Colombia proposes narrowing UN verification mission's mandate as ex-combatant killings reach 501

Colombia's foreign minister, Omar Bula, proposed to the Security Council that the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia be revised. The proposal came during a Council briefing on the 2016 peace agreement, according to UN News. Mr. Bula said any change to the mandate would have to be decided by the Council. The sources do not report a vote, a draft resolution or a date for a decision.

Under the proposal, the mission would concentrate on the reintegration of former combatants and on security guarantees. Follow-up on comprehensive rural reform would pass to national institutions. Mr. Bula said Colombia has the tools to continue land access and rural development policies, with international cooperation. He said the proposal does not change the state's substantive obligation or the support of Colombia's partners. In UN News's Spanish report, he described what would change as the extraordinary mechanism of verification. Colombia holds a non-permanent Council seat for 2026-2027.

Miroslav Jenča, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Colombia, briefed the Council on the state of the agreement. He heads the mission whose mandate is now under discussion, so the UN is a party to this story. He said the accord must be implemented in full, with proper funding, better coordination between institutions and protection for former combatants. He said implementation has had “many shortcomings”.

Mr. Jenča said President Abelardo de la Espriella's administration, which took office on 7 August, has expressed its intention to meet the constitutional and legal obligations of the accord. He said that commitment must become concrete measures. UN News reported that he called for funding plans, clear leadership within the government and reactivation of the commissions the accord provides for. On the government's policies he said: “We look forward to the further definition of its policies, and we stand ready to support the Government in this regard,”

The security picture was the main concern. UN News reported that government data presented to legislators show illegal armed groups growing from around 15,000 members in 2022 to approximately 28,000 today. Mr. Jenča said communities in conflict-affected regions remain exposed to armed groups, geographical isolation and limited access to public services. He said child recruitment, particularly among ethnic communities, and threats and attacks against women remain major concerns. He condemned the killings of civil society leaders María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor in Cauca on 1 September.

UN News reported that 501 former combatants have been killed since the agreement was signed in 2016. The most recent killing was on 22 September in Cesar. Mr. Jenča called for stronger protection and economic opportunities for them, to keep armed groups from recruiting them again.

He also reported progress. More than 11,000 former members of the FARC-EP rebel group remain committed to reintegration. With State and international support, they have developed around 6,000 productive projects and 300 cooperatives, in sectors including agriculture, tourism, trade and textiles. He said economic sustainability remains a challenge.

UN News in French reported, citing the Secretary-General's latest report, that the draft budget for 2027 would favour security while reducing resources for some institutions handling rural development, land distribution and reintegration. The same outlet reported that the government is favouring military offensives over negotiations. Mr. Jenča said Colombia had entered “a new political chapter, with wide ranging challenges ahead,” and called for “sustained international engagement in order to overcome remaining obstacles.”

The sources do not say how any Council member, including the United States, responded to the proposal.