Ivan Duque will speak at the UN Security Council to discuss the Peace Agreement

President Ivan Duque will be in the United States for three days to fulfill his duties as head of state. On April 12, the Colombian president will speak at the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) to discuss the implementation of the Peace Agreement in the country.

This is the first time that Duque has spoken before the aforementioned Council, where he will present a detailed account of the progress made in the implementation of the Peace with Legality policy during his administration. The president will be accompanied by Vice President and Foreign Minister, Marta Lucía Ramírez; Colombia's Ambassador to the UN, Guillermo Fernández de Soto, and the Presidential Advisor for Stabilization and Consolidation, Emilio Archila.

“Peace with Legality is a reality, and it is good that we understand that, since it has no owners and is also part of a collective construction, that we recognize what is being built together: Colombia's triumphs belong to all citizens,” said the head of state. He also assured that the most important thing is that, “when peace is built we are sowing joy in the hearts of every citizen”.

Among the achievements that the president will highlight, he will highlight the progress made in the Victims Act and the support he has given it to 12,826 former members of the extinct FARC, by extending until 2031 the benefits that were extinguished in August 2019. “8,556 ex-combatants have a productive project or an economic enterprise. This is done through 4,063 individual and collective projects”, reported the Presidency of the Republic.

The head of state will also comment that “358,000 individual compensation (administrative and judicial) has been awarded with an investment of 3.08 billion pesos”. While in the process of reintegration, it will highlight the Development Programs with a Territorial Focus, which have served to improve the lives of 6.6 million people in 170 municipalities affected by violence.

With regard to illicit crops, the national Government indicated that it has managed 1.8 billion pesos to benefit the 100,000 families linked to the Illicit Crop Substitution Programme from August 2018 to 28 February 2022.

It may interest you: President Iván Duque's agenda during his diplomatic visit to New York

It should be recalled that the UN established a Verification Mission since the signing of the agreement, so they report quarterly on progress in the social reintegration of ex-combatants. The mandate of this oversight was extended until 31 October 2022.

In the latest report, which will also be presented on 12 April, the UN expresses its concern for the safety of ex-combatants, as 315 ex-combatants have been killed since the signing of the agreement, of which 10 were women. In this quarter, the murder of 11 people who demobilized from the extinct guerrillas was recorded.

The document also highlights progress in the country in terms of political, social and economic integration. In fact, the Verification Mission highlighted that most of the more than 13,000 ex-combatants are still in the process of reintegration “into civilian life despite the significant challenges they face” such as insecurity in the territories in which they live. Among them, 63% participate in individual and collective projects.

KEEP READING: