The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) today presented to the Permanent Council of the Organization the 37th Periodic Report on the monitoring work of the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS), carried out between January 1 and June 30, 2024. During this period, the Mission carried out 858 field missions in 217 population centers in 107 municipalities in 23 departments of the country.
See the most recent Periodic Report 37 and its highlights
Report 37 highlights some of the achievements of peace initiatives and processes during the first half of 2024, such as the signing of immediate implementation agreements with territorial impact at the peace dialogue tables and the renewal of the "Total Peace" policy approach, resuming the possibility of advancing peace initiatives with all armed groups. It also highlights the installation of the Peace Dialogue Table between the national government and Comuneros del Sur, progress in the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement and efforts to accelerate its implementation, as well as the authorization of the start of processes with the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia and the Conquistadores Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada, examples of this approach that demonstrate progress in the territorialization of the Total Peace policy.
In addition, the Report reports on the continuity and emergence of scenarios of territorial dispute between armed groups, the fragmentation within their structures and the intensification of the armed conflict in some regions of the country, directly affecting the life, freedom, integrity, security and property of the civilian population. Actions by armed groups such as forced recruitment, use, exploitation and sexual violence against minors persisted; the contamination of territories with improvised explosive devices; the obstruction of the development of institutional work; the imposition of restrictions on communities in terms of citizen coexistence, mobility and the autonomous exercise of political rights, especially against civil authorities, leaders and social and ethnic organizations.
During the presentation of the Report to the Permanent Council of the OAS, Roberto Menéndez, Head of the MAPP/OAS, referred in his speech to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Catatumbo region, Norte de Santander, due to the intensification of violent actions by armed groups. "Since January 16, the population has been the victim of homicides, kidnappings, forced displacement, confinement, threats, armed and uniformed presence of illegal groups in rural and urban areas, among other effects. Children, adolescents, social leaders, signatories of peace and indigenous communities of the Barí and Yukpa peoples are some of the populations most impacted by this unjustifiable violence."
He added that, "The General Secretariat of the OAS considers it urgent that armed groups immediately put an end to violence against communities and demonstrate their commitment to peace through concrete actions. The MAPP/OAS has publicly expressed its rejection of these events and has joined the collective call for an end to violence and respect for the civilian population. From the beginning, it has made its capabilities available to the Colombian authorities and the communities of Catatumbo to facilitate inter-institutional coordination that will allow for the acceleration of prevention, protection and care for victims, as well as the overcoming of this humanitarian emergency."
This Report also refers to the MAPP/OAS's support for Colombia at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16), held in October 2024. This was one of the expressions of the Mission's commitment to support the country in its efforts to prevent deforestation and preserve biodiversity in contexts of armed conflict. The period covered in the report showed how armed groups affect biodiversity in strategic ecosystems and impede the environmental governance of institutions and communities.
"On this occasion, the Report also calls for moving forward on what has been built, to resume the lessons and accumulated experience of Colombia to find viable solutions, especially to address the definition of legal frameworks or legislative models for peace, which allow politics to be legally sustainable," said the Head of the MAPP/OAS.
During the period monitored in Report 37, the Ninth Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the Republic of Colombia and the OAS was signed, which resulted in the renewal of the mandate of the MAPP/OAS until January 24, 2027. This allows the Mission to continue supporting peace policies in the country and reaffirm its commitment to institutions and communities in the territories most affected by the armed conflict, as it has been doing uninterruptedly for more than 20 years, always supporting efforts and initiatives to achieve a comprehensive peace, which involves all actors, is implemented in all territories and is considered on all issues.
See the most recent Periodic Report 37 and its highlights
