Diyar Güldoğan
October 03, 2025•Update: October 03, 2025
WASHINGTON
A UN official on Friday warned that Colombia’s hard-won peace remains fragile as the country approaches national elections under rising political and security pressures.
"Consolidating peace in Colombia after decades of conflict is a complex work-in-progress. And as we meet today, the country is entering a delicate period that poses additional challenges," Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, told the Security Council.
Jenca, who is also special representative-designate of the secretary-general for Colombia, said the upcoming national elections are increasing political tension and polarization.
"Current fiscal constraints impinge upon financing for peace.
"Recent tragic acts of violence and patterns of insecurity in certain regions are prompting urgent calls to enhance security," he added.
Referencing the latest report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jenca acknowledged that Colombia has made significant strides toward peace and stability since the landmark 2016 accord between the government, led by then-President Juan Manuel Santos, and delegates from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP).
"As the Secretary-General states in his report, Colombia has come a long way over the years on the path to becoming a more peaceful and secure nation.
"Nevertheless—and especially given recent violence—he stresses that every effort must be made to ensure that the country does not slip backward, but rather continues to move forward along a trajectory of expanding peace and security. The Peace Agreement, he states, is central to the solution," Jenca said.
Jenca said he is "confident" that the UN Verification Mission in Colombia can continue to play a "critical role" while adapting to changing needs and circumstances.
The UN Verification Mission in Colombia is a special political mission established in 2016 by the UN Security Council to verify the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement and to assist Colombia in its commitment to ending the conflict and building peace.
