On 23 June, the day the announcement was made in Havana, Cuba, I issued a public statement warmly welcoming the historic signature of an agreement between the Government of Colombia and the FARC guerrillas on a bilateral and final ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. This is an important step in bringing to an end a 52-year conflict in which more than 220,000 people have been killed and 6.4 million people displaced.
I congratulated all of the parties to the talks for their courage in pursuing peace, in particular President Juan Manuel Santos. I would also like to pay tribute to former Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Eamon Gilmore, for his ongoing work in his role as EU Special Envoy to the Colombian Peace Process.
Our own history of conflict on this island gives Ireland a particular interest in conflict resolution, as is reflected in Ireland’s foreign policy priorities. Consequently the Government is actively considering how we might support the finalisation and implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia drawing on lessons learned from the Northern Ireland peace process. To this end I sent a team of senior officials from my Department to Colombia earlier this year to assess the potential parameters of Irish support and I intend to bring the matter to Government for consideration in due course.
I can assure the Deputy of the Government’s support for Colombia in the implementation of this important peace agreement, recognising that full and faithful implementation by all parties is critical to the success of any peace agreement.
Ireland is a longtime supporter of civil society groups and international agencies working to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights in Colombia. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy in Mexico, which is accredited to Colombia, regularly meet human rights groups both in Colombia and elsewhere. The group of senior Irish officials which visited Colombia met a number of United Nations and civil society representatives, including from groups involved in the promotion and defence of human rights. Subsequently, officials from the Department met Colombian Human Rights Defenders visiting Ireland with Peace Brigades International. These discussions focused on the legacy of the conflict and the implications of the ongoing peace process.
In addition, Ireland has provided more than €400,000 in funding for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia since 2014 and is also a long-time supporter of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Christian Aid and other organisations working in the area of human rights in Colombia.
Ireland also engages with Colombia on human rights through EU structures, including the EU-Colombia Human Rights Dialogue. Ireland is an active contributor in this process which addresses the subject directly with the Colombian authorities at official level. Through this mechanism, the Union engages in a structured manner across the full range of human rights issues, including human rights defenders, trades unionists, prisoners, land restitution and environmental issues.
The promotion and defence of human rights is and will continue to be a central element of our engagement with Colombia - including during the implementation of the peace agreement.
