During the presentation of the Mission’s latest quarterly report, Colombia’s Foreign Minister Omar Bula asked Council members to modify the team’s mandate by removing the monitoring of the Comprehensive Rural Reform (Point one of the 2016 Peace Agreement) from its responsibilities.

Bula argued that land policy and rural development in his country fall permanently under the Colombian state institutions and long-term national plans.

Colombia’s proposal has the explicit backing of the United States.

If the request is approved, the mission’s mandate would be limited to verifying the reintegration of former combatants from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) into civilian life, as well as ensuring security guarantees for the signatories, leaders, and communities.

A year ago, the Council narrowed the Mission’s mandate by removing the requirement to verify the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the Ethnic Chapter.

The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia officially began its mandate and operations in September 2017, at the request of the government at the time, to support the country and verify the implementation of key commitments under the Peace Agreement.

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