In a statement to the UN Security Council, the United Kingdom urged comprehensive delivery of Colombia’s 2016 Final Peace Agreement. The intervention, following a briefing by Special Representative Jenča, commended the UN Verification Mission’s continued support to implementation and set out UK priorities for the next phase.
The UK encouraged the Government of Colombia to use the remainder of its term to accelerate implementation and to ensure a strong institutional handover to its successor. It highlighted the Commission for the Follow‑up, Promotion, and Verification of the Final Peace Agreement (CSIVI) as the forum where the parties should resolve implementation issues and sustain momentum.
London reaffirmed support for the Agreement in full, with particular emphasis on Transitional Justice and the Ethnic Chapter. These components were presented as essential to restorative justice, accountability and reconciliation that meet victims’ expectations, while recognising the disproportionate impact the conflict has had on Afro‑Colombian and indigenous communities, as set out in the Agreement.
With the UN Verification Mission no longer responsible for verifying sanctions imposed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP), the UK called for the parties to agree a new verification mechanism without delay. It stressed that respect for SJP sentences and sanctions is central to public confidence in the transitional justice architecture and, by extension, the Peace Agreement itself.
On electoral security, the statement described the election period as a key milestone that carries heightened risks of violence and intimidation. The UK urged the Colombian Government to strengthen security guarantees and ensure a safe, inclusive democratic process in line with commitments in the Final Agreement.
The UK recorded that 487 former combatants have been killed since the Agreement was signed, calling on all actors to respect the democratic process and protect civilians nationwide. It stated clearly that targeted violence against signatories, civil society and other civilians must end.
For practitioners, the message implies near‑term tasks for Bogotá: keep the CSIVI operating effectively to unblock delivery; define how SJP‑ordered sanctions will be monitored and enforced under a new verification mechanism; and align election‑period security planning with the Agreement’s guarantees for candidates, electoral officials and conflict‑affected communities.
The statement signals continued UK support for Colombia’s path to lasting peace through Security Council engagement and bilateral cooperation. It places implementation fidelity, protection for ex‑combatants and communities, and credible election administration as immediate priorities.
Key watch points now include the formalisation of an SJP sanctions verification mechanism, measurable improvements in security guarantees during the election period, and continuity of CSIVI oversight across any change of administration.