Popayan, Cauca, Colombia – The Government of Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) and the UN Mission in the country kicked off a seven-day training session for 80 women and men taking part in the joint mechanism to monitor and verify the implementation of the bilateral ceasefire.

The three parties highlighted the session as “historic”, with the gathering of Colombian officers and FARC-EP combatants after 50 years of conflict to train delegates, with the UN Mission support, who will form the tripartite verification and monitoring mechanism at national and regional levels.

The UN Mission in Colombia’s international observers include representatives of eight countries from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC): Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Instructors from the Government, FARC-EP and the UN Mission are jointly training the women and men on theoretical and practical aspects of the Final Agreement, especially related to the bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, and protocols covering the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism.

Sessions include the verification methodology, logistical aspects, security, gender issues and operational procedures for the transitional local zones and points for normalization, where the separation of forces and the laying down of arms is to take place.

This first training session is an important step towards building a stable and lasting peace. Not only does it mark the beginning of the realization of the agreements reached in Havana but it also marks the full commitment of the parties with a robust and transparent monitoring and verification mechanism to give full guarantees to all Colombians.