Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the Colombian peace process

Foreign Minister Frank‑Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement in response to the report released on 19 May by his Envoy to the Colombian Peace Process, Tom Koenigs:

Zusatzinformationen

The Colombian peace process continues to make good progress. Conclusion of the agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC rebels is almost within reach. Young people and their reintegration into society will be a vital factor in ending this violent conflict and ensuring public support for that agreement. It is therefore an important milestone for the negotiating parties to have agreed to stop recruiting minors, demobilise the young people still serving in FARC forces and enable them to reintegrate into society.

Germany will continue to do all it can to support Colombia in its efforts for a long-awaited peace, as it has done for the last ten years. We will therefore additionally play a part in humanitarian demining, establish a German-Colombian peace institute based in Colombia and provide an environmental advisor to the staff of the new Ministry for Post‑conflict and Human Rights. Tom Koenigs is working tirelessly in pursuit of these objectives. His work is a sign of the great significance which the Colombian peace process enjoys in Germany’s foreign policy.

Background information:

In his second report on his activities as Envoy of the Federal Foreign Minister to the Colombian Peace Process, Member of the German Bundestag Tom Koenigs’ assessment of the peace talks between the Colombian Government and the FARC guerilla group is generally positive. He calls President Santos’ policy of pursuing peace courageous and deserving of the continuing support of the international community – not least in light of certain unavoidable setbacks. The report identifies a number of factors that will be important to the success of the process: illegal armed groups need to be pushed back, the peace talks with the ELN that have been announced need to be successful, human rights have to be upheld, particularly in the conflict zones, and civil society has to have a role. Tom Koenigs calls on all political and economic forces to get on board with the peace process. He appeals to the international community to maintain and reaffirm its support.

The German Government is adding to its ongoing assistance to the peace process by undertaking humanitarian demining measures intended to support the Global Demining Initiative for Colombia. A German-Colombian peace institute is being set up in Bogotá. Universities in both countries are to flank the post‑conflict phase at the academic level. An environmental advisor will also be provided to Colombia’s new Ministry for Post‑conflict, Human Rights and Security. The German Government is increasing its efforts multilaterally too – for example, by participating in the EU Trust Fund proposed by President Santos in November 2014.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/160519_Kolumbien.html?nn=479796