Bogotá, March 2, 2017 - Yesterday, March 1, according to the statements of the representatives of the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP, which were welcomed by the UN Mission in Colombia, we began the process of verifying the FARC-EP’s laying down of arms.

This process should be concluded, as per the parties’ agreement, 180 days after the peace deal came into force, that is 29 May 2017.

The process of weapons demarcation is developed according to the following technical procedures: registration, identification, monitoring and verification of possession, collection, storage, extraction and final weapons’ disposal.

Yesterday the UN Mission in Colombia began the gradual implementation of three specific tasks:

1. Identification and registration of all weapons in the FARC-EP temporary camps in the 26 zones and points where the laying down of arms will take place and where the group will transition to civilian life;

2. Storage of weapons belonging to FARC-EP members in the tripartite Monitoring and Verification Mechanism,

3. Planning and verification of the destruction of unstable armaments, located in arms caches.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the demarcation of weapons will be carried out in areas located in the FARC-EP camps in the Zones and Points, which are currently under construction, in compliance with international security standards for the storage of weapons and munition.

Adapting to the logistical reality, the provisional place to carry out the laying down of arms has been defined in an area that meets the aforementioned characteristics, within the temporary camps in which the FARC-EP is located to initiate the weapons laydown process.

Currently, the UN Mission in Colombia has provided the following resources for the implementation of the three above-mentioned tasks.

UN Mission Observers deployed at the 26 local sites have been provided with the necessary equipment for the identification and registration of weapons. This material consists of: technical forms, adhesive bar codes and a scanning application.

The technical form will be used to identify and register individual and accompanying weapons. This form includes the FARC-EP member’ nom de guerre/pseudonym the type of weapon (rifle, machine gun, gun, shotgun, revolver, etc.). A replica of the corresponding adhesive bar code is also assigned. The other two adhesive bar code replicas are placed in the identified armament. This same form will be used for the following phases of the laying down of arms, storing and disabling the arms, enabling the traceability of the laying down of arms process.

This adhesive bar code is resistant to water and extreme weather conditions. The adhesive has a security system to detect if it was violated.

Once the identification and registration are carried out, the International Observers will carry out the control or monitoring of the possession of weapons in a random way.

In order to prepare the International Observers for monitoring and verification in all tasks inherent to the laying down of arms, to date we have conducted nine training courses for all the observers who carry out this process.

For the storage of weapons, which in the first instance will be made with the arms of FARC-EP members who are part of the MVM, we have 52 reinforced metal containers that have been deployed to the 26 local headquarters.

These metal containers are of a dimension of 2m x 1.50m x 1.50m of reinforced steel, resistant for storage of arms and to be stowed to the interperie. In each reinforced metal box an average of between 70 and 100 weapons can be stored.

Each local office has at least one of these containers. The total number of containers has been distributed based on the number of members of the FARC-EP in each camp.

This reinforced metal box will be sealed with two safety locks, one of which has an alarm system.

In the temporary weapons laydown area, one in each zone, identified by the United Nations flag, we have adapted tents to enable the permanent presence of two International Observers to continuously monitor the arms container.

Finally, for the planning of the destruction of unstable material in the arms caches, we have 60 observers with capacities and experience in explosives and armament as well as civilian specialists, who will carry out the verification of the extraction of the weapons contained in the caches and the destruction of unstable material in coordination with the FARC-EP.

In parallel, the definitive areas where the laying down of arms will take place are being adjusted. These areas will have two containers, approximately 30 by 15 meters, delimited, bounded and signposted with danger signs, with night illumination, alarm and closed circuit television. It will be located inside the FARC-EP camp and next to the tent where the observers will be staying permanently. These definitive areas will be ready when the FARC-EP occupies the definitive camps.

The United Nations Mission in Colombia, has the support of two helicopters for logistical aspects and other activities necessary for the process of Weapons Laydown.

Finally, I would like to emphasize the decision of the parties to invite a third party, in this case the United Nations, to carry out verification of the laying down of arms. This decision is a determining factor for the credibility of the process, based on the wide experience and knowledge that the Organization has. We are convinced that we will be able to contribute to the fulfillment of the FARC-EP's commitment to leave its weapons to proceed with its return to civil, social, economic and political life.

The United Nations Mission in Colombia will regularly report on the progress of the laying down of arms process.