On Wednesday, 7 June 2023, I concluded my second official visit to the Republic of Colombia.
My visit provided the opportunity for me to receive first-hand information on Colombia's ongoing accountability efforts and to consider the status of implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed between my Office and the Government of Colombia in 2021. I leave Colombia clear in my view that, while work remains to be done, an innovative path has been set towards the delivery of meaningful justice for survivors and the families of victims.
On arrival in Bogotá, I was delighted to meet with His Excellency, the President of Colombia, Mr Gustavo Petro Urrego. I am sincerely grateful to the President for generously sharing his time and for the strong support he expressed for the continued cooperation between my Office and the Government of Colombia under the 2021 Cooperation Agreement. We were united in our view that Colombia can build further on the progress that has been made and, in doing so, it can set an example globally for those seeking to build new ways of delivering impactful, comprehensive justice.
At the conclusion of my visit, this renewed common commitment took concrete form in the signing of a new Action Plan between my Office and the Government of Colombia. This represents an important new phase in our relationship. Through this Plan we have set clear, common objectives and have laid the groundwork for even deeper collaboration, including through:
- provision of technical expertise and support by my Office;
- exchange of good practices in priority thematic areas;
- assistance in coordinating action across justice institutions; and
- work towards the establishment of a continuous presence of my Office in Colombia.
There is a true spirit of innovation and dynamism in work towards accountability in Colombia. This was most clearly demonstrated during my visit to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace ("JEP").
I was delighted to meet with Mr. Roberto Carlos Vidal López, President of the JEP, and to engage in a plenary meeting with JEP magistrates. There I was able to hear of the progress being made in the 11 macro cases that now represent an ambitious framework for action in the years ahead, while also recognising together the continued challenges the JEP faces. The joint workplan I signed with President Vidal López during my visit will allow us to assist the JEP in addressing these challenges, and will include the provision of support in the near term with respect to the investigation and prosecution of sexual and gender-based crimes.
I was also grateful to the Attorney General, Mr Francisco Barbosa Delgado, who welcomed me to his Office. During our meeting, the Attorney General provided important updates including the opening of investigations in relation to six former Generals of the Colombian Army in cases commonly known as "false positives", and his signature of an internal order seeking to enhance cooperation with the JEP. He also confirmed his intention to provide additional information with respect to investigations concerning civilian third parties. We will continue to engage with the Office of the Attorney General in follow-up to these recent developments.
In my engagement with a range of civil society organisations at the end of my visit, I underlined my central message: The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court continues to stand with Colombia in this work. The closure of the preliminary examination does not mark the end of our work together. I am grateful for the time these organisations took to speak with me and for their willingness to share their views and concerns about current accountability efforts in their country. This will continue to inform and guide our work in the months and years ahead.
I wish to conclude by expressing my thanks to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Álvaro Leyva Durán, for his personal support and the work of his Office in facilitating my visit. As I said upon the signing of our common Action Plan, he is a foundational architect of the JEP and the broader transitional justice movement in Colombia. It was only correct that he placed his signature on the document setting the basis for our future work together. I look forward to this continued partnership and support as we move forward in implementing this renewed vision for justice in Colombia.
- Cooperation Agreement between the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the Government of Colombia (2021)
- ICC Prosecutor, Mr Karim A. A. Khan QC, concludes the preliminary examination of the Situation in Colombia with a Cooperation Agreement with the Government charting the next stage in support of domestic efforts to advance transitional justice
- Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC on conclusion of technical visit of the Office of the Prosecutor to Colombia
For further details on "preliminary examinations" and "situations and cases" before the Court, click here, and here.
