A month before the tenth anniversary of the signing of Colombia’s 2016 Peace Agreement, the Security Council reviewed its implementation under the new Administration of President Abelardo Gabriel de la Espriella, who assumed office on 7 August, amid hopes that the gains achieved over the past decade would be preserved and strengthened through concrete policies and decisive action.
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.
Proposed Adjustment to UN Mission: Refocus on Security Rather than Rural Reform
Entering the final third of the 15-year implementation period set by the Agreement, Omar Bula, Colombia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, 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,” he 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, he 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.
Special Representative Urges Comprehensive Implementation of Agreement
Miroslav Jenča, 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 (document S/2026/759), 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.
He 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.
Emphasizing that “sustainable peace requires security, and security requires an effective and lasting State presence”, he pointed to the worsening security situation in conflict-affected areas, including rising child recruitment, particularly among ethnic communities, and persistent violence and threats against women. He also condemned the 1 September killing of social leaders María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor in Cauca.
Turning to reintegration, he reported that more than 11,000 former combatants remain committed to civilian life and continue to develop productive and entrepreneurial projects. However, security and sustainability challenges persist. He deplored the killing of a former combatant in Cesar on 26 September, bringing the total number killed since 2016 to 501, and called for stronger protection measures and greater economic opportunities for former fighters.
Strengthen Implementation, Ensure Funding
“The next five years — the final five years — will be critical”, stressed the United Kingdom’s representative, urging the Colombian Government to use the Agreement to tackle the conflict’s drivers and build effective State presence alongside security and anti-narcotics measures. She expressed hope that Bogotá’s ongoing review will strengthen the institutional architecture and funding of the Agreement and ensure it serves the needs of the communities hardest hit by conflict. “We look to these measures to prioritize protection of vulnerable communities, including Afro-Colombian, Indigenous peoples and children,” she added.
“Colombia’s peace and security are also the peace and security of Panama and of our entire region,” said that country’s delegate, underscoring the irreplaceable role of the Verification Mission, and expressing hope that its “irreplaceable” work in opening a path to peace will be built on. Underscoring the importance of rural reform as a pragmatic means of addressing illicit crops, he said: “Land, which is at the heart of so much suffering in Colombia, can now on a larger scale offer hope and economic opportunities.”
The representative of Greece, Council President for October, also underscored the importance of rural reform and ex-combatants’ reintegration in ensuring security in areas still impacted by the presence of armed groups.
Meanwhile, France’s speaker called for opportunities to be provided to ex-combatants “without which they might be likely to take up arms again”.
Armed Groups Expanded under Previous Administration, Says United States
The representative of the United States pointed out that the previous Administration’s efforts to achieve “total peace” had instead enabled armed groups to expand their ranks, territorial control and criminal activities. Looking ahead to the UN Mission’s mandate renewal on 31 October, he supported Colombia’s assumption of ownership of rural reform and stressed that the Council should support national leadership rather than extend UN missions indefinitely.
The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also speaking for Liberia and Somalia, argued: “Colombia’s security initiatives are more effective and lasting when they go hand-in-hand with complementary civilian measures, access and dedicated protection instruments established under the Agreement being implemented.”