Two women lighting candles next to signs promoting peace.
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Five years on: Colombian transition towards peace

12 November, 2021

November 24 2021 marks the fifth anniversary of the Peace Agreement in Colombia. Five years on, Colombian society continues to show it wants to make this transition towards peace. But there are still crucial points of the agreement that need to be implemented.

The signing of the Peace Agreement put end to an internal armed conflict that left more than nine million victims and that lasted more than fifty years. It filled the country and the world with hope. There was an immediate decrease in rates of violence, a positive and tangible result of the Agreement’s early implementation stages.

There has been some progress in implementing the Agreement: the mechanisms of the transitional justice system are operating and are yielding their first results. In June 2022, the report of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition is set to be launched. There are, however, serious concerns about the delays in implementing fundamental points of the Agreement, serious violations of human rights and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Colombian regions, disproportionately affecting ethnic minorities and small scale farming communities.

30 organisations, among them Diakonia, are paying attention to the anniversary of the Peace Agreement by signing a press release. In the press release, we are calling to the European Union, its member states, Switzerland, Norway and United Kingdom to continue to insist on the implementation of all aspects of the Peace Agreement, and to continue to support the negotiated solution the conflict.

Download and read the full press release

Press Release - 5th Anniversary Peace Agreement