UnitedNations

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[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 38 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

UN News, 2025-04-14: "Sudan war: ‘Darkest chapters’ ahead as Darfur massacre claims over 100 lives"

As Sudan’s devastating war enters its third year, UN rights investigators are warning that its “darkest chapters” may still lie ahead, following the massacre of more than 100 people at displacement camps in Darfur over the weekend.

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The latest attacks, which began on 11 April, saw Rapid Support Forces (RSF)-affiliated forces launch coordinated assaults on Zamzam and Abu Shouk – two of the largest camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Darfur – as well as the regional capital, El Fasher.

Among those killed were 23 children as well as nine humanitarian workers who were operating one of the last remaining health posts.

No end in sight to suffering

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) for Sudan condemned the violence, warning that the situation is deteriorating as ethnically driven violence and hate speech escalate.

The world has witnessed two years of ruthless conflict which has trapped millions of civilians in harrowing situations, subjecting them to violations and suffering with no end in sight,” Mohamed Chande Othman, FFM chair, said in a statement on Monday.

“Amid the rising tide of hate speech and ethnically driven violence and reprisals, we fear the darkest chapters of this conflict have yet to unfold.”

Bring perpetrators to justice

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the latest violence, stressing that attacks on civilians, humanitarian and medical personnel are strictly prohibited under international law.

“The perpetrators of these attacks must be brought to justice,” he said, calling for urgent, safe and sustained access to besieged areas like Zamzam camp, where famine conditions have already been identified.

Two years of atrocities

The Darfur attacks are the latest flashpoints in a conflict that erupted on 15 April 2023, when fighting broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

The power struggle quickly descended into a nationwide civil war, killing thousands and displacing over 12.4 million people – more than 3.3 million as refugees into neighbouring countries.

According to the FFM, both sides have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, including deliberate attacks on civilians,removed and sexual violence, starvation tactics, mass looting and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Aid workers targeted

Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, described the escalation as “deadly and unacceptable,” and condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians and aid workers.

These families – many of whom have already been displaced multiple times – are once again caught in the crossfire, with nowhere safe to go. This must end now,” she stressed.

Survivors from Zamzam camp – once home to over 750,000 people, half of them children – were reported as being placed under siege-like conditions, according to the FFM.

Humanitarian access inside the camp remains nearly impossible, while children are reported to be dying from hunger and the few remaining health outposts have been overrun or destroyed.

Protect children

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also sounded the alarm.

These unconscionable acts of violence against civilians, children and aid workers must end immediately,” said Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Children must be protected from this senseless violence, and humanitarian workers must never be targets.”

Ms. Russell warned that with aid blocked and violence surging, famine is already “stalking children,” placing over one million people at high risk in and around El Fasher and Zamzam camp.

Situation beyond Darfur

Violations are not confined to Darfur.

The SAF and its allies have allegedly committed reprisal attacks in areas recently recaptured from the RSF, particularly in Sinja and Al-Dinder in Sennar state and Wad Madani in Al-Jazirah (also spelled Gezira).

Witnesses described arbitrary detentions, mass arrests and public executions, including in newly controlled areas of southern Khartoum, the FFM said. Many of those detained have reportedly disappeared.

These acts highlight the urgent need to prevent further escalation and to protect civilians and the lifesaving systems they rely on,” said FFM member Mona Rishmawi.

Stop encouraging the war

In the midst of the violence, the Fact-Finding Mission alongside humanitarian agencies continue to call for international accountability and support.

As key regional and global actors set to meet this week in London to discuss humanitarian funding and strategies for civilian protection, the FFM reiterated the need for all States to “respect and ensure respect” for the Geneva Conventions – the core of international humanitarian law.

This means that States should neither finance the war nor provide weapons, as this may encourage, aid and assist the warring parties in committing violations,” said Ms. Rishmawi.

The Human Rights Council – UN’s primary human rights forum – established the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan in October 2023 and extended its mandate until October this year.

Its core task is to investigate all alleged human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law linked to Sudan’s ongoing conflict since April 2023.


Relevant news from MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders), 2025-04-14, via ReliefWeb. And OCHA and UN RC/HC Sudan, 2025-04-12, via ReliefWeb

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 54 points 1 week ago

Between March 18 and April 9, Israeli forces have struck housing and tents for internally displaced people (IDPs) on 224 occasions during 36 separate strikes, according to the UN rights office, OHCHR

Earlier on Friday [2025-04-11], Israeli authorities issued two new displacement orders "covering vast areas in northern and southern Gaza," UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the regular noon briefing in New York.

"Together, these areas span more than 24 square kilometres – roughly the size of everything south of Central Park here in Manhattan."


UN News, 2025-04-11: "Gaza: UN rights office condemns Israeli buffer zone plan"

story

The UN human rights office said on Friday it fears that Israel may intend to permanently remove civilians in Gaza as part of an expanded buffer zone, amid evacuations orders and escalating bombardment.

Hostilities in the Gaza Strip resumed mid-March following the collapse of the ceasefire and Israel’s border closure.

As it enters its sixth week, the denial of aid into the enclave has left more than 2.1 million Gazans trapped without access to food, drinking water, and basic services.

Israel in recent weeks has ramped up its attacks on civilian infrastructure such as residential buildings and camps, leaving many more dead or missing under the rubble.

Between March 18 and April 9, Israeli forces have struck housing and tents for internally displaced people (IDPs) on 224 occasions during 36 separate strikes, according to the UN rights office, OHCHR.

Vast new exclusion zones

Earlier on Friday, Israeli authorities issued two new displacement orders "covering vast areas in northern and southern Gaza," UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the regular noon briefing in New York.

"Together, these areas span more than 24 square kilometres – roughly the size of everything south of Central Park here in Manhattan."

Some medical facilities and storage sites containing critical supplies are located within the newly designated zones, prompting aid coordination office OCHA to warn that this could have life-threatening consequences for people in urgent need of care.

"This leaves Palestinians with less than a third of Gaza’s area to live in – and that remaining space is fragmented, it’s unsafe and it’s barely livable following 18 months of hostilities."

‘Forcible transfer’

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani also highlighted the growing trend in attacks against media workers, reporting that at least 209 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the deadly Hamas-led terror attacks of October 2023, as Israel continues to deny international media entry into the Strip.

The OHCHR spokesperson acknowledged that the temporary evacuation of civilians in certain areas can be legal, under strict conditions.

But "the nature and scope of the evacuation orders raises serious concerns that Israel intends permanently to remove the civilian population from these areas in order to create a so-called buffer zone”, she said.

Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to forcible transfer, which is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a crime against humanity.”

War crimes

Combatants need to demonstrate compliance with the rules of war, particularly the principles of distinction – meaning defenceless civilians should not be targeted – as well as proportionality and precaution.

Intentionally directing attacks against civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities constitutes a war crime, further compounding the desperate conditions for Palestinian civilians,” Ms. Shamdasani said.

OHCHR has also repeatedly warned that collective punishment and the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war, constitute crimes under international law.

Ms. Shamdasani also stressed that her office was “seriously concerned that Israel appears to be inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza, conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group”.

Supplies pile up

With stocks of drugs sharply declining, medicines and other essential supplies have been piling up at the shuttered border crossings.

Almost 36 million tons of supplies in Dubai are on standby for entry into the enclave, according to Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization Representative (WHO) for the West Bank and Gaza.

Medical evacuations for patients in need of urgent treatment have slowed significantly. Likewise, the number of international emergency medical teams deployed has dropped, depriving hospitals of the help they crucially need, “because the caseload is immense”, Dr. Peeperkorn stressed.

“We urgently call for the immediate resumption of medical evacuation through all possible routes, particularly restoring the medical referral pathway to the West Bank and Jerusalem.”

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 52 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

A relevant, but separate, image from UNRWA:

People think of nothing but securing a few liters of water to meet their most basic daily needs. The water crisis here is severe—perhaps the most urgent struggle in the midst of all this destruction. Some whisper it, others say it out loud: “We’re not asking for much… we just want water." © 2025 UNRWA Photo by Fadi Thabet

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 57 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

“The blockade has caused us many problems. We hope that the world will look at us, even for one day, as it looks at other countries. Everyone in other countries lives in comfort. Why are we condemned to this fate?” asked Sameer Badr, explaining that his children spend their days going back and forth in search of water.


UN News, 2025-04-13: "Resilience in the face of thirst: Trucking water in war-ravaged Gaza"

full story

In Gaza, where lack of access to water is an existential threat, Ibrahim Alloush stands out as an unsung hero, providing a lifeline to the thirsty people of the Strip.

Every day, he drives his water truck through the Strip, filling up empty tanks and vessels.

Our camera accompanied Alloush on a recent arduous mission to provide a little water to the residents of Jabalia. UN News’ correspondent met Alloush in Jabalia’s desalination plant, where he spends hours waiting for water.

Like everywhere else in Gaza, the desalination plant is overcrowded. As Gaza is running out of fuel, Alloush explained that 35 to 40 liters of diesel is needed every hour for the plant just to operate.

Hours spent waiting

At the plant, Ibrahim has to be patient: “We come to the desalination plant and wait about five hours for our turn to fill up. Water prices are very high due to production costs. People here in Gaza cannot afford water unless it is distributed by organizations, institutions, or initiatives.

“The cost of one cubic metre is very high because of how expensive diesel is, which is needed to operate the generators. One cubic metre of water can cost between 90 to 100 shekels, this is about 20 Jordanian dinars. [According to xe.com, 20 JOD is 28.20 USD or 24.82 EUR. 90-100 shekel is 24.44-27.15 USD or 21.49-23.89 EUR]”

After completing his task, Ibrahim Alloush gets into his old truck, starts its engine, and sets off on a challenging journey through the devastated neighborhoods of Jabalia.

For Alloush, the struggle does not stop at the water plant. Driving through Gaza is not easy, navigating destroyed streets and surrounded by rubble, Alloush needs to reach the people waiting for him – waiting for water.

There are always people waiting for him. It is almost impossible for trucks to reach certain areas, if it were not for Mr. Alloush, these areas would basically be lacking any supply.

No life without water

'We are suffering from a major water crisis,” says Ayman Kamal, a Gaza Strip resident. While some can wait half a day to fill up five or ten gallons of water only, others may not even be able to get water, as they were too far behind in line.

“Without water, there is no life...We wait for potable water that comes from distant areas, and people crowd to get their share,” says another resident, Fathi al-Kahlout, as he fills his bucket.

“The blockade has caused us many problems. We hope that the world will look at us, even for one day, as it looks at other countries. Everyone in other countries lives in comfort. Why are we condemned to this fate?” asked Sameer Badr, explaining that his children spend their days going back and forth in search of water.

Worsening water crisis

The continued closure of border crossings and the ban on fuel entry is paralysing desalination plants, the closure of the main water pipelines has also led to a sharp decrease in the amount of drinking water available to residents in Gaza. The water crisis is worsening, warns Children’s Fund UNICEF.

After the collapse of the ceasefire, the repair work that had been started on vital wells and water points came to a total halt, leaving many water sources either out of service or at risk of further damage.

According to UNICEF about one million people – including 400,000 children – are currently receiving a daily six-litre ration per person, a stark decrease from the previous average of 16 litres.

If fuel runs out, UNICEF warned that this amount could drop to less than four litres per day in the coming weeks, forcing families to rely on unsafe sources, significantly increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, especially among children.

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 54 points 1 week ago

"Commemoration of 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda"

Nelly Darlene Teta, Cindy Monia Keza, Sandrine Amahoro Rutayisire, and Allegra Nshuti, read a poem and lights candles in honour of families lost during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda during the 31st commemoration of the genocide on the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

The event was co-organized by Permanent Mission of Rwanda and Department of Global Communications.

©UN Photo/Manuel Elías, 2025-04-07

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

A villager stands outside his home in Kyauk Ka Char, Shan State, Myanmar, where Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Drug Alternative Development Project” being implemented in the area. The project is co-sponsored by Myanmar’s Government and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

©UN Photo/Mark Garten, 2012-04-30

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 29 points 2 months ago

News from UNICEF, 2025-02-07, via ReliefWeb (link below)

CW: Child abuse, SVhttps://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haitis-children-under-siege-staggering-rise-child-abuse-and-recruitment-armed-groups
spoiler Haiti’s Children Under Siege: The staggering rise of child abuse and recruitment by armed groups

This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF spokesperson James Elder – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

GENEVA, 7 February 2025 – “A staggering 1,000 per cent rise in sexual violence against children in Haiti has turned their bodies into battlegrounds. The 10-fold rise, recorded from 2023 to last year, comes as armed groups inflict unimaginable horrors on children.

"Almost equally staggering is how little coverage this gruesome statistic has received. And so, if numbers have lost meaning, perhaps the children living this horror will count.

"'Roseline' is 16. Late last year, she left her friend’s house to go to the shop and was abducted by armed men. She was placed in a van with other young girls and taken to a warehouse. There she was extensively beaten. She was then drugged and over the course of what she believes to be a month, she was relentlesslyremovedd. When the armed group realised Roseline had no one to pay her kidnapping ransom, she was released. She is currently in a UNICEF-supported safe house with more than a dozen other girls, all receiving care.

"Now, of course this is a press briefing and we know numbers do matter, so let me share a few more:

"Armed groups now control 85 per cent of Port-au-Prince. Let me repeat that. 85 per cent of the capital of Haiti is under the control of armed groups—an astounding case of insecurity in a capital city.

"Last year alone, child recruitment into armed groups surged by 70 per cent. Right now, up to half of all armed group members are children—some as young as eight years old.

"Many are taken by force. Others are manipulated or driven by extreme poverty. It’s a lethal cycle: Children are recruited into the groups that fuel their own suffering.

"And in Haiti, the suffering is immense. 1.2 million children live under the constant threat of armed violence.

"Essential services have collapsed. Hospitals are overwhelmed. More than half of Haiti’s health facilities lack the equipment and medication to treat children in emergencies.

"Playgrounds, schools, and homes have turned into battlegrounds, forcing many families to flee. More than 500,000 children have been displaced. An estimated 3 million will require urgent humanitarian assistance this year.

"And education? More than 300,000 children have seen their education disrupted due to recurrent population displacement and school closures.

"And as noted, sexual violence is rampant. The abhorrence of an attack on a child is obvious. A 10-fold increase is ruinous. The pain of course does not stop with the survivor—it ripples through families, shatters communities, and scars society as a whole.

"And yet: Haitians refuse to give up in the face of crisis. Take one example: UNICEF’s 135,000 U-reporters in the country. These young people embody the commitment of everyday Haitians, bringing their energy and dedication to help those who need it most.

"U-Report is a digital platform created by UNICEF to engage communities, especially youth, in social issues. And in Haiti, in one month in 2024 alone, U-reporters’ efforts led to the identification and referral of cases of malnutrition, under-vaccination, and essential support for pregnant women in displaced sites and host communities.

"Haiti’s progress starts with its children. With incredible partners, UNICEF has: created 32 mobile safe spaces to prevent and respond to gender based violence; deployed more than 380 health professionals across 105 institutions; distributed cash to almost 30,000 families; and treated more than 80,000 children for moderate and severe wasting.

"Programmes that meet children's needs can disrupt cycles of violence and reduce the risk of them becoming perpetrators or victims. Despite this, UNICEF Haiti’s 2024 emergency funding appeal of US$221.4 million was 72% underfunded. This starkly contrasts with the urgent need for education, protection, and development opportunities to prevent children from being drawn into violence. Without these efforts, violence will continue to consume future generations." :::

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 60 points 2 months ago (3 children)

For this year’s observance of International Environment Day the United Nations is focusing on the plight of forests worldwide. In Haiti, there remains less than one percent tree cover. Most deforestation is caused by the local population’s need for land to farm, wood to build with, and charcoal to cook with. The result has left immense tracks of land bare to the elements, hastened massive soil erosion and increased land slides and flash flooding.
View of a deforested hilltop near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

©UN Photo/Logan Abassi, 2011-06-07

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 66 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Children play on a water slide during UNRWA Summer Fun Weeks.
Thanks to a donation from the Government of Finland, over 150,000 children in Gaza are participating in Summer Fun Weeks 2013, a two-week summer programme organised by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The programme features activities designed to encourage creativity and a psychosocial well-being like football, kite flying, drawing, and traditional games.

©UN Photo/Shareef Sarhan, 2013-06-21


With the start of February, China is now the president of the Security Council.

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 55 points 2 months ago (4 children)

A street scene in Wonsan City, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The photo was taken during Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos’ five-day mission in the country to assess food aid needs.

©UN Photo/David Ohana, 2011-10-20

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 31 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Press release SG/SM/22531 from the Secretary-General, 2024-01-24.
Statement on the Secretary-Generals website, with Arabic translation.

Strongly Condemning Houthi De Facto Authorities’ Arbitrary Detention of United Nations Personnel in Yemen, Secretary-General Demands Their Immediate, Unconditional Release

The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

I strongly condemn the arbitrary detention by the Houthi de facto authorities on 23 January of seven additional United Nations personnel in areas under their control.

I demand the immediate and unconditional release of those detained on Thursday, as well as the personnel from the United Nations, international and national non-governmental organizations, civil society and diplomatic missions arbitrarily detained since June 2024 and those held since 2021 and 2023. Their continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable.

The personnel of the UN and its partners must not be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their duties for the UN for the benefit of the people they serve. The safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed.

The continued targeting of UN personnel and its partners negatively impacts our ability to assist millions of people in need in Yemen. The Houthis must deliver on their previous commitments and act in the best interests of the Yemeni people and the overall efforts to achieve peace in Yemen.

The United Nations will continue to work through all possible channels to secure the safe and immediate release of those arbitrarily detained. I welcome the collective support of international partners, non-governmental organizations and all those working to support the people of Yemen in these efforts.

 

UN News, 2025-01-24, "World News in Brief: More UN staffers detained in Yemen, education hit by climate crisis, Nigeria aid plan"

Parts relevant to Yemen quoted

The UN has suspended all official movements by its teams into and out of Houthi-held areas of Yemen, after more UN staffers were detained on Thursday.

The de facto rulers of much of the country, including the capital Sana’a, released the crew of a merchant ship who had been held for more than a year, earlier this week.

The move raised hopes that more than 60 staff from the UN, international organizations and diplomatic missions already being held by the Houthis over the past year, might be released.

Friday’s safety measure announced by Julien Harneis, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, comes as the organization faces mounting security challenges in its operations in the region.

The Houthis and the internationally-recognized Government have been fighting for control of the country in what has become a wider regional proxy war, for over a decade.

Security measure

“Yesterday, the de facto authorities in Sana’a detained additional UN personnel working in areas under their control,” Mr. Harneis said.

“To ensure the security and safety of all its staff, the United Nations has suspended all official movements into and within areas under the de facto authorities' control…this measure will remain in place until further notice.”

Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq elaborated on the response later on Friday, highlighting the UN's ongoing efforts: “Our officials in Yemen are actively engaging with senior representatives of the de facto authorities, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and partners.”

The detentions mark a troubling escalation for humanitarian operations in Yemen, where access and security remain critical concerns.

The UN continues to emphasise the importance of upholding the safety and neutrality of its personnel to ensure lifesaving aid reaches those in need.

[–] UnitedNations@hexbear.net 32 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Meeting coverage SC/15972 from yesterdays 9843rd meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Verbatim records to be issued as document S/PV.9843 | Web TV video recording.

Partial quote below, statements from the delegates have been omitted, see SC/15972 for full story.

Dialogue ‘Central Axis in Construction of Peace’ in Colombia, Special Representative Tells Security Council

Amid one of the deadliest waves of violence in Colombia since the signing of the 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, speakers in the Security Council today underscored the urgency of implementing the accord’s security guarantees.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, said that the first days of 2025 have been marred by violence in the country. “I am deeply saddened by the actions that have bloodied the remote Catatumbo region of north-east Colombia since late last week, claiming dozens of lives,” he said. According to numerous reports, many of the victims were individually targeted and killed.

The bloodshed — the result of an attack by Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) in an area of presence of a rival armed group known as Estado Mayor de los Bloques y Frentes (EMBF) — is part of the ongoing confrontation between armed groups in various areas of the country with a limited State presence. The success of the Ministry of the Interior’s rapid response plan, aimed at accelerating the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement, will depend directly upon the availability of resources, he went on to say.

It is also critical to accelerate the implementation of the ethnic chapter of the Final Agreement, which focuses on the needs and protection of Colombia’s Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. “The Bari and Yukpa are among the populations affected by the violence in Catatumbo,” he said. Moving forward, the gender provisions of the peace agreement will require adequate funding, proactive leadership and constant engagement with women’s organizations.

In the last six days alone, over 80 people have been killed in the Catatumbo region, 100 have been kidnapped and over 30,000 have been displaced, said Diego Tovar, Representative of the high contracting party to the Commission for the Follow-up, Promotion and Verification of the Implementation of the Final Agreement. He warned that the violence “threatens to spread to other regions”, with ethnic communities, women and children being among the most affected by the reconfiguration of the armed actors.

Also, he added, impunity continues to be extremely high for the assassination of former combatants, reaching 90 per cent. Some ex-combatants remain imprisoned after the signing of the Agreement and are waiting for the jurisdiction to generate prompt solutions to their cases. Eight years on, the reintegration process remains precarious. Its non-implementation and persistent violence led 80 per cent of former combatants to leave their territorial areas, he said, pointing to their “massive displacements” in 2023 and 2024.

Armando Wouriyu Valbuena, Secretary of the Special High-Level Body on Ethnic Peoples of Colombia, noted that ethnic peoples constitute 10 per cent of the Colombian population and occupy one third of national territory. “As such, we are environmental guardians for the rest of Colombians and the planet,” he stressed. He recalled that ethnic and Indigenous groups were the only stakeholders to conclude an agreement with the Colombian Government and the former Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común (FARC), leading to the Ethnic Chapter — a first in the history of peace agreements to have an ethnic perspective. However, after eight years of implementation, that Chapter continues to be the most neglected, despite being intended to solve underdevelopment for communities of African descent and Indigenous communities.

Substantive improvement in the pace of implementation requires that the instances provided for in the Agreement must be activated by the various stakeholders in peace. The committee on follow-up and implementation monitoring is an inactive body, he noted — but has the potential to bring together representatives of the Colombian State and peace agreement signatories of the now-extinct FARC. Calling on the Government “to include us in the 16 national sectoral plans for comprehensive rural reform and development plans”, he noted that in the Catatumbo area, “former combatants and my brothers from the Bayou people are victims of displacement, and others of confinement” — further requesting that the National Commission enact security guarantees.

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