On 26 September 2017, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia started its activities, immediately upon the conclusion of the mandate of the first United Nations Mission in Colombia.
The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (Verification Mission) was established by the UN Security Council pursuant to resolution 2366 (2017), adopted unanimously on 10 July 2017. The resolution followed a joint request for UN support from the Government of Colombia and the then Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP).
According to the resolution, the purpose of the Mission is to accompany the parties and verify their commitments regarding points 3.2 and 3.4 of the Final Peace Agreement on the reintegration of former FARC-EP members, and the implementation of measures of protection and security for former FARC-EP members and communities in territories most affected by the conflict. The Verification Mission has worked closely with national authorities and former combatants to promote progress in reintegration and security related issues with a constructive and proactive approach. The Mission continued to have a presence at the national, regional and local levels, with a view to ensuring close contact with former combatants and communities.
Further to a request from the Government of Colombia, on its behalf and on behalf of the former FARC-EP, the Security Council, by its resolution 2574 (2021) adopted unanimously on 11 May 2021, mandated the Verification Mission to implement an additional task, as envisioned in the Final Peace Agreement, namely the verification of compliance with and implementation of the restorative sentences of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.
In addition, Security Council resolution 2673 (2023) of 11 January 2023 mandated the Mission to verify the implementation of section 1 and section 6.2 of the Final Peace Agreement, on comprehensive rural reform and on the ethnic chapter, further to a letter from the Government of Colombia conveyed as a shared request of the Government and the former FARC-EP.
Security Council resolution 2694 (2023) of 2 August 2023 authorized the Mission to monitor and verify the implementation of the ceasefire as outlined in the Second Cuba Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), further to a request from the Government of Colombia.
Previous mandates
The first UN Mission in Colombia had been established by Security Council resolution 2261 (2016) on 25 January 2016 with a mandate to monitor and verify the laying down of arms and, as part of a tripartite mechanism, a definitive bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities following the signing of a peace agreement between the Government and the FARC-EP. The Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP, after peace talks in Havana that started in 2012, had agreed on 19 January 2016 to jointly request the Security Council to establish this first special political mission. On 23 June 2016 in Havana, they concluded the agreement on the definitive bilateral cease fire and cessation of hostilities and the laying down of arms, which was later revised and signed on 24 November 2016. The first UN in Mission in Colombia completed the verification of the successful laying down of weapons by the FARC-EP and the transformation of the guerrilla group into a political party in September 2017.
On 29 September 2017, the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) made a joint request to the Security Council to authorize the UN Verification Mission in Colombia to participate in the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism established to strengthen the bilateral and temporary cease-fire beginning on 1 October 2017. With the adoption of resolution 2381 (2017), the Security Council agreed on 5 October 2017 to expand the Verification Mission’s mandate on a temporary basis until 9 January 2018 to include the participation and coordination of the work of the monitoring and verification mechanism (MVM), comprised of representatives of the Government of Colombia, the ELN, the United Nations and the Catholic Church to verify compliance with the temporary, bilateral, national ceasefire at national, regional and local level. The Verification Mission completed its mandate regarding the ELN ceasefire in January 2018.
For more information go to the mission's website: https://colombia.unmissions.org/