\n<\/p>\n
After decades of conflict, the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP rebel group signed a historic final agreement on 24 November 2016. <\/p>\n
The following year, the Council authorized the creation of a United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia to monitor the implementation of the agreement. <\/p>\n
However, the Council limited the scope of the mission’s mandate in October 2025, despite an assassination attempt on one of Colombia’s presidential candidates that year \u2013 and his subsequent death. Nevertheless, largely peaceful Congress elections were held in the country on 8 March 2026.<\/p>\n
“It is necessary for the country to remain on this path<\/strong>\u201d stressed Miroslav Jenka, Special Representative and head of the United Nations Verification Mission in the country.<\/p>\n Now, ahead of the presidential elections on May 31, he called on all concerned to ensure a safe, peaceful environment free from violence and stigma. <\/p>\n And condemning alleged threats against presidential candidates, he called on state authorities to guarantee the security of all participants in the electoral process. <\/p>\n For its part, the Mission will contribute \u2013 as it did during the Congressional elections \u2013 to analyzing security risks and coordinating preventive actions.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the Mission has been \u201ccompletely restructured\u201d to reflect the \u201crefocused\u201d mandate established by resolution 2798 (2025), which he said includes the reintegration of former combatants, security guarantees and comprehensive rural reforms. <\/p>\n In the latter, he pointed to both the progress achieved and the continued effort required, while also underscoring the importance of this process: \u201cBy opening up viable economic opportunities, it can also provide sustainable alternatives to illicit economies, helping to break the cycle of violence<\/strong>“<\/p>\n He also described a similar reality with respect to former combatants, where active reintegration is complicated by “”.Fragile socio-economic, infrastructure and security conditions in rural areas<\/strong> Where many former fighters have settled\u201d. <\/p>\n He also noted that clashes over territorial control and illegal economies in many rural areas \u2013 “the Catatumbo area is an example” \u2013 are causing violence and hardship on entire communities.<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as violence, regional disputes or a governance vacuum persist in any part of the country, they risk undermining national stability and erasing gains made elsewhere,\u201d he underlined. And stressing that the final agreement provides a comprehensive roadmap to address both the root causes and consequences of the conflict, he said: <\/p>\n “The areas where the agreement has not been adequately implemented are the ones where the most serious problems persist today.”<\/p>\nhard-earned gains lost<\/h2>\n