The UK remains committed to the implementation of the 2016 Agreement as the main vehicle for lasting peace in Colombia.

I’d like to start by welcoming the Colombian Government’s announcement of the Comprehensive Protection Programme in June as a measure to address increasing levels of violence across the country, including the assassination attempt on Senator Miguel Uribe on 7 June.  

And I join others in hoping for his continued recovery.  

Nine signatories were killed during the reporting period, bringing the total to 469 since the Agreement was signed.

These attacks, often deliberately targeting those who are committed to peace and societal change, underline the urgent need to implement the Comprehensive Protection Programme and for stronger protection measures. 

President, as SRSG Massieu reminded us, transitional justice remains a critical component of the 2016 Agreement, as we also heard during our visit last year.

Colombians need to see restorative justice in action. So, we encourage the Jurisdiction to maintain the pace of sentencing and the government to ensure complementary actions advance in parallel.

We welcome the presence of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in this chamber and its President, Alejandro Ramelli.  

We understand that the Special Jurisdiction for Peace will shortly issue sentences under two Macro Cases. 

This would represent a significant advance in the work of the Jurisdiction.

And this, as SRSG Massieu reminded us, is essential to maintain the trust of the victims, the signatories and the Colombian people. 

Finally, President, as this government enters its final year in office, and with elections in view, we urge the government to prioritise implementation of the Agreement and to fund it adequately.

The Secretary General’s latest report shows that implementation of the 2016 Agreement remains uneven, with key challenges unaddressed across several chapters, despite progress in others.

We welcome the meeting in May of the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion, and Verification of the Implementation, ‘the CSIVI’, where parties agreed an action plan for the remainder of the year. 

We commend efforts to strengthen institutional coordination and support civil society.

Convening institutional structures of the Agreement is key to sustaining peace efforts, particularly as Colombia transitions into its electoral period.

President, the UK is and will remain a key partner on the path to sustainable peace in Colombia.