Motion for a resolution - B9-0230/2021Motion for a resolution
B9-0230/2021

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the fifth anniversary of the Peace Agreement in Colombia

26.4.2021 - (2021/2643(RSP))

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure

Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Dita Charanzová, Olivier Chastel, Klemen Grošelj, Bernard Guetta, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Karen Melchior, Javier Nart, Urmas Paet, Dragoș Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Michal Šimečka, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Dragoş Tudorache, Hilde Vautmans
on behalf of the Renew Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0227/2021

Procedure : 2021/2643(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B9-0230/2021
Texts tabled :
B9-0230/2021
Votes :
Texts adopted :

B9‑0230/2021

European Parliament resolution on the fifth anniversary of the Peace Agreement in Colombia

(2021/2643(RSP))

The European Parliament,

 having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular its resolution of 20 January 2016 in support of the peace process in Colombia[1],

 having regard to the multiparty trade agreement between the EU, Colombia and Peru,

 having regard to the statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, of 1 October 2015 appointing Eamon Gilmore as EU Special Envoy for the Peace Process in Colombia,

 having regard to the Final Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace between the National Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP), signed on 24 November 2016,

 having regard to the UN Secretary-General’s reports on the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia and, in particular, the report of 26 March 2021,

 having regard to the annual report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of 10 February 2021 on the situation of human rights in Colombia,

 having regard to the joint statement of 9 February 2021 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR), Josep Borrell, and Commissioner Janez Lenarčič on Colombia’s decision to grant temporary protection status to Venezuelan migrants, and the statement by the spokesperson for the VP/HR of 26 February 2021 on violence against human rights defenders in Colombia,

 having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas in November 2021 Colombia will mark the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Final Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace between the National Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP), which put an end to a conflict of more than 50 years and represents a significant step in the construction of a stable and lasting peace in the country;

B. whereas the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, and the president of the Comunes party (formerly the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (FARC) party), Rodrigo Londoño, met on 10 March 2021 to discuss the status of the implementation of the Final Agreement; whereas at the dialogue facilitated by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Colombia and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, both parties reiterated their commitment to the Final Agreement, and agreed to work jointly to design a road map for the remainder of the time frame envisioned for its comprehensive implementation, as well as to redouble their efforts to strengthen the reintegration of, and security guarantees for, former combatants;

C. whereas in the Final Agreement parties agreed to set a Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), including the implementation of a Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition as well as agreements on reparations for victims, among others; whereas Colombia faces complex challenges in the comprehensive implementation of the Final Agreement, exacerbated by the COVID-19 situation and the arrival and reception of Venezuelan migrants;

D. whereas on 26 January 2021, Colombia’s JEP announced its first major decision, accusing eight top leaders of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia of war crimes and crimes against humanity, in what has been the clearest result so far for transitional justice in the country; whereas it has also confirmed progress in the investigation of the so-called ‘false positives’;

E. whereas there continue to be important advances which provide an example as to the transformative potential of the Peace Agreement, which includes, for the first time ever, a specific gender approach; whereas, given the interconnected nature of the different chapters of the agreement, it is of outmost importance to actively integrate the gender approach in all areas;

F. whereas the peace talks have led to a significant reduction in the number of deaths and in violence in Colombia; whereas the breakdown in security across different regions of Colombia is widely considered to be an obstacle to the peace process, with a worrying rise in violence, enforced disappearances, kidnappings and killings of social and indigenous leaders, former FARC combatants and human rights defenders, as reported by the UN;

G. whereas the UN Verification Mission verified the killing of 73 former combatants in 2020, bringing to 248 the number of ex-combatants killed since the signing of the Peace Agreement in 2016; whereas the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) received information about the killing of 120 human rights defenders in the past year, 53 cases of which had been verified; whereas in addition, it recorded 69 incidents with large numbers of civilian casualties in 2020, accounting for the deaths of 269 civilians, including 24 children and 19 women;

H. whereas addressing the persistent violence against former combatants, conflict-affected communities, social leaders, and human rights defenders, the need to enhance the sustainability of the reintegration process, the consolidation of an integrated state presence in conflict-affected areas, reinforcing constructive dialogue between the parties as a means of promoting the implementation of the Peace Agreement and the need to strengthen conditions for reconciliation between the parties have been set as priorities by the UN Secretary-General;

I. whereas conflict dynamics involving the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), including clashes with other illegal armed actors and with the public security forces, continue in certain departments; whereas the government insists that the possibility of resuming talks is contingent on the ELN ceasing its violent actions, including kidnapping, the recruitment of children and the laying of mines, while the ELN maintains its position that any such request by the government must be addressed at the negotiating table;

J. whereas the significant decision made by the President of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez, to show solidarity by regularising approximately 1 800 000 Venezuelan migrants resident in the country, through temporary migratory permits that will enable them to register and strengthen their access to state services, such as health and education, and their socio-economic integration, thereby reducing their vulnerability;

K. whereas the EU and Colombia maintain a framework of close political, economic and trade cooperation established in the Memorandum of Understanding of November 2009 and the Trade Agreement between Colombia and Peru and the EU and its Member States, the ultimate aim of which is not only to promote economic relations between the parties, but also to consolidate peace, democracy and respect for human rights, sustainable development and the well-being of their citizens; whereas Colombia is a strategic partner and is key to regional stability;

L. whereas this close relationship also extends to areas of international cooperation on multilateral issues of common interest, such as the struggle for peace and the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking;

1. Recalls its support for the final Peace Agreement in Colombia and welcomes the recent dialogue that took place between the parties; reiterates its readiness to continue providing all possible political and financial assistance to support the comprehensive implementation of the Peace Agreement, to accompany the post-conflict phase, in which the participation of local communities and civil society organisations is essential, and to take due account of the priorities expressed by the victims in terms of truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-repetition;

2. Welcomes the progress made by Colombia in areas such as rural development programmes, upholding victims’ rights, solving the problem of illicit drugs, restitution of land and reintegration of former combatants; stresses how important it is for the peace process to be accompanied by a determined effort to combat inequality and poverty, including by finding fair solutions for people and communities forced off their lands; recognises the work of the Territorial Councils for Peace, Reconciliation and Coexistence;

3. Underlines the fundamental and historic role of the development plans with a territorial approach (PDET), formulated by the communities in the 170 municipalities most affected by abandonment, poverty and violence, with an investment of close to USD 1.4 billion for the 1 250 works delivered and 151 works in execution; highlights that the participation of the private sector stand out in the Works for Taxes programme, with 100 projects for close to USD 200 million of investment;

4. Welcomes all actions already taken by the JEP in order to create a future with peacebuilding and lack of impunity at its heart, and calls on the JEP to continue its significant efforts, despite the numerous challenges; calls on the Colombian authorities to preserve the autonomy and independence of and to protect the Integrated System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition as an essential contribution towards a sustainable and lasting peace;

5. Condemns the massacres and killings of, and the violence against human rights defenders, former FARC combatants and social and indigenous leaders; emphasises that addressing the persistent violence against them is one of the major challenges in Colombia; calls for swift and thorough investigations and for those responsible to be held accountable;

6. Stresses the need for urgent measures to be taken to increase their protection, and therefore calls for a stronger integrated state presence in the territories, and for the adoption by the National Commission for Security Guarantees of a public policy to dismantle criminal organisations; welcomes, with this in mind, the Strategic Security and Protection Plan for Reintegrating Persons;

7. Recognises the efforts made by Colombian institutions to make progress in ensuring that human rights are fully and permanently upheld; reminds the Government of Colombia that it is duty-bound to guarantee the safety of its citizens;

8. Express its concern that despite their obligation to provide information on the drug trafficking routes and sources of financing that sustain the criminal groups that attack defenders, leaders and ex-combatants, to date, the former guerrillas have not provided it; notes its concern, likewise, that the deadline set for the delivery of the assets of the former FARC-EP to compensate the victims expired on 31 December 2020, and only 4 % of the amount agreed (USD 12.2 million of the 286 million it agreed in 2017) has been delivered; highlights that beyond the commercial value that the goods represent, their delivery is a fundamental step towards reconciliation;

9. Encourages the government to adopt all necessary measures in the current economic context to promote structural changes that would help to improve the overall situation and maximise the peace accords’ potential for a positive transformation of the Colombian human rights situation; calls on these civic organisations to cooperate in restoring reconciled coexistence in Colombia;

10. Reiterates once again that violence is not a legitimate method of political struggle, and calls on those who have been of that conviction to embrace democracy with all its implications and requirements, involving, as a first step, the permanent abandonment of weapons and the defence of their ideas and aspirations through abiding by democratic rules and the rule of law; in this sense calls on the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident groups of the FARC-EP to end the conflicts and abuses in Colombia and to commit firmly and decisively, without further delay, to peace in Colombia;

11. Welcomes the extension of the Victims Law until 2031 and the increase of its budget, benefiting 9 057 052 people registered in the Single Registry of Victims; highlights the 6 203 restitution sentences issued, benefiting 74 137 people, with the restitution of 390 388 hectares of land to those affected;

12. Highlights the progress in the clearance of 129 municipalities of anti-personnel mines and the extension of the deadline for their elimination until 2025;

13. Recognises and praises the remarkable and unprecedented step by Colombia to give protected status to approximately 1 800 000 Venezuelan migrants resident in the country, which will contribute to reducing human suffering for the Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, while providing opportunities for better assistance, including on vaccination against COVID-19, protection and social integration;

14. Hopes that the EU’s initiative of contributing to regional efforts to cope with the migration crisis will pave the way for stronger support in line with Colombia’s outstanding solidarity and calls on other members of the international community to come together to support Colombia in this process;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the rotating Presidency of the EU, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Government and the Congress of Colombia.

 

 

Last updated: 27 April 2021
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