Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2018
128. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the implementation of the peace process in Colombia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26927/18]
View answer129. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the upcoming presidential election in Colombia; the potential implications of the election for the peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26928/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together.
In October 2012, the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) began formal peace negotiations, which continued over a period of almost four years and concluded in August 2016. Following a plebiscite in October 2016, elements of the accord were renegotiated and a revised agreement was approved by the Colombian Congress in November 2016, ending a conflict which had afflicted Colombian society for over half a century.
Since then, historic strides have been made in the implementation of the peace accords, including the full decommissioning under UN supervision of FARC weapons by July 2017, seven months after the agreement was finalised, and the transformation of the FARC into a political party. Formal peace negotiations between the Government of Colombia and the guerilla National Liberation Army (ELN) resumed in May of this year and a ceasefire was agreed in the run-up and aftermath of both the first and second rounds of the presidential election which took place this month. It is my hope that these negotiations, which are taking place in Havana, can yield meaningful results.
However, as we know from our own experience, achieving peace can be complex and challenging and is far from straightforward. Significant challenges remain in implementation, including in the areas of demining, attention to victims, transitional justice, and rural development, as highlighted earlier this year by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.
Indeed, the implementation of many aspects of the agreement was put on hold as preparations for this month’s presidential elections were taking place. The first round of the presidential election took place on 27 May 2018. Iván Duque, of Centro Democrático (CD), and Gustavo Petro, of the Colombia Humana movement, came in first and second place respectively.
The second round of the election took place between Duque and Petro on Sunday last, 17 June 2018. With most of the ballot counted, Iván Duque had secured the highest number of votes with more than 10 million votes, representing 54% of the total. He will assume office as President of Colombia in mid-August for a four year term.
This is a period of transition in Colombia, and it will be some time before the various actors settle in to their respective roles following the election. While Mr Duque has pledged to revisit elements of the 2016 peace deal, the official position of the new administration in Colombia in relation to the peace process is not yet known, and I expect that full details will become clearer in the coming months.
I firmly believe that Colombia’s peace accord provides the framework in which the endemic violence and impunity which has afflicted Colombian society for decades can successfully be addressed. Ireland remains committed to supporting the full implementation of the agreement, which will ensure a more peaceful future for all Colombians, including by establishing good relations with the new administration once in place.
