The United Nations (UN) urged Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella to ensure the continued implementation of the Peace Agreement signed in 2016 between the Colombian state and the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The call came Thursday during the presentation of the latest quarterly report by the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, which will be presented to the Security Council next Monday. The report warned that the coming years will be crucial to consolidating the progress made over the past decade.
The document notes that significant challenges remain in rural reform, the reintegration of former combatants, and security guarantees for communities affected by the armed conflict.
With the 10th anniversary of the agreement’s signing approaching in a few months, the international organization stressed the importance of maintaining institutional commitments, securing the necessary resources, and preventing changes in the government’s priorities from undermining the progress achieved.
The UN Verification Mission will conclude its work on October 31, as stipulated in the Peace Agreement.
The UN urges De la Espriella to uphold Colombia’s peace agreement
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted that De la Espriella’s administration is the third government to assume responsibility for continuing to implement the commitments established in the agreement signed in November 2016.
Although the new government has not yet presented a comprehensive implementation strategy, it has expressed its intention to fulfill the constitutional and legal obligations related to the peace process.
“The coming years will be decisive in consolidating the progress achieved to date and making the most of the opportunities that arise,” Guterres said in the report.
The secretary-general also emphasized that implementing the agreement can contribute to the new administration’s goals, particularly reducing violence and strengthening the state’s presence in regions historically affected by the armed conflict.
In this regard, he welcomed the government’s willingness to maintain dialogue with the United Nations and underscored the importance of continuing international cooperation under the mandate granted by the Security Council.
The report comes amid expectations about the priorities De la Espriella’s administration will establish for the coming years and the future of international support for the peace process.
#Atención | En su reciente Informe Trimestral sobre
, @antonioguterres
destaca la resiliencia de las instituciones y la sociedad colombianas y la continua relevancia del #AcuerdoDePaz para promover seguridad, desarrollo y estabilización territorial.
https://t.co/QPPP6V0SX3 https://t.co/0hvkSa3YP0
— Misión de la ONU en Colombia (@MisionONUCol) October 8, 2026
Rural reform and funding for reintegration
Transforming rural areas is one of the pillars of the agreement and remains one of the greatest challenges to its implementation. The UN considers institutional strengthening, economic development, and addressing the conditions that foster illicit economies essential to consolidating lasting peace.
The document highlights the importance of the Development Programs with a Territorial Focus (PDET), designed to promote investment in municipalities most affected by conflict, poverty, and a weak institutional presence. It also recognizes the role of initiatives such as Works for Taxes in encouraging private-sector participation in these territories.
However, difficulties persist in land distribution, restitution, and formalization, along with delays in establishing the Agrarian Jurisdiction. These limitations hinder rural communities’ access to justice and threaten to stall the progress envisioned in the agreement.
The reintegration of more than 11,000 former FARC members into civilian life is another central component of the process. The Verification Mission considers the institutions and mechanisms established to support this transition an asset that must be preserved.
Nevertheless, the report warns of concerns about funding for reintegration programs and the need to ensure institutional clarity regarding their administration. Maintaining these programs is essential to enabling former combatants to pursue legal and sustainable livelihoods.
The UN insisted that funding must be sufficient and stable to prevent setbacks and ensure that the commitments made translate into tangible opportunities.
Violence continues to threaten implementation
Security remains one of the most serious obstacles to consolidating peace. During the period under review, the Mission verified the killings of eight former FARC combatants, six of them in August. With these cases, the number of former combatants killed in 2026 reached 13.
Since the agreement was signed 10 years ago, the United Nations has verified 501 killings of former combatants — although other sources put the figure as high as 525 — as well as 185 attempted homicides and 56 enforced disappearances.
The report also raised concerns about the displacement of thousands of people and restrictions on the movement of communities that remain exposed to clashes between armed groups. These problems are compounded by the killings of social leaders, which continue to endanger those who defend their communities’ rights.
For the United Nations, these figures demonstrate that security guarantees must remain a state priority. Ten years after the Peace Agreement was signed, Colombia faces a “review” of its implementation that De la Espriella’s new government will explain at next week’s Security Council meeting.
For now, following the threat to defund the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the transitional justice tribunal that is one of the cornerstones of the Peace Agreement, the challenge the United Nations is now urging the South American country to address is maintaining its commitments, strengthening the state’s institutional presence in the regions, and ensuring that progress in the peace process translates into safer living conditions for the population.
