The 2016 peace deal between the authorities and the FARC-EP militia group ended five decades of conflict, and the report published Monday is the first to cover verification of its chapters on comprehensive rural reform and ethnic issues, in line with a Security Council resolution adopted in January.
The report spans the period from late December to late March. Mr. Guterres highlighted progress made during this time, and commitment by the parties, noting that even in the midst of immense challenges, there were grounds for optimism.
However, he added that “the inescapable reality on the ground in Colombia today is that peacebuilding depends both on the full implementation of the Agreement” and “on the ability of the authorities to curb the expressions of violence that continue to occur.”
In this regard, the Secretary-General urgently called for de-escalation of the conflict and perseverance in the search for peace through dialogue.
He commended the delegations of the Government and the ELN rebel group for their constructive exchange during a second round of negotiations in Mexico, held last month.
“I am confident that we will soon see additional results as they address key agenda issues in the next round, including communities’ call for a ceasefire,” he said.
If carried out properly, the ceasefire would “have the potential to reduce violence and build confidence in nascent dialogue processes, while alleviating obstacles to the implementation of the Peace Agreement,” he stated.
