UN Security Council representatives meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro
Just hours after their arrival in Colombia, representatives from the 15 member countries of the UN Security Council met with President Gustavo Petro at the Casa de Nariño. The meeting officially marked the beginning of the organization’s visit to Colombia, which aims to review the progress in the implementation of the peace agreement and learn first-hand about the negotiation processes with the ELN and the self-proclaimed ‘Central General Staff’ of the FARC.
Key topics of discussion during the meeting included the reintegration of combatants, progress in rural reform, and the pact to implement the Ethnic Chapter. Representatives Carolyn Rodrigues Birkez from Guyana, Pascale Baeriswyl from Switzerland, and Dame Barbara from the United Kingdom provided statements to the media during the meeting.
“The council celebrates the signing of the ceasefire reached with the ELN and its extension. We also support the negotiation efforts between the Government and the ‘Central General Staff’, we hope to be aware of the process and the mandate for verification,” said the representative of Switzerland.
President Petro also addressed the progress in the purchase and formalization of land for rural reform, expressing his concerns about the slow progress and the lack of investment in the territories.
The Security Council representatives will continue their agenda by meeting with representatives of civil society, peace signatories, congressmen, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), and those responsible for the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. They will also hold private meetings with Government delegations at the negotiation tables with the ELN and the dissidents. The members of the Council will then travel to Florencia, Caquetá, to visit a Training and Reintegration Space (ETCR) and several productive projects for ex-combatants. Their visit will conclude with a press conference in Cartagena.
Camilo A. Castillo, @camiloandres894, contributed to this report.
This marks an important step in the ongoing peace process in Colombia, and the visit by the Security Council representatives highlights the international community’s interest in and support for the country’s efforts to achieve lasting peace.