Colombia: Mission Mandate Renewal
Tomorrow (13 September), the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution renewing until 25 September 2019 the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. The draft, which was prepared by the UK, passed silence procedure this morning and is now in blue. Negotiations were smooth, with no Council member proposing amendments, and the draft in blue does not include any changes to the mission’s mandate.
President of Colombia Iván Duque sent a letter to the president of the Council on 30 August (S/2018/801) conveying a joint request for the extension of the mission’s mandate by the government of Colombia and the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (FARC).
The mission is expected to continue carrying out its mandate of verifying the implementation of sections 3.2 and 3.4 of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, as called for in section 6.3.3 of the Agreement. Sections 3.2 and 3.4 focus on political, economic and social reincorporation of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP); personal and collective security guarantees; and comprehensive programmes on security and protection measures for communities and organisations in conflict-affected areas.
The draft in blue expresses the Council’s willingness to work with the Government of Colombia to extend the mandate of the Mission further on the basis of agreement between the parties. According to the Final Agreement, the mission, which was established last year, is requested to operate for a period of three years and be extended if needed.
