UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (APP):Ahead of next month's tenth anniversary of the signing of Colombia’s 2016 Peace Agreement, Pakistan has urged all armed actors in the South American country to renounce violence and completely respect national laws during a UN Security Council meeting that focused on the Colombian peace process. "Security concerns remain a challenge and threaten to upend the gains across various facets of this Peace Plan," Acting Pakistan …
Pakistan urges armed groups to renounce violence ahead of Colombia Peace Pact’s 10th anniversary
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (APP):Ahead of next month’s tenth anniversary of the signing of Colombia’s 2016 Peace Agreement, Pakistan has urged all armed actors in the South American country to renounce violence and completely respect national laws during a UN Security Council meeting that focused on the Colombian peace process.
“Security concerns remain a challenge and threaten to upend the gains across various facets of this Peace Plan,” Acting Pakistan permanent representative, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, told the 15-member Council on Monday.
“Targeting of Colombian security forces by armed gangs, ex-combatants, social leaders and human rights defenders is reprehensible and condemnable,” he added.
Colombia’s conflict began in the 1960s, when political marginalization and unequal land access sparked a conflagration that lasted decades, and led to the inception of armed groups, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP). That period saw rebels, paramilitaries and criminal networks killing and displacing millions.
Negotiations initiated in 2012 led to the Peace Agreement in 2016, which formally ended half a century of civil strife between the Government and the largest rebel group, and provided for FARC-EP disarmament and reintegration, rural reform, political participation and transitional justice. The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia was established in 2016 by the Security Council to verify the Agreement’s implementation.
In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon highlighted that a balanced, sustainable, and inclusive approach centered on the Colombian people remains the absolute key to enduring peace.
He welcomed Colombia’s new government, led by President Abelardo de la Espriella, and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar, extending condolences for the structural losses from the devastating August earthquake.
Ambassador Jadoon reiterated that the 2016 Peace Agreement remains a decisive framework allowing the Colombian people to live with dignity and free from fear.
He praised the government’s commitment to “governing from and for the regions” to boost security and state presence.
The Pakistani envoy expressed its intent to engage constructively with the Colombian delegation and other Council members to support the upcoming mandate renewal of the UN Verification Mission.
On his part, Escobar, Colombia’s foreign minister, stressed that “genuine and lasting peace” has not been achieved, as the country remains challenged by persistent violence, expanding armed groups, record levels of drug trafficking, increased kidnappings, massacres and child recruitment.
Pointing out that, between 2016 and August 2026, 132,930 people were murdered in Colombia, while 100,000 cases of extortion and 2,750 kidnappings were recorded, he said: “For our peasant farmers, workers, children and security forces, peace has simply not existed.”
“The figures never lie,” the Columbian foreign minister went on, observing that, since 2016, the numbers of illegal armed groups engaged in criminal activities, including drug trafficking, have increased five-fold, with many continuing to recruit children, expand territory and subjugate territory.
As a result, Escobar said, his Government has changed course to ensure that peace is built on “a solid foundation”. In 60 days, his Government conducted 32,029 arrests, confiscated 135 tons of narcotics, removed 3,414 firearms from circulation and signed 119 extradition orders to dismantle criminal networks, he said, also highlighting efforts to “neutralize” leaders of armed groups and destroy illicit infrastructure.
While his Government’s commitment to the Agreement is intact, he said that his delegation has submitted adjustments to the UN Mission’s mandate for the Council’s consideration, one that focuses on reintegration and security guarantees while reducing its emphasis on comprehensive rural reform, which is beyond the Mission’s scope and duration and was a significant focus of former President Gustavo Petro.
Miroslav Jenca, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, presented the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report on the peace process and the Mission’s work, urging the comprehensive implementation of the Agreement.
Drawing on the report, he noted that while the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the constitutional and legal obligations arising from the Agreement, it has yet to fully outline its implementation approach. He acknowledged that implementation has faced significant shortcomings over the years and stressed that much remains to be done to advance the Agreement alongside security policies that can reinforce peace efforts.
Jenca said that clear plans for financing key programmes and institutions, assigning leadership and coordination responsibilities within the Government, and reactivating the Agreement’s established commissions would help reassure stakeholders concerned about the continuity of implementation.
