Statement by Jean Arnault, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Mission in Colombia.

27 Jun 2017

Statement by Jean Arnault, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Mission in Colombia.

Mesetas, Meta - 27 June 2017.  On the occasion of this ceremony to celebrate the conclusion of the laydown of individual weapons, it is my privilege to share with you an account of the verification of the Bilateral Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities and of the laying down of weapons undertaken by the United Nations Mission in Colombia since 26 September 2016, in fulfilment of the mandate given to it by the Security Council in its resolution 2261.

The bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities that was declared on 29 August 2016 has been respected by both parties, and has directly contributed to the decline in the main indicators of violence in the country.

The provisions of the ceasefire, which both parties accepted, have been complied with, with very few exceptions. The fact that none of the violations observed reflects a pattern of deliberate violations or high-level decisions from one side or the other, is in our assessment significant.

We would also emphasise that, overall, the obligations of the Government and of the FARC-EP related to respect for the rights of the civilian population during the pre-groupment phase, including displacement of the guerrillas and their settlement in the zones and points and surrounding areas, have been respected.

Finally, and it is of particular importance for the United Nations, the Tripartite Monitoring and Verification Mechanism has fully played its role – a role without precedent in international experience in ceasefire monitoring. The members of the Mechanism have worked together, accompanying the movements of the FARC-EP, investigating incidents, clarifying ambiguities, resolving differences, taking corrective measures when necessary, lending humanitarian assistance in cases of emergency.

I would like to pay special tribute to Admiral Orlando Romero, Head of the Government component of the Mechanism, and to Marco Calarcá, Head of the FARC component, and to the men and women under their commands, as well as to the United Nations observers under the leadership of the Coordinator of the Mechanism, General Javier Pérez-Aquino.

I would like to express my special thanks to Generals Flórez and Pico, and to Carlos Antonio Lozada for the role that they have played in the success of this process from the negotiation of the Ceasefire agreement to its implementation.

Today, with a full grasp of the effectiveness of the Tripartite Mechanism, we can recommend that the UN should gather the lessons from the experience in Colombia in order to apply them to other parts of the world.

We conclude that today, in this moment that marks the culmination of the process of laying down of individual weapons, the bilateral cease fire between the State and the FARC-EP is consolidated.

At the same time, the efforts expended on cooperation over the last 9 months should not be underestimated. The merits of the tripartite observation indicate that the Mechanism should continue to operate during the coming months in order to address any incidents that might weaken confidence in the country.

In regard to the laying down of arms, we believe that the commitment by the FARC-EP in the Peace Accord to laying down the individual weapons they had acquired has been honoured, in compliance with the Road Map approved on 29 May.

In the first half of the month of February, the Mission verified the arrival of 6,803 FARC‑EP guerrillas in the Local Zones and Points. In March the Mission identified and registered 7,132 individual and collective arms that were brought into the camps.

In accordance with the procedure agreed in point 3.1.7 of the Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities and Laying Down of Weapons, and in compliance with the Road Map approved 29 May, the United Nations Mission received 30% of these weapons starting on 7 June, and another 30% starting on 14 June.

The third phase began on 21 June and as of today the Mission has received in its containers the totality of individual weapons registered by the guerrillas of the FARC-EP, out of which a group of 700 arms, in keeping with the Road Map of 29 May, will serve to provide security to the 26 FARC‑EP encampments until the Local Zones and Points are closed on 1 August.  The Mission confirms that the registered weapons are of good quality and operative, and notes that in this process of laying down, more weapons have been handed in per combatant than in many internationally verified processes.

As of 1 August the Mission will have removed the containers from the Zones and Points, enabling us to certify the completion of the laying down of individual arms.

As for the extraction of the arms caches undertaken by the FARC-EP with the verification of the United Nations and the support of the Armed Forces, we can state that 77 caches have been emptied as of today, and we are counting on an acceleration of the process with a view to completing the highest percentage possible before 1 September.

Mr. President, Mr. Timoleón Jiménez, with the step forward attained this week, new opportunities and new necessities are arising with force. Through its visit to Colombia last month, the Security Council unanimously expressed that, “besides the laying down of arms, the sustained implementation of the Peace Accord, including the prompt adoption of all measures agreed to ensure effective reincorporation and reconciliation, will be vital to guarantee a stable and durable peace for all Colombians, with special attention to the needs of the most affected groups.”

The Secretary-General shares the Security Council´s view and invites the parties to redouble their efforts so that the ceasefire and the laying down of weapons that we are celebrating today, translate without delay into greater security for all; truth, justice and reparation for victims; and tangible economic and social benefits for rural communities in the areas most affected by the conflict.

The success of the Colombian peace process will be above all the success of Colombian society to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, as the United Nations Charter implores.

But in a world convulsed by old and new forms of violence, by conflicts whose protagonists appear irreconcilable, by unprecedented movements of refugees and displaced persons, a successful process of peace building in Colombia is also a reason for hope and a powerful example for the international community.

With this conviction, I reiterate the praise expressed by the Secretary-General and the Security Council to the Colombians for having taken the path to the peaceful resolution of their conflict, their appreciation for the advances made to date despite the challenges, and their determination to continue supporting the efforts to consolidate peace. 

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More photos of the event in Mesetas, Meta