Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary General, told the Security Council that recent government initiatives reflected a “major reorientation” of the peace process.
These include a rapid response plan with development projects, public investments and services.
“I welcome early indications that the plan will focus strongly on rural reforms to transform conflict-affected regions, as well as on strengthening security guarantees,” said Mr Ruiz Massieu.
He noted that the peace architecture – established under the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stabil and Lasting Peace – and in particular the Follow-up and Verification Commission, will play a key role in accelerating implementation.
Addressing structural causes
Mr Ruiz Massieu, who also heads the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, welcomed the government’s commitment to promoting rural reforms, whichtransformative potentialto address the structural causes of the conflict.
“For example, day by day, more land is being distributed and formalized for those in need, bringing with it the promised benefits of peace to landless farmers and those deprived of them during the conflict,” he said.
However, despite these and other positive steps, results to date remain modest in relation to the overarching objectives of the Peace Agreement, as the government itself has acknowledged.
“I am also concerned about reports that farmers’ organizations are working to promote rural reforms receiving threats from illegal armed groups,he warned.
Mr Ruiz Massieu also urged action on the ethnic chapter of the peace agreement, aimed at delivering peace dividends to Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, and addressing the disproportionate impact they have suffered during the conflict.
Transitional justice
On transitional justice, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace continues its crucial work in helping society transition from war to peace, he told Council members.
“The country remains cautious about the coming stages of the process, especially the issuance of the first sentences to those responsible for serious crimes,” he said, noting that the success of the mechanism will lie in “achieving of a delicate balance” between multiple elements.
These include the rights of victims, the legal certainty of those under its jurisdiction, and the speed and accuracy with which justice is delivered.
The government also bears a major responsibility to ensure that all conditions are met for the practical execution of sentences once they are handed down, he added.
Obstacles remain
Mr Ruiz Massieu also stressed that the complex security situation in several parts of Colombia continues to hamper peacebuilding.
In some regions, the Accord’s signatories and social leaders continue to be targets of violence, pressure and threats from armed groups fighting for territorial control and strategic routes linked to illicit economies.
He added that some communities remain caught in the crossfire and are subject to “reprehensible phenomena” such as the recruitment of minors, displacement and incarceration.
New challenges have also emerged, such as the imposition of “social control”, especially over women and girls, Mr Ruiz Massieu said, conveying “painful testimonies” from women of being told how to dress or paint their nails.
“The complexity and fluidity of conflict dynamics in different regions and the uncertainty this entails for affected populations require a comprehensive and complementary approach”, he emphasized.