Opportunity to End Dynamics of Violence in Colombia - Security Council Briefing (10 October 2019)

Remarks by Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, at the Security Council: Colombia (8639th meeting).
The head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu said, “this is a precious opportunity to put an end to the recurrent dynamics of violence in Colombia,” adding that the UN “remains convinced that the way forward is through a comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.”
Briefing the Security Council today (10 Oct) on the latest report of the Secretary-General on Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu who is heading the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia said that the peace process has continued to move forward through a challenging period since his last briefing.
According to the UN, two years after the successful conclusion of the laying down of arms by the former FARC-EP guerrilla, the vast majority of former fighters remain engaged and committed to the Peace Agreement.
Reflecting on his recent visit to the department of Putumayo, a region where more than half of the population is registered as a victim of the conflict and has not yet received fully the benefits of the signing of the Peace Agreement, Massieu said, “the communities are demanding development, basic services, security and economic opportunities through a holistic presence of the State.”
He added, “they are requesting immediate impact strategies to improve protection and security in the regions, hand in hand with the local communities and authorities. This is undoubtedly the promise of the Peace Agreement.”
The chief of the Mission also noted that some progress has been made in the implementation of various measures announced by the Government to strengthen security guarantees for former combatants and to step up investigations into these killings. But more needs to be done, in particular to address continued budgetary shortfalls faced by the entity in charge of providing protection for former combatants.
He said, “dialogue is also key to overcoming challenges in the implementation of the Peace Agreement. I encourage the Government and FARC to continue to engage constructively as shown in their joint visits to the former territorial areas.”
Massieu continued, “in the same spirit, I hope they make increased use of the architecture established by the Peace Agreement for this purpose, specially the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement (CSIVI).”