The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) today presented the 38th Periodic Report on the monitoring efforts of the Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS) to the Permanent Council. The report covers activities carried out from July 1 to December 31, 2024, during which 943 field missions were conducted, covering more than 131,000 kilometers by land and river. During this period, the Mission reached 275 population centers in 171 municipalities across 25 departments in the country.
Report 38 highlights the ongoing challenges to building peace in Colombia, amid severe impacts on the civilian population and the intensification of violence during the reported period. It also recognizes the national government's efforts to advance the Total Peace policy initiatives and agreements, as well as other key issues such as the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, implementation of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement, and Environmental Peace.
Among the monitored issues were forced displacements and the confinement of entire communities in departments such as Antioquia, Arauca, Córdoba, Chocó, Guaviare, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Tolima, and Valle del Cauca. The report identified an increase in the recruitment of minors under 18 years old, along with the continued use of anti-personnel mines (APMs) and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) by armed groups to establish defensive perimeters in transit zones.
"During the second half of 2024, despite efforts under the Total Peace Policy, MAPP/OAS observed a strengthening, expansion, and growth of armed group activities, causing serious harm to the civilian population—especially in territories where these groups are in conflict with one another," said Roberto Menéndez, Chief of Mission of MAPP/OAS. He reiterated that life and people must be at the center of all peace efforts: "Peace is a demanding path that requires sustained commitment and tangible actions to protect life, guarantee rights, and transform conditions in affected territories. This commitment requires accelerating agreement implementation, reinforcing security, and strengthening the State's institutional presence, especially in regions most impacted by violence."
The report outlines progress made during the semester in the government's peace initiatives and dialogues with different actors, such as the installation of the Table for the Co-construction of Territorial Peace in Nariño, agreements on local and temporary bilateral ceasefires, and the destruction of war materiel with the armed group Comuneros del Sur. It also notes agreements reached on the establishment of Temporary Location Zones with the Estado Mayor de Bloques y Frentes (EMBF) and the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano (CNEB). While these are localized achievements, they are considered potentially transformative and may serve as stepping stones toward concrete progress in peacebuilding.
"In light of the worsening armed conflict in some regions of Colombia, the GS/OAS reiterates its call to the Government and armed groups to continue peace dialogues in all their forms, prioritizing the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law and human rights," said the Chief of Mission during his remarks.
Regarding the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement, Report 38 highlights advances in the eradication of illicit crops, progress in territorializing the National System for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, and collaborative work between the Justice and Peace special process and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).
It also identifies advances in the Women, Peace and Security agenda, including the launch of Colombia's National Action Plan for UN Resolution 1325, and the territorial implementation of the Comprehensive Program of Guarantees for Women Leaders and Human Rights Defenders, which involved 800 women from 16 departments.
On Environmental Peace, the report highlights the 2030 Biodiversity Action Plan, which recognizes the relationship between armed conflict, illicit economies, and biodiversity loss. The plan includes promoting the agroforestry economy, implementing the Final Peace Agreement, and taking actions to prevent nature from continuing to be used as a pressure point by armed groups in ongoing peace talks.
Finally, the report offers 27 recommendations to 11 state entities, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace (OCCP), the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice and Law, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Unit for the Attention and Integral Reparation of Victims, the Presidential Council for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, among others.
Read the full 38th Periodic Report and its Key Highlights.
