Original: Spanish
The Council of the Socialist International meeting in Geneva on 1-2 July 2016 expresses its deepest satisfaction at the bilateral and definitive ceasefire agreement and the handover of weapons, signed on Thursday 23 June between the government of Colombia and the FARC in Havana. This historic event signals the successful conclusion of the negotiations started in 2012 and gives us hope that this will put an end to more than fifty years of conflict.
The Socialist International has always given its strong support to Colombia in their peace-building efforts and will continue to do so. Our organisation welcomes the commitment of the international community with that nation, which was demonstrated by the presence of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Latin American leaders and high-ranking international officials at the signing of the agreement in Havana.
At the same time, our organisation trusts that the trip to Latin America of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who is currently visiting Colombia, will help to sustain the international commitment to the people displaced as a result of more than half a century of fighting. The Socialist International wishes success to the UN Committee for the international verification of the surrender of weapons which will have a six-month mandate to ensure the handover and destruction of these armaments.
In Colombia, what has been agreed in matters of recognition and reparation, truth commissions and mechanisms of transitional justice, must place the victims at the centre of these efforts. The legitimacy and sustainability of the post-conflict period that now begins will be strengthened at national and international level by the respect to the victims shown by all political and social actors.
Finally, the Socialist International congratulates the Colombian people for their decision to move forward to overcome the conflict and trusts that they will make their voice heard, giving their approval to the peace agreement in the referendum announced to take place in the coming months.
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