20/09/2017

Assessment of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia

Members of the UN delegation during the verification mission in Colombia. Photo. AFP

Members of the UN delegation during the verification mission in Colombia. Photo. AFP

Raúl Rosende, the chief of staff the United Nations Mission in Colombia assesses the international organization´s first mission during the verification period of the peace process undertaken by the government and the FARC.

Rosende, who took part in the discussion on the ‘Transition between the UN´s political mission phase I and II in Colombia’, assures that that the actors involved in the peace process have a desire to achieve peace.  

“The cease fire worked really well. In other places, hostilities resume very quickly when there is a clash. However, here there were confrontations, but they did not hinder the break in hostilities. This shows that all the parties involved are determined.”

Rosende also explained that due to Juan Manuel Santos´ official government request, the United Nations will continue their second phase verification mission in the country.

He said that, “This will validate the reinsertion of the FARC into civil society and guarantee the communities in conflict areas’ security. It has already been approved by the UN.”

A UN delegate revealed that they are currently working to dig up the FARC’s hidden war equipment, and he assured that the surrender of weapons has been successful.

Rosende was in the Universidad de los Andes for the Día Paíz event, which was part of the week-long Summit on Peacebuilding – Linked by Peace. Seven higher-education Colombian institutions created activities that sought to construct peace, not only between the university communities, but also in the country’s larger civil society.

Rosende celebrated the fact that, in his opinion, seminars such as Día Paíz are held in universities as academia allows for problems to be identified that are not taken into consideration in the day-to-day work of the people and institutions involved in the verification and implementation of the peace process with the FARC.

Finally, he called for the safeguard of legal guarantees for the demobilized guerilla who are already in the process of being reintegrated in civil society.

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