The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has recognized the progress made by the new Colombian government in its first four months to consolidate peace in the country.
According to the Secretary General in the latest report of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, the Colombian Executive «has taken important steps to stop violence and consolidate peace».
Thus, he recognized the implementation of the Final Agreement for the Termination of the Conflict and the Construction of a Stable and Lasting Peace by the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, as a central element of his government’s policy of «total peace».
In the report, which runs from September 27 to December 26, 2022, Guterres also highlighted the outreach to rural communities. «It is a clear demonstration that all sectors of Colombian society can and should contribute significantly to the implementation of the Final Agreement,» he added.
However, the report clarified that «as positive as some of the recent developments may be,» violence remains the greatest threat to peacebuilding in Colombia.
Thus, it highlighted the insecurity in regions historically affected by a limited state presence, such as Arauca, southern Bolivar, Chocó and Putumayo, which continued to suffer from the violent acts of illegal armed actors.
Finally, the quarterly report has called as «encouraging» the resumption of negotiations between the Petro Administration and the National Liberation Army (ELN), as well as the work carried out by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), whose work is «decisive in bringing justice for the serious crimes committed during the conflict».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
