Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 8063rd Meeting, 5 Oct. 2017, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Identical Letters Dated 19 January 2016 From the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations Addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (S/2016/53)"]

S/PRST/2017/18View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Security Council, under agenda item 302 Identical letters dated 19 January 2016 from the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (S/2016/53), published in 2017.

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Ceasefires Colombia Peace Agreements Special Missions

What’s in this document?

7 paragraphs

At the 8063rd meeting of the Security Council, held on 5 October 2017, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Identical letters dated 19 January 2016 from the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (S/2016/53)”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“Following the completion of the 12-month mandate of the United Nations Mission in Colombia (the Mission) on 25 September 2017, the Security Council welcomes the remarkable achievements in Colombia following the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Long Lasting Peace reached between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People’s Army (FARC-EP).

“The Security Council takes note of the report from the Secretary-General of 25 September (S/2017/801) and welcomes the assessments, recommendations and lessons learned therein. The Security Council expresses its intention to take them into account in the context of its ongoing efforts to enhance the overall effectiveness of United Nations missions.

“The Security Council recalls resolutions 2261 (2016) and 2307 (2016) and congratulates the parties on the historic progress made since the signing of the Final Agreement including the culmination of the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities, the process of laying down of arms and the transformation of the FARC-EP into a political party, bringing over five decades of conflict between them to a close. The Council pays tribute to the political will of the parties in achieving these milestones and to the leadership and spirit of cooperation they demonstrated in calling for the United Nations to partner with them in an innovative tripartite monitoring and verification mechanism (MVM). The Security Council emphasises that their determination and commitment has ensured that Colombia’s peace process continues to be a source of inspiration for the resolution of conflicts globally and retains the potential to set an example for peace processes elsewhere in the world.

“The Security Council expresses its gratitude for the exemplary manner in which the Mission, led by Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Jean Arnault, accomplished the two tasks mandated to it by the Security Council, based upon the agreement by the Parties, in having coordinated the MVM for the monitoring and verification of the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities and overseen the laying down of arms process. The Security Council underscores that this work played a vital role in supporting the successful implementation of the corresponding provisions in the peace agreement. The Council welcomes the Mission’s work with the MVM to promote a gender-sensitive approach. The Council expresses its appreciation to the Mission for delivering the swift, flexible and tailored support envisaged by the Council and demonstrating the potential of the United Nations at its best.

“The Security Council also expresses its gratitude to the observer-contributing countries, particularly those from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The Council also acknowledges the two guarantors of the peace process, Cuba and Norway and the two accompanying countries, Chile and Venezuela.

“The Security Council notes the equally important work still ahead to implement the specific security, political and socio-economic provisions of the Final Peace Agreement and reaffirms the need for both parties to fulfil their commitments to achieve a lasting peace. In that regard, the Council recalls resolutions 2366 (2017) and 2377 (2017) which established and mandated the United Nations Verification Mission to verify implementation by the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP of the process of political, economic and social reincorporation of the FARC-EP and the implementation of personal and collective security guarantees. The Council trusts that the work of the Verification Mission will be a strong source of support and encouragement for Colombia’s peace process.”

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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