Attachments
This monthly review, produced by IOM, provides a summary of news related to the implementation of the peace accord in Colombia, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) processes.
Also included are statics on people in the process of reintegration and former child soldiers, the former of which are sourced from the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN), and the latter from the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF).
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Magistrates for the JEP sworn in
On Monday, January 15th, President Juan Manuel Santos swore in the magistrates that will occupy their seats in the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) transitional justice mechanism. Among their first tasks is to apply the Amnesty Law, which regular judges are currently processing, but which falls within the domain of the JEP. Santos reiterated the fact that here will be no amnesty for crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and serious breaches of International Humanitarian Law. The JEP has a life span of 10 years and a mandate that guarantees its independence, autonomy, impartiality, and transparency, among other things. The magistrates will also need to devise the JEP’s internal set of regulations in order to ensure impartiality for those who are called before the transitional justice mechanism. An estimated 3,500 guerrillas and 1,750 members of the Public Forces have been thus far named to come before the JEP.
First review of second verifcation mission published
U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, offered his first quarterly report on the implementation of Points 3.2 and 3.4 of the Final Accord, covering the period between September 26 and December 26, 2017. Guterres noted the positive changes that the implementation process has generated, namely the transition of the FARC from illegal to legal political life. At the same time, he expressed concern regarding the precipitous rise in assassination of social leaders, while acknowledging some of the more recent efforts on the part of the GoC to stave off this increase. Guterres further reinforced the importance of ensuring the security of communities and individuals threatened by ongoing illegal actions, and of a comprehensive and complete socioeconomic and political reintegration of former FARC.