Public statement of support for the Peace Process in Colombia

The International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP) has signed the statement of various Catalan civil society actors and institutions in support of the peace process in Colombia, which calls for a quick implementation of the Peace Accord signed by the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla group and the establishment of a formal negotiating table between the government and the ELN guerilla group. The statement expresses the commitment of Catalonia with a lasting and sustainable peace in Colombia, which prioritizes the victims and is respectful of human rights and social justice.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
In late September, Catalonia celebrated the signing of the Final Peace Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP). Catalan institutions and civil society celebrated the signing of this agreement, which put an end to more than fifty years of war, with various institutional and festive events.
Two months later the situation in Colombia remains delicate: a new agreement has just been ratified by Congress. We in Catalonia welcome this new agreement and urge that it be implemented immediately to ensure the continuity of the peace process and a definitive ceasefire. We also point out the importance of maintaining the focus on gender and the ethnic chapter in the agreement.
Similarly, we ask that a negotiating table – which had been announced for 27 October – be set up between the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN). We encourage the parties to quickly reach an agreement that will lead to a comprehensive peace.
We are also concerned about the high-risk situation faced by social and trade union leaders, as well as human rights defenders and the communities most affected by the conflict. In recent days, five peasant leaders and members of the Patriotic March Movement have been killed and seven more have suffered attacks on their lives. Two of the leaders killed were members of peasant associations accompanied by Catalan organizations.
We stress the need to ensure the protection of social and political activists and human rights defenders. Only this year there have been at least 70 murders, 279 threats and 28 attacks against social leaders and human rights defenders, perpetrated mostly by paramilitary groups. It is of the utmost importance that the measures to dismantle paramilitary structures provided for in the Final Agreement be implemented, and that the National Commission on Security Guarantees become operational.
We in Catalonia reiterate the commitment of institutions and social organizations to accompany the implementation of the peace agreement and to continue working to build a lasting and sustainable peace in Colombia, prioritizing the victims and respectful of human rights and social justice.
ACCIÓ PER UNA CIUTADANIA SOLIDÀRIA -ACCISOL-
AMBDRETS
BRIGADES INTERNACIONALS DE PAU -PBI- CATALUNYA
CASA AMÈRICA CATALUNYA
CENTRE PER LA DEFENSA DELS DRETS HUMANS IRÍDIA
CIEMEN
COLECTIVO MALOKA
COLÒMBIA EN PAU
COLOMBIA SOY YO
DIRECCIÓ DE JUSTÍCIA GLOBAL I COOPERACIÓ INTERNACIONAL DE L’AJUNTAMENT DE BARCELONA
DONES X DONES
FEDERACIÓ D’ASSOCIACIONS DE VEÏNS I VEÏNES DE BARCELONA -FAVB-
FERRAN PEDRET – PORTAVEU ADJUNT DEL GRUP PARLAMENTARI SOCIALISTA DEL PARLAMENT DE CATALUNYA
FORO INTERNACIONAL DE VÍCTIMAS BARCELONA
FUNDACIÓN INDERA
FUNDACIÓ MÓN-3
FUNDACIÓN MUNDU BAT
GERARDO PISARELLO – PRIMER TINENT D’ALCALDIA I RESPONSABLE DE L’ÀREA DE RELACIONS INTERNACIONALS DE L’AJUNTAMENT DE BARCELONA
INSTITUT CATALÀ INTERNACIONAL PER LA PAU -ICIP-
INSTITUT DE DRETS HUMANS DE CATALUNYA -IDHC-
INTERNACIONAL ACTION FOR PEACE -IAP-
JORDI SENDRA – PORTAVEU DEL GRUP PARLAMENTARI DE JUNTS PEL SÍ A LA COMISSIÓ D’ACCIÓ EXTERIOR I COOPERACIÓ, RELACIONS INSTITUCIONAL I TRANSPARÈNCIA DEL PARLAMENT DE CATALUNYA
OBSERVATORIO POR LA AUTONOMÍA Y LOS DERECHOS DE LOS PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS EN COLOMBIA
PAZ A LA CALLE BARCELONA
PLATAFORMA UNITÀRIA CONTRA LES VIOLÈNCIES DE GÈNERE
RAFAEL GRASA – PROFESSOR DE RELACIONS INTERNACIONALS DE LA UNIVERSITAT AUTÒNOMA DE BARCELONA -UAB-
TAULA CATALANA PER LA PAU I ELS DRETS HUMANS A COLÒMBIA formada per:
AJUNTAMENT DE LLEIDA
ASSOCIACIÓ CATALANA PER LA PAU
COMISSIÓ CATALANA D’AJUDA AL REFUGIAT
CONSELL NACIONAL DE LA JOVENTUT DE CATALUNYA
COOPERACCIÓ
COOP DC
ENTREPOBLES
FONS CATALÀ DE COOPERACIÓ AL DESENVOLUPAMENT
FUNDACIÓ PAGESOS SOLIDARIS
FUNDACIÓ PAU I SOLIDARITAT – CCOO CATALUNYA
FUNDIPAU
INTERSINDICAL-CSC
JUSTÍCIA I PAU
LAFEDE.CAT – ORGANITZACIONS PER A LA JUSTÍCIA GLOBAL
LLIGA DELS DRETS DELS POBLES
MOVIMENT PER LA PAU – MPDL
OXFAM INTERMÓN
SINDICALISTES SOLIDARIS – UGT CATALUNYA