is of particular concern. Four more former combatants have been killed since the issuance of the report, bringing the number to 23 this year. I condemn those killings and call again for strengthened protection for former combatants. While many provisions of the Agreement have a significant transformative potential, some are longer term in nature and are yet to be fully implemented. That is the case for the comprehensive rural reform, which seeks to address a long history of inequitable land distribution and rural poverty in conflict-affected regions. Despite the prioritization of the issue by the current Government and the progress made to date in land adjudication and formalization, the overall implementation of the reform continues to fall short of the goals outlined in the Agreement itself. Illicit economies are intertwined with conflict in Colombia. Solving that problem is necessary for peace to be consolidated. The provisions of the Agreement on the problem of illicit drugs have the potential to contribute to the solutions. Yet the success of instruments such as voluntary crop substitution has been limited, owing in part to a lack of follow-through by the State in providing the development assistance promised to the peasants who had voluntarily eradicated coca. It is noteworthy that a revived crop substitution programme is now part of the Government’s response to the crisis in Catatumbo, as is the delivery of community projects established under the peace agreement in the form of development programmes with a territorial focus. The peace agreement created an innovative transitional justice system, prioritizing truth, restorative justice and reconciliation. One of its main pillars, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, launched seven years ago, has a critical role to play in facilitating the transition from conflict to peace. It has made historic advances through its indictments of perpetrators of the most serious crimes during the conflict. Thousands of victims have participated in its public hearings, in which the perpetrators have acknowledged full responsibility. Today expectations are mounting on the part of victims and Colombian society as a whole for the issuance of its first sentences. In that regard, I welcome the measures announced earlier this year by the Jurisdiction to optimize investigations and expedite the issuance of restorative sentences. I trust that the Government will step up its preparations to ensure that the conditions under which the sentences will be carried out are firmly in place. As mandated by the Council, the Verification Mission stands ready to monitor compliance with the restorative sentences. After the former FARC-EP laid down their arms, areas of the country that had been under its sway enjoyed a spell of hope in which their inhabitants could experience some of the dividends of peace, such as a burgeoning improvement in the security situation, an influx of investment into the territory and new economic activities, such as tourism in areas that had previously been completely out of bounds. Unfortunately, in some such areas, the situation has gradually deteriorated, with the arrival of new or existing armed actors, who are capitalizing on the limited State presence and seeking to control illicit economies. The communities in those territories are bearing the brunt of those groups’ actions and are suffering the consequences of living in disputed areas. Displacement, confinement, the murder of leaders of society and former combatants and an increase in the recruitment of children constitute grave, and certainly unconscionable, acts. In tackling those situations, Colombia is labouring under a false dichotomy of a policy of peace versus one of security. In the current circumstances, ensuring those territories’ welfare clearly requires that the two be mutually reinforcing. The security guarantees for which the Agreement provides are essential to averting, and providing protection from, acts of violence. The public policy of disbanding illegal armed groups and criminal organizations is only beginning to be implemented, following its late adoption in May last year. The Mission will continue to support the development of the pilot projects of that policy, which the Government is implementing in the territories. I further call for the national action plan on the Security Council resolution on women and peace and security (resolution 1325 (2000)) and the provisions of the ethnic chapter of the Agreement to be implemented in the territories. Colombia’s quest to resolve armed conflict through dialogue is long-standing and has scored noteworthy successes, the Final Agreement of 2016 being the most recent example. Peacebuilding is an intricate, long-term and non-linear process. I commend the decision to seek peace through dialogue, although, to date, the initiatives under way have seen limited gains. Looking to the future, it is essential to prioritize processes entailing dialogue with actors who display a genuine desire for peace and who can secure tangible results that serve communities. Adherence to international humanitarian law is the inevitable duty of all. There is no genuine for desire peace if minors are recruited and leaders are murdered. There is no genuine desire for peace if extortion is exacted against communities. There is no real desire for peace if communities are deprived of liberty. We trust that, in the time which remains of its term, the Government will continue to work in a spirit of cooperation with the other signatory to the agreement and that it will attain the goal of expediting the implementation of the Agreement that they presented to the Council. I am convinced that, had the Agreement been more extensively implemented in the past eight years, situations such as those now being experienced in Catatumbo and Cauca would not have arisen. There is still time to use the Agreement as an existing and necessary tool for tackling those cases and preventing the cycles of conflict from recurring in Colombia. Despite the progress and the setbacks, I must acknowledge Colombia’s resilience and perseverance in its quest for peace through negotiated solutions, which the international community has consistently reciprocated with enduring support. At a time when the world is mourning the passing of Pope Francis, it is therefore fitting to recall that peace in Colombia remained in his prayers. Colombia is undoubtedly an example of what can be achieved when the desire of the parties and their society and broad-based international support coalesce. At a critical juncture in the consolidation of peace in Colombia and amid the current challenges, I trust that the Council will

I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for his briefing and analyses. I now give the floor to Ms. Molano Casas, whom I welcome.

In connection with the situation in the country and drawing on the experience and engagement of the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia, the platform of civil society organizations to which I belong, we express our profound gratitude to France for this opportunity to share with all present some thoughts on the grave situation affecting children and adolescents in the context of the armed conflict in the country. Likewise, most respectfully, we would like to present some recommendations aimed at strengthening follow-up and, in particular, at enhancing the positive impact that the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, between the Colombian Government and the now defunct Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) may have on the lives and rights of children and adolescents. According to authorized figures from the Ombudsman’s Office, United Nations system agencies in the country, the Secretary-General’s reports on children and armed conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross and civil society organizations, one cannot deny the worsening of humanitarian impacts and the increase in the number of grave violations against children and adolescents reported in Colombia in recent years, particularly in 2024 and in 2025 to date. That leads us to alarming projections for this year, mainly associated with the use of such new technologies as drones and with the territorial expansion of armed groups and illicit economies. In the face of that reality, the recruitment and use of children by armed groups has become one of the main alarms sounded from the territories. A dire example occurred last January in the department of Guaviare, where at least 21 members of armed groups were killed in a clash. Seven of those killed were minors from different departments, such as Cauca, Cundinamarca and Casanare. That incident attests not only to the fact that recruitment persists, but also to the geographic mobility of the victims, which makes it even more difficult for their families and the authorities to search for, monitor and rescue them. Also of concern is the increase in the number of cases of disappeared children and adolescents, especially in regions like Cauca, Norte de Santander and the centre of the country. Communities have indicated that, in some cases, the disappearances could be associated with recruitment by armed groups. Over the past year, it became evident that the participation of children in armed groups has been brought about by contact via social networks, with short and forceful messages that incite them to participate in the dynamics of the conflict in exchange for deceptive offers that are at odds with the reality that they are experiencing in their territories. Particular attention has been drawn to reports that such practices not only occur in urban centres and rural areas with Internet access, but that similar situations have also arisen in areas that are supposed to have very low connectivity, such as the department of Amazonas, affecting mainly Indigenous adolescents. The participation of children in armed groups cannot be understood in isolation: it occurs alongside other grave violations, such as sexual violence and hindrances to education, among others. In March, for example, armed incursions by FARC dissidents in six municipalities in Cauca department resulted in the confinement of Forced displacement and confinement also constitute violations of international law that directly affect children. What happened in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander, since the beginning of 2025, is an example of how those situations not only violate fundamental rights, but also bring about other violations, such as recruitment and attacks on the right to education. Despite the efforts of the State, civil society, the international community and the communities themselves, effective mechanisms have not yet been established to guarantee the sustained reduction of the recruitment and exploitation of children and of sexual violence against them. Serious difficulties persist in local care and in the response to each case, attesting to the need to redouble efforts. In that context, the decrease in public resources and international cooperation is a cause for concern, as it has limited the capacity to respond, especially in emergency situations in the territories. Civil society organizations, which have a key role in providing direct care to children at risk and/or to child victims, have seen their work be affected by a lack of funding and, on some occasions, by the weakening of political will to implement the children and armed conflict agenda. We therefore ask the Security Council to take into account the fact that many of the prevention and care efforts are directly dependent upon the availability of resources and continued commitment. In line with the principle of the best interest of the child, which guides the Final Agreement, we, as civil society organizations, recognize the importance of strengthening its implementation in the territories. It is essential to integrate a clear focus on preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed groups as a condition for guaranteeing non-repetition. Given the worsening of violations against children, we value instruments provided by the Agreement, such as the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, and particularly the progress made on Case 07, which addresses the recruitment and use of children. The recent auto 005/2024 constitutes an important step towards access to justice and recognition of responsibilities on the part of the last FARC-EP secretariat. This truth, built with and for the victims, must be supported by institutional actions that address the structural causes of those violations in order to guarantee non-repetition in Colombia. In that regard, we have an opportunity to continue working on the implementation of the Peace Agreement. Finally, we request the Security Council to follow up and encourage that, in the current and future negotiations between the Colombian Government and the armed groups, priority be given to incorporating concrete commitments for the immediate release of persons under 18 years of age who are still in the hands of those actors, along with clear measures to put an end to all forms of violence against children and adolescents. If we do not protect children, boys and girls today, we will not break the intergenerational cycles of armed conflict, and we will not be able to move towards sustainable peace.

I thank Ms. Molano Casas for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

Let me start by thanking Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ruiz-Massieu and Ms. Molano Casas for their briefings today. I also warmly welcome Colombian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sarabia Torres to the Chamber for the first time We remain concerned by the security situation in those territories, particularly for women, children and Indigenous groups. The violence in Catatumbo is a clear example, and we call on the Government to strengthen protection measures and safeguard communities. We welcome the launch of the Pact for Catatumbo, and we urge the Government to prioritize the security of all vulnerable Colombians through mechanisms already established. That includes convening the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement and delivery of the national action plan on women and peace and security published last year. With 23 peace signatories killed this year alone and hundreds displaced, the safety, security and reintegration of all signatories to the Agreement remains paramount. Justice for victims remains at the heart of the 2016 Agreement, with its carefully designed system of complementary institutions focused on truth, justice and reconciliation. We call on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) to accelerate its work to ensure the confidence of victims and signatories. To assuage growing doubts about the SJP and its efficacy, now is the time to move forward with the issuing of sanctions and to hold to account those responsible for the most serious human rights violations. The Government has an essential role to play in coordinating with the SJP on the implementation of reparative measures. Beyond the 2016 Agreement, we recognize the Colombian Government’s efforts to extend the dialogue to other armed groups. Unfortunately, as noted in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2025/188), those dialogues have not yet delivered the desired results. The United Kingdom and the Council have consistently called on those groups to demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace, above all by respecting the rights of the communities whose interests they claim to pursue. However, those communities continue to be affected by serious violence, gross human rights abuses and coercive and predatory behaviour at the hands of armed groups. If there is to be any hope of sustainable progress through dialogue, the groups involved must show that they are serious about a political process. In conclusion, the United Kingdom remains steadfast in our support for sustainable peace in Colombia.

I extend my gratitude to Special Representative Massieu for his comprehensive briefing and to Ms. Molano for sharing her perspective. I also welcome Minister for Foreign Affairs Sarabia and Mr. Tovar, representing the high contracting party. January’s Catatumbo crisis, which resulted in more than 100 deaths — including six former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) combatants — and displaced more than 50,000 people, was the most devastating incidence of violence since the signing of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace. That incident is seen, in part, as a consequence of the gap left by the demobilization of FARC following the peace agreement, among First, the Republic of Korea welcomes the agreement reached on 5 April by the Colombian Government and the Comuneros del Sur, as well as the destruction of 585 explosive devices voluntarily handed over to the authorities. The agreement represents a significant step forward in Colombia’s peacebuilding efforts and marks the first tangible outcome under the total peace policy of the current Administration. We emphasize the importance of honouring the agreement in good faith and in a spirit of mutual trust to ensure that it leads to genuine improvements in the daily lives and security of local communities. It is therefore crucial for the Colombian Government to heed the lessons of the Catatumbo crisis and ensure that other armed groups do not occupy the space left by the Comuneros del Sur. We also look forward to concrete plans on reintegration, security guarantees and transitional justice for the demobilized combatants. Secondly, my delegation commends the Colombian Government’s strong commitment to comprehensive rural reform and recognizes the progress made so far under the current Administration. We hope that the Government can create critical momentum to accelerate land reform, which remains significantly behind its agreed targets. In addition, the Republic of Korea underscores the importance of monitoring the status of land already distributed to farmers. To ensure that rural reform initiatives yield tangible and sustainable outcomes, it is essential to verify whether the land is being used for illicit cultivation or has been forcibly seized by armed groups. In such cases, proactive measures must be taken to prevent recurrence. To that end, we urge the Colombian Government to revitalize the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement. We also call on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia to reflect that issue in the next report of the Secretary-General. Finally, the Republic of Korea expresses its deep concern about the continuing lag in progress on the ethnic chapter and gender provisions of the peace agreement. In particular, the recruitment and use of children in Indigenous communities — including the sexual exploitation of girls — persist, despite various efforts by the Colombian Government. We call for an immediate cessation of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, targeting women, Afro-Colombians and Indigenous populations. We also urge the Colombian Government to establish and implement concrete strategies for the prevention of child recruitment and the rescue of affected children. The Republic of Korea also reiterates the importance of prioritizing women and ethnic communities in all components of the peace agreement’s implementation. In that vein, we call on the Colombian Government to further strengthen institutional coordination and revitalize the High-level Forum of Ethnic Peoples and other mechanisms created to support the peace agreement.

Let me also thank Special Representative Massieu and Ms. Molano Casas for their presentations. The United States will continue efforts to support a durable and lasting peace in Colombia. In 2016, the United States supported implementation of Colombia’s Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace and the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. In the eight years since the Final Agreement, its implementation and ability to address Colombia’s deteriorating There has been a significant escalation of violence from illegal armed groups since the beginning of the year. Violence continues to affect many departments in Colombia. In northern Colombia, in the Catatumbo region alone, it has resulted in more than 100 deaths and the displacement of more than 64,000 people since 16 January. The level of attacks against former combatants increased, with 18 former combatants killed between December 2024 and March 2025 — up from five in the previous three months. The United States remains concerned about the potential spillover of violence into other parts of the country. Women and children remain disproportionately at risk as a result of increasing violence. The United States remains committed to the protection of women and children in this conflict and condemns the recruitment and use of children by armed groups. The total peace policy has yet to yield measurable results. Armed groups are splintering and misusing talks as an opportunity to expand their control and increase coca production. The limited presence of the State in northern areas continues to hinder its ability to reduce violence and illicit drug trade. Illicit economies continue to fuel coca production, exacerbating patterns of crime. It is imperative that we intensify our efforts to expand economic opportunities for communities and reduce their dependence on illicit crops. The United States remains very cautious about the Colombian Government’s approach in negotiations with United States-designated foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations. Those entities have not yet demonstrated a genuine commitment to abandoning their illicit activities and seeking lasting peace. It is essential that those illicit armed groups show sincere intentions and concrete actions towards achieving peace. Transitional justice mechanisms are important processes but need to progress with greater urgency. Past peace processes have made clear that having a security strategy is essential to pressure illegal armed groups to negotiate in good faith and to avoid impunity for their abuses. The United States is committed to preventing impunity for criminal acts by terrorists and other illegal armed groups. Eight years into the implementation of the peace accords, it is clear more work needs to be done. The United States will continue to monitor closely the process and effectiveness of the accords and work with members of the Council and the United Nations Verification Mission to achieve lasting peace and security in Colombia.

I thank Special Representative Ruiz Massieu for his briefing and express my appreciation for his leadership of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. I also thank Ms. Molano Casas for sharing her insights, and I welcome Minister Sarabia Torres to today’s meeting. Exactly three months ago, the Council convened to discuss the report on Colombia (S/2024/968), following a series of attacks by the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) in the Catatumbo region, which resulted in significant loss of life, forced displacement and a dire humanitarian crisis (see S/PV.9843). While efforts to achieve sustainable peace in Colombia should not be judged solely on the basis of the Catatumbo incident, the crisis has, as illustrated in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2025/188), highlighted the persistence of structural challenges in conflict-affected regions, notably the limited presence of State. At the same time, through the Pact for Catatumbo, the Colombian Government has demonstrated its ability to swiftly accelerate the implementation of the Final I would like to reaffirm Slovenia’s strong support for the continued implementation of the Agreement and, more broadly, for the pursuit of comprehensive peace across Colombia. In that respect, we urge the Government to ensure women’s full, equal, safe and meaningful participation in all relevant decision-making processes. We welcome the Government’s strong focus on rural reform — a fundamental aspect of the Agreement — and the important recent steps taken in land adjudication and encourage it to accelerate the process as much as possible while complementing those efforts with measures that enable recipients to make productive use of the adjudicated land. Furthermore, in the anticipation of the first restorative sentences, we underline the central role of transitional justice in Colombia’s peace process and once again call on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to expeditiously advance to the next stage of its historic mandate, for the benefit of victims and survivors and the resilience of Colombian of society as a whole. I would like to return to where I began and underline Slovenia’s utmost concern about the growing toll on civilians resulting from fighting between non-State armed groups, including its severe impact on access to essential services such as healthcare, food and safe drinking water. Ensuring the security of communities is as important as achieving peace itself. We particularly condemn the increasing recruitment and use of children by armed groups, as well as the grave violations committed within their ranks, especially sexual and gender-based violence against girls, and urge all armed groups to immediately and unconditionally release all children and adopt concrete, time-bound commitments with the United Nations to end and prevent such violations. Finally, we insist that international humanitarian law, with the protection of civilians at its core, must be upheld by all actors and actively promoted by the Government in its dialogues with armed groups.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council plus (A3+), namely, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia and my country, Guyana. We thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Carlos Ruiz Massieu for his briefing and commend him and the United Nations Monitoring and Verification Mission team in Colombia for their invaluable work. We have also listened carefully to civil society representative, Ms. Hilda Beatriz Molano Casas, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia. We welcome the participation of Her Excellency Ms. Laura Sarabia Torres, Minister for Foreign Minister of Affairs of Colombia, in today’s meeting. The A3+ commends the people and the Government of Colombia for their commitment to the implementation of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace. As the Agreement is in its eighth year —just over the halfway mark of its duration — it is at a critical juncture. While many challenges persist, it is clear that the implementation of the peace agreement still has the potential to be a positive example for the rest of the world. A simple comparison is the marked improvement in Colombia today compared to when the Agreement was signed in 2016. As highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report The A3+ takes positive note of the Government’s continued efforts to prioritize rural reform, foster socioeconomic development and address the problem of illegal economies, but is concerned that they continue to be hampered by limited institutional capabilities and proper coordination, security risks and budget cuts. A central pillar of rural reform is land reform. We note that 45.9 per cent of the target for formalization of tenure for those already in possession of land has been completed and commend the Government for that achievement. However, we are concerned that only 6 per cent of the target for those with no land has been delivered and that restitution of land wrongfully taken during the conflict remains a pressing issue with no progress made in the ethnic territories prioritized under the ethnic chapter. We urge the Government to further accelerate the process of rural reform. The A3+ is encouraged that the great majority of the almost 14,000 former combatants of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo, who laid down their arms following the signing of the Agreement in 2016, remains committed to the reintegration process. The advancement of several projects by the Agency for Reintegration and Normalization is therefore a welcomed development, and we take note of the Government’s commitment to funding the Agency, by allocating the requested resources for 2025. The A3+ remain seriously concerned about the persistent slow implementation of the ethnic chapter. We note that progress on the pact to implement 60 per cent by 2026 remains limited and reiterate our call for effective coordination and for the Government to redouble its efforts and to give equal attention to process and tangible results. We reiterate that progress in the implementation of the ethnic chapter is fundamental to addressing the historical and structural marginalization of Afro- descendants and Indigenous Peoples. The security situation also remains concerning. Clashes between armed groups, along with the systematic targeting and threats against civilians, have led to increased displacement and confinement, particularly impacting Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. In the light of those issues, we call for stronger State presence and more effective prevention and protection measures in communities, especially the affected regions, as well as ensuring the full implementation of the security guarantees provisions of the Final Agreement. The A3+ regrets the setbacks with the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) and calls on the parties to return to the negotiating table. We commend the Government for continuing to seek peace through dialogue with other illegal armed groups and call for the prioritization of those dialogues that are likely to yield results, with the objective of ending the violence and further alleviating the suffering of the Colombian people. We emphasize that perpetrators must be held accountable. In that regard, we take note of the reinstated arrest warrants by the Attorney General for members of the ELN due to the recent attack in Catatumbo by the armed group. We strongly condemn the continued recruitment and use of children in this armed conflict. We stress that the use of children in armed conflict is against international law and call upon all armed groups to release the children within their ranks. We call on the Government to continue strengthening its efforts to prevent the recruitment and use of children in Colombia. We acknowledge the gender provisions outlined in the Agreement, which aim to implement specific actions that ensure equal access for women to programmes The A3+ commends the progress made by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) and looks forward to the issuance of the long-awaited sentences. We remain concerned that the transitional justice process has been impacted by violence against individuals appearing before the SJP. We urge increased protection measures in that regard. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of legal certainty for all individuals under the jurisdiction of the SJP. In conclusion, the A3+ reiterates our unwavering support to the Government and the people of Colombia in pursuing sustainable peace. We reaffirm our support for the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, recognizing the significance of its work in ensuring the success of the peace process. We express our gratitude for its dedicated efforts in facilitating the implementation of the peace agreement.

I would like to thank Special Representative Massieu and Ms. Molano Casas for their briefings today. I also welcome the participation of Her Excellency Minister Sarabia Torres, Colombia’s Foreign Minister, in this meeting. Denmark welcomes the important steps taken by the Colombian Government to implement the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace. The Government’s focus on comprehensive rural reform has shown progress, and we hope to see increased coordination and allocation of resources to accelerate implementation. Allow me to focus on three areas. First, violence by non-State armed groups and criminal organizations continues to plague the lives of people across Colombia. The rapid escalation of violence in Catatumbo earlier this year, which killed more than 60 people and displaced more than 50,000, must be condemned by the Council in the strongest terms. We praise the Government’s quick response to the crisis, and the pact announced to strengthen the presence of State institutions and the local economy. We also welcome the efforts of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, which worked to de-escalate violence and evacuate vulnerable groups. The security situation also remains critical in departments along the Pacific and south of the country. Women, social leaders and human rights defenders are being disproportionately targeted. Full implementation of the peace agreement, including its gender provisions, is key to ensure that peacebuilding is inclusive, with the equal and meaningful participation of women. Establishing a comprehensive State presence in conflict-affected areas in order to provide services and protection to vulnerable groups is essential to prevent further crises. We call on the Government to scale up its efforts to guarantee the protection of former combatants who have committed to the peace process. Their social, economic and political reintegration cannot be hindered by threats and violence. Secondly, as we heard today from Ms. Molano Casas, children continue to bear the brunt of insecurity in Colombia. The recruitment and use of children remain critical issues, with high levels recruited by armed groups last year, including of girls for sexual exploitation. We call for the immediate release of these children and for their reintegration. Children from Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities face heightened risks of violence, confinement and forced displacement due to armed clashes. Stronger protection measures for children, particularly from rural communities, are urgently needed, as is the full implementation of the ethnic Thirdly, Denmark recognizes the vital role of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to deliver transitional justice to victims on all sides of this conflict. Legal certainty for individuals under the jurisdiction of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) is long overdue. Accelerated progress towards the issuance of restorative sentences is needed. On that note, we welcome the recent efforts by the SJP to optimize investigations and expedite the issuance of sentences. In conclusion, the Final Agreement remains the key road map to build sustainable and lasting peace in Colombia. Meaningful progress has been made over the past eight years, but more can and must be done. We urge the Government to accelerate implementation and prioritize political dialogues with actors who have demonstrated their commitment to peace. The united and resolute support from the Council remains vital. Denmark looks forward to engaging with all Council members to that end.

At the outset, we welcome Ms. Laura Sarabia Torres, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia. Her mere presence reiterates her Government’s commitment to the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace. We also acknowledge the presence of Diego Tovar, Representative of the high contracting party to the Commission for the Follow-Up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement. We also thank Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Colombia and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, for his valuable and informative briefing, which provides a clear view of the territory where the Mission is deployed and of the challenges the agreements faces throughout the territory due to violence in certain regions. We also commend Ms. Hilda Molano Casas, Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia, whose work represents the valuable role of organized civil society — one of the main peacebuilding actors — and is essential to preventing future generations from experiencing war. We must aspire towards the ideal solution — for the parties to a conflict to leave their weapons behind and opt for dialogue. We are also convinced that, as envisaged in the peace agreement, justice mechanisms aimed at restoring victims should serve as a reference for future processes of dialogue and reconciliation at the global level. Panama recognizes the intensified efforts in the implementation of the peace accords. However, we are aware that our neighbour continues to face difficult times. The recent crisis in Catatumbo highlights the structural challenges that still persist in rural areas, such as difficulties in increasing State presence, the proliferation of illicit economies and inequalities. We therefore value the creation of the Catatumbo pact, whose approach complements the objectives of the peace agreement by addressing the plurality of such root causes. Similarly, we recognize the complexities associated with illicit economies, and we highlight the implementation of the National Comprehensive Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crops. However, we express concern about the 53 per cent increase in cocaine production, which underscores the urgency of strengthening comprehensive approaches to address the situation. With regard to the situation in Catatumbo, Panama expresses its total solidarity with the families of the more than 60 people killed, the more than 50,000 people displaced and the more than 24,000 confined as a result of armed violence. In this More broadly, we respectfully call for the processes of land restitution, adjudication and formalization to be accelerated, especially those related to the ethnic chapter, in order to strengthen the implementation of the agreements, despite the possible setbacks about which we heard today in the briefings that preceded my statement. In that connection, we vigorously condemn the continued recruitment of children and adolescents by armed groups — a practice that also exacts an alarming toll on Indigenous communities, including Indigenous women, whose social impact and ability to mediate and safeguard their communities is acknowledged. In that respect, Panama sees fit to underscore that the situation remains particularly complex for the women signatories to the agreements. Stigmatization on account of their status as former combatants, combined with their responsibilities as caregivers, insecurity and structural barriers to accessing opportunities, entrench their exclusion and stand in the way of their participation in peacebuilding, given that, as we are aware, the quest for peace requires the full, inclusive and equal participation of women. When it comes to transitional justice, we emphasize the importance of affording the resources necessary for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to make progress in fulfilling its mandate. Definite sentences are essential to achieving genuine reconciliation in Colombian society and to reinforcing the rule of law. We highlight the progress made with armed groups, such as the Comuneros de Sur, who were recently involved in a process of laying down arms. Current dialogues with those groups are essential to moving forward in a complex and challenging context. Panama acknowledges the willingness of the Government of Colombia to foster dialogue with the various stakeholders, and we agree with the Secretary- General that priority must be given to those processes in which a genuine desire for peace is demonstrated. As the Special Representative said, the decisive support of three consecutive Governments, and of the current Administration in particular, reflects the great political interest in silencing the guns and consolidating Colombia as a safe and successful State, in full implementation of the agreements throughout its territory. In conclusion, the crisis in Catatumbo must be viewed as an urgent appeal for the implementation of the peace agreement to be expedited further. The international community, and the Council in particular, must continue to reaffirm their commitment to peace in Colombia and to provide support for the Verification Mission so that the Mission senses that support and continues to implement its mandate, assisting the Government in that difficult endeavour. Panama reaffirms its full support for the Verification Mission and underscores its confidence in the fact that, with the sustained support of the international community, Colombia will be capable of continuing to make progress towards reconciliation, restoration and lasting peace.

I would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Massieu, and the representative of the civil society, Following the eruption of violence in Catatumbo three months ago, Greece commends the Colombian Government for its management of the situation on the ground, in particular its emphasis on the protection of civilians and the humanitarian response. We also appreciate the Government’s renewed commitment to the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, which we consider the cornerstone of the peace process. In that context, I would like to highlight the following three brief points. First, the Catatumbo crisis tested the limits of the total peace agenda, further underscoring the need for accelerated implementation of the peace agreement. The Colombian authorities’ engagement in multiple parallel dialogues, coupled with the continuation of the fragmentation of the armed groups, strains Government resources. At the same time, the predominantly economic, as opposed to ideological, motives of the armed group raise concerns about their reliability as peace partners. It is therefore essential that political dialogues prioritize actors genuinely committed to the peace process and that the establishment of peace agreements be accompanied by a strengthening of State presence in the affected territories to prevent power vacuums that could be exploited by rival armed groups. In parallel, the economic development of those areas is of paramount importance. In that regard, we commend the implementation of development programmes with a territorial focus, which are aimed at accelerating rural reform in the territories mostly affected by conflict. It is also noteworthy that, in the face of the climate crisis, rural reform in Colombia integrates environmental considerations such as sustainable land use. And, of course, the successful completion of land distribution is crucial for the re-integration of ex-combatants, allowing for stable livelihoods and housing. Secondly, the role of transitional justice in Colombia is a determining factor in the success of the peace process. We are confident that the Special Jurisdiction for Peace will proceed quickly with the issuance of restorative sentences in the following months. Thirdly, the protection of Indigenous people and Afro-Colombian populations, who are disproportionately affected by the structural injustices mentioned, is indispensable. In that regard, we call for the acceleration of the implementation of the ethnic chapter of the peace agreement. The recruitment and use of children by armed groups, including of Indigenous girls for sexual exploitation, is particularly alarming and must be immediately addressed. In that respect, we appreciate the Government’s commitment to the children in armed conflict agenda, as evidenced by the recent visit of the Security Council’s Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict to Colombia in December. We are also deeply concerned about the killings and the violations of the human rights of social leaders and human rights defenders and the challenges that women still face in achieving full, equal and meaningful participation in peacebuilding and in securing decision-making positions. In conclusion, Greece reiterates its unwavering support for the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia and for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, recognizing their invaluable contributions to promoting the effective implementation of the peace agreement. For our part, we remain committed to supporting the Colombian Government in its efforts to fully implement the peace agreement, which will ultimately rectify the inequalities of the past. At our quarterly meetings, we are accustomed to talking about the peacebuilding process in Colombia, but as the years drift by, there is still a long way to go before a genuine peace is built in that country. The spike in violence in Catatumbo and the alarming situation in other conflict-affected regions are a case in point. The current authorities are fully aware of the complexity of the task that they have taken on as part of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace and, more importantly, they acknowledge the problems and do not shirk their responsibility to overcome them. Visible progress in the implementation of agrarian reform and the financing of the development of territories represent important achievements by the Government. Suffice it to say that, as noted in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2025/188), Gustavo Petro Urrego’s presidency accounted for 94 per cent of all land distributed under land reform. That comes as no surprise given that the previous Administration in Colombia was mostly engaged in overtly sabotaging peace agreements. Nonetheless, the scale of what remains to be done is apparent in the fact that the allocation of 180,000 hectares is but a fraction — a mere 6 per cent — of the goal of 3 million hectares set by the Final Agreement. Other areas of the Agreement, such as the ethnic chapter, remain largely untouched. The rapid response plan, announced back in October last year, was designed to catalyse the State’s efforts, and we look forward to the full implementation of that initiative. One of the most significant benchmarks of a successfully implemented agreement should be the safety and reintegration of combatants who have laid down their arms and opted for a life of peace. Unfortunately, in Colombia that situation has only worsened. Over the past quarter, a record number of signatories to the Agreement were killed; the most recent tragic incident occurred just this past weekend. Given the non-compliance with security guarantees and the total impunity for attacks on former combatants, opportunities for their full reintegration into public and economic life remain extremely limited. Those and other problems should be dealt with in close dialogue with the Comunes party through the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement, which was created specifically for that purpose. We hope that the work of that important body in the country’s peacebuilding architecture will resume soon. Furthermore, former members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia still have legitimate concerns regarding the protracted transitional justice process, which has led to legal uncertainty and the threat of disproportionately harsh sentences against ordinary combatants. We note the measures undertaken by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace to improve the effectiveness and pace of its work; we expect that body to render its first judgments soon, and the implementation thereof will be facilitated by the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, in line with its mandate. Unfortunately, we have seen little tangible progress in negotiations with groups that continue their illegal armed activities. We are concerned by the fact that, after several years of contacts, the formal peace process with the Ejército de Liberación Nacional has collapsed, with that group returning to the path of armed confrontation. The truce with the Estado Mayor de los Bloques y Frentes faction, which had remained in dialogue with the Government, was also suspended. However, there was a small but symbolic victory, with the recent launch of the disarmament process with the Comuneros del Sur. We hope that those local agreements will provide impetus In any case, it is clear that the “total peace” policy has not yet been able to achieve its initial far-reaching aims and needs to be prioritized in order to achieve tangible results before the end of the current Administration’s term. It is important for attempts to reach agreement with those groups to be accompanied by measures to strengthen the Government’s presence on the ground and to protect the local population and former combatants. We wish the Colombian authorities patience, consistency and tenacity in implementing their peacebuilding policy. Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will continue to comprehensively assist the peace process in the country, inter alia, by supporting the work of the Verification Mission under the leadership of Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu.

I wish to thank Special Representative of the Secretary- General Carlos Ruiz Massieu for his comprehensive briefing. We commend the work of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia in supporting the Colombian Government in the implementation of key aspects of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace. We also appreciate Ms. Hilda Beatriz Molano Casas of the Technical Secretariat of the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia for her valuable contribution. I welcome the presence of Minister for Foreign Affairs Laura Camila Sarabia Torres in today’s meeting. Her participation reflects the Colombian Government’s continued commitment to peace, reconciliation and nation-building, the multifaceted challenges notwithstanding. This year, we have crossed the halfway mark of the 15-year timeline for the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement  — an accord that represents the collective aspiration of the Colombian people to end decades of conflict and build a better, harmonious and more peaceful future. As highlighted in the Secretary- General’s report (S/2025/188), the progress achieved under the peace agreement presents a mixed picture. Pakistan acknowledges the advances made thus far in its implementation and commends the Colombian Government and other stakeholders for their efforts to promote reconciliation and peace. Notable progress on rural reform stands out. However, structural and security-related challenges continue to hamper progress in critical areas, including the reintegration of and security guarantees for former combatants of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia and the functioning of transitional justice mechanisms. We welcome the Colombian Government’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity, bring about transparency and align its policies to meet the socioeconomic and security needs of local communities, including through the rapid response plan. In that context, we believe that extending State authority to areas that have hitherto lacked an institutional State presence would be of vital importance. Ensuring the safety and security of all Colombians remains central to the success of the 2016 peace agreement. The tragic incident in Catatumbo earlier this year served as a stark reminder of the threat posed by violence and armed groups — not only to peace and stability, but also to the integrity of the peace process itself. Of particular concern is the continued targeting of ex-combatants and the recruitment of children by those groups, trends that disproportionately affect the vulnerable Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. We note with appreciation the Government’s efforts to pursue peace through dialogue. While national policies must be rooted in Colombia’s unique context, identifying a genuine commitment to peace among armed actors is essential. Such clarity can help the Government adapt its strategies and bolster public confidence My delegation also looks forward to tomorrow’s discussion in the Peacebuilding Commission. Given the interlinkages among various aspects of the 2016 peace agreement, a comprehensive, well-coordinated and all-encompassing approach is imperative to consolidate the gains made to date and to further build the momentum for peace. In conclusion, lasting peace in Colombia will require inclusive dialogue, development and justice  — anchored in national ownership and belief. Pakistan reaffirms its steadfast support for that process and encourages all actors to stay the course towards full implementation of the peace agreement.

I welcome the presence of Minister for Foreign Affairs Sarabia Torres of Colombia at today’s meeting. I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ruiz Massieu for his briefing. I listened attentively to the statement by the civil society representative. Since the signing of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, the Government and the people of Colombia have worked hard to advance its implementation, setting an example for peace consolidation and peacebuilding. As the implementation of the Agreement enters uncharted waters, difficulties and challenges have gradually emerged. We trust that, under the leadership of President Petro Urrego, all parties in Colombia will overcome the difficulties and obstacles with renewed confidence and resolve and ultimately achieve stability, peace and development throughout the country. I would like to make the following points. First, it is imperative to stay committed to promoting the peace process. Under the peace agreement, the measures to address structural problems and produce transformative effects are long term in nature and require patience and perseverance to secure sustained progress. China supports President Petro Urrego’s decision to prioritize the implementation of the peace agreement for the remainder of his term. We hope that all parties in Colombia will unite in purpose and action, undeterred amid challenges and working tirelessly to implement the agreement. China commends the Government’s commitment to resolving disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation and supports all parties in the country in prioritizing the interests of the people and enhancing the effectiveness of dialogue, so as to achieve more progress. Secondly, efforts to promote national development must be accelerated. Comprehensive rural reform is a top priority for the implementation of the peace agreement and an important pillar of Colombia’s national development. China applauds the Government’s multipronged approach to rural reform, including accelerating land adjudication and tenure formalization and implementing the development programmes with a territorial focus and the national plan for rural reform. The Secretary-General’s report (S/2025/188) notes that progress in rural reform has fallen short of expectations. China encourages the Colombian Government to increase input and strengthen coordination to expedite rural reform and unleash development dividends. Thirdly, we must step up efforts to improve the security situation. The Secretary- General’s report has pointed to a worrisome security situation in many parts of the country. The violence in Catatumbo earlier this year caused serious harm to the population and had a negative impact on the peace process. We support the Colombian Government in beefing up security deployment, strengthening effective control Under the stewardship of Special Representative Massieu, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia has played a unique role in supporting the local peace process. China supports the Mission in continuing to implement its mandate, striving for visible results from the Colombian-led and Colombian-owned peace process and further contributing to Colombia’s efforts towards peace and development.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of France. First, I thank the Special Representative, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, for his briefing and Ms. Hilda Molano Casas for enlightening us on the long-term risks posed by the upsurge in the recruitment of children by armed groups. I welcome the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Ms. Laura Sarabia Torres. The 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace is a model for peace processes. It aims to end a conflict that has ravaged Colombia for decades and address the historical factors that plunged the country into that situation. Its success is a necessity for Colombia, which aspires to stability. It is also imperative for us, its international partners, who want to continue to show that conflict resolution and peacebuilding are always possible. That is the case when there is a common will among the parties concerned and support from the international community. That is why the process in Colombia is an example for all the crises on the Security Council’s agenda. The full implementation of the Agreement is crucial. That is primarily the responsibility of the Colombian Government, and France welcomes its efforts in that regard. Its commitment must continue and expand to enable progress to be accelerated in the coming months for the benefit of the Colombian people. I would like to emphasize three central ways to achieve that. (spoke in Spanish) First, rural reform is an essential pillar to remedy the structural causes of conflict, in particular the unequal distribution of land. As the accompanying country for this chapter of the peace agreement, France attaches particular importance to it. We welcome the progress made and will continue to support the Colombian Government through training, exchanges with French experts and support for the creation of agricultural cooperatives. Secondly, transitional justice plays a key role in the process of reconciliation among Colombians. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace has made it possible to make progress in the search for the truth and the establishment of responsibilities. Reparative judgments must be issued, and the conditions for their full implementation must be met. France calls for dialogue between the parties so that that process can move forward. Thirdly, security is a necessary condition for the full implementation of the peace agreement. France condemns the deadly attacks in the Catatumbo region and calls on the armed groups to cease their violent actions. Efforts to combat the upsurge in violence must be supported, as must those aimed at ensuring the safety of former combatants and the most affected communities, including, as we already heard, children. Many children are killed or maimed by the massive presence of anti-personnel mines. Their recruitment by armed groups, sexual violence and all other grave violations of children’s rights have increased alarmingly. We must urgently put an end to that violence and address it through the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, which opened the case in 2019. I reiterate France’s call on armed groups to (spoke in French) Lastly, let us not forget the role played by the Special Representative and the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia in the progress made in implementing the peace agreement over the past few years. That is recognized by all, including the Colombian authorities. We must maintain the Council’s unanimous support for their efforts to promote peace and security in Colombia and the region. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia.

I thank Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, and extend a special greeting to Ms. Hilda Beatriz Molano Casas. I would like to begin with a quotation: “I now direct some words to all of you, dear brothers and sisters of this beloved country — children, young people, adults, the elderly, who want to be bearers of hope. Do not let difficulties weigh you down; may violence not break you; may evil not overwhelm you. ... Go out with that commitment to renew society, so that it will be just, stable and fruitful”. That was the call that Pope Francis left us with during his visit to Bogotá in 2017  — a message that, today more than ever, invites us to dream of a different country. The Colombian people have always sought the construction of a nation in peace. However, as José Eustasio Rivera warned in La Vorágine — the Vortex — a Colombian novel written more than a century ago, the hearts of Colombians have been trapped by violence. Despite multiple attempts and numerous mistakes, Colombia has not yet managed to get out of the cycle of barbarism. Barbarism is not an abstraction or an undefined concept — it is reflected in more than 2 million displaced people, 9 million victims and 100,000 missing persons. Regrettably, rural communities have suffered the cruellest part — they have been expelled time and again from their fertile lands by blood and fire. That historical violence has made us one of the most unequal countries in the world. This is a generation that inherited a country in conflict from their parents and grandparents but does not want to pass the same down to their children — a generation that still dreams and believes that a peaceful Colombia is possible and whose soul has not been hardened by defeats or contaminated by the betrayals of the past or the treacheries of the present. We know that no transition to peace in history has been without obstacles or moments of despair, but that uncertainty cannot defeat us. It is in the face of difficulties that we must persist the most. From different shores, Gabriel García Márquez, Álvaro Cepeda Samudio, Manuel Zapata Olivella, Laura Restrepo and Alfredo Molano have written about how violence is recycled and intensified after each failure to achieve peace. Peace is not a dispute between Governments or parties or an ideological struggle — it is an existential question for Colombian society. Our souls and the future of everyone are at stake. One of the most powerful tools to continue giving them a voice is the implementation of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, presented to the Security Council as a unilateral State declaration (see S/2017/272). Fulfilling the Agreement has not been and will not be easy. In fact, the implementation of the Agreement was ignored for four years owing to selfish political decisions. We are experiencing the consequences now. A rural reform was ignored and is slowly moving forward. The clarification of the truth has been piecemeal, leaving the victims in the middle. It is a fact: we failed to tell the whole truth. No less important, transforming the most vulnerable territories was not a priority. Public resources were committed to urban projects for decades, while in departments such as Chocó more than half of the population is living without drinking water. Perhaps what has been the most difficult has been that, as a society, we have not achieved a common purpose or a shared methodology. In the countryside and in the city, between rich and poor, between the educated and the excluded, there is no consensus. Egos, ambitions, convenience and the most intimate feelings have hindered the Agreement. Fulfilling the peace agreement is not a symbolic gesture; it is a duty of the State and a priority of this Government, backed by the majority of citizens. The arrival of President Petro Urrego’s Government was a sign of popular support for building a stable and lasting peace in Colombia. And in almost three years we have made significant progress, which I would like to highlight. There has been a diagnosis and prioritization of the 16 national plans for comprehensive rural reform, with a gender and ethnic approach. Territorial funding in the amount of $2.4 billion was approved to promote municipalities with development programmes with a territorial approach, which are the municipalities most historically affected by the conflict. There has been institution-building and community-building for the territorial pacts — the Pact for Catatumbo, the Pact for Nariño and the Pact for Cauca — covering 77 municipalities, 44 of them for municipalities with development programmes with a territorial approach. The land registry is being modernized. We have updated the information on ownership, use and valuation of 9.6 million hectares of land, which facilitates the restitution and encourages rural investment; and 24.89 per cent of that update was carried out in regions with development programmes with a territorial focus. There are 12,136 signatories of the peace agreement who are still active in reintegration processes. Of those, 2,500 are in the labour market. We strengthened the National Reintegration System and consolidated the Comprehensive Reintegration Programme. Approximately 140,000 hectares of land have been awarded, 94 per cent of which were handed over during this Government, and an additional 1.2 million hectares of land have been formalized. Important progress has been made in talks with the group known as the Estado Mayor de los Bloques y Frentes (EMBF) and with the Comuneros del Sur in Nariño, one result of which is progress towards disarmament. Between 2018 and 2023, in the most excluded municipalities, rural poverty decreased by 14.9 per cent. Social Service for Peace, was created as an alternative to compulsory military service, promoting the civic participation of young people in social services, including the voluntary eradication of illicit crops. Lastly, but equally important, on evaluation and planning, we revised and updated the Framework Plan for Implementation of the Final Agreement, introducing more than 100 technical adjustments and establishing 70 new follow-up indicators. The National Planning Department and the Ministry of Interior have been and will continue to be guarantors of the fulfilment of those territorial pacts and territorial transformation. In future, we want to continue with the social projects for change and voluntary crop substitution, together with the peasants, because we believe that only in that way will it be sustainable and lasting, together with operations to interdict money laundering and military control. It is also vital to recognize the progress made in key regions such as the Cañón de Micay, Cauca and the department of Nariño, territories that historically have been scenes of conflict and today are witnessing firm steps towards peace. Today we ask Council members not to let go of our hand. Members’ continued assistance can make possible what many thought impossible: to make Colombia a true laboratory of peace for the whole world. We still have pending debts and challenges, which many of you have highlighted this morning. For example, the security of peace signatories — the violence by armed groups has increased in some regions and, unfortunately, the signatories have been left in the midst of that violence, which threatens to plunge Colombia into more years of mindless destruction. Unfortunately, violence continues to rob many Colombians of their dreams, and their children are paying the irreparable consequences. I could continue by mentioning the many challenges we have as a country, but the hope of Colombians remains intact — the hope of Cauca, the hope of Nariño, the hope of Catatumbo and especially the hope for a second chance for Colombia. The crisis in Catatumbo is an urgent call for the implementation of the peace agreement. We are deeply grateful for the support of the international community, especially the United Nations in Colombia — from Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, and also from the Security Council, which for eight years has expressed its firm and unwavering support for peace in our country. Their support has been essential to keep the spirit of the Agreement alive and to promote strategic projects in the territories that provide relief to the most vulnerable victims of the conflict. Colombia wants the institutionalization of peace  — and not the power of weapons — to be what orders our society and for those who persist in violence to receive the firm and just response that corresponds to a democratic State governed by the rule of law. To that end, the President Petro Urrego has set out a clear path: The fact is that we must move forward more quickly and boldly. We have come to tell the world, with conviction, that Colombia will continue to implement the 2016 peace agreement. Our message is clear: Colombia is committed to peace and requests the continued and decisive support of the Security Council, the Verification Mission and the international community to build a future of peace. In the current reconfiguration of global interests, the support of the Council has become a cornerstone to ensure the continuity and success of the implementation of the Agreement. As Minister for Foreign Affairs, I am not here to ask for favours, but to renew Colombia’s commitment to peace. With the support of this community, we will turn peace into a legacy, not an empty promise. To speak of peace in Colombia is to speak of dignity, memory and the future. We must walk together towards a Colombia in which living is worth more than dying. May the peace of Colombia always be an objective that unites us.

I would like to thank Her Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia for her statement, which was as insightful as it was committed and full of hope. There are no more speakers on my list. I would just like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs once again, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia and the Coordinator, Ms. Hilda Molano Casas.