FBA supporting the peace process in Colombia

After lengthy negotiations, Colombia’s government and the left-wing guerrilla FARC have finally reached a peace agreement. A conflict spanning over five decades, having killed hundreds of thousands of people and created millions of internally displaced persons, is coming to an end. The FBA has supported the peace process throughout the years.

During the 1960s Colombia saw the birth of a number of communist guerrilla groups, among them FARC, dedicated to fight the government. Some of the smaller groups reached peace deals with the government during the 1990s. FARC, on the other hand, went on to become the most important group with a presence in large parts of the country. The conflict between FARC and the government of Colombia intensified.

FBA’s involvement in Colombia began during the 2000s, through the provision of advice and support for the Colombian Agency for Reintegration (ACR), focused on reintegration of demobilized groups and individuals.

When the peace talks between FARC and the Colombian government were initiated in Cuba in October 2012, FBA’s support for the Colombian peace process was reinforced.

– A large number of people playing significant roles in the peace process in Cuba, mainly representatives from Colombian government agencies, have participated in FBA’s DDR courses. We have arranged courses in Sweden, but also trainings in Colombia, says Hans Thorgren. He is Head of the FBA’s DDR programme – DDR as in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants.

On 24 August news broke that there was a breakthrough in the negotiations in Cuba. The peace deal was finalized, the parties had reached an agreement.

– It is a historic agreement, four years of negotiations finally paid off. It also illustrates how peace work is a long-term effort, Hans says and points to the fact that peace processes are lengthy by nature.

Now the process continues at the ballot box. A national referendum on the peace deal will be held on 2 October. Thereafter the implementation of the agreement can hopefully begin.

– There are still numerous challenges to the creation of long-term peace and stability in Colombia, and there are still other armed groups. But the development is without doubt positive, and at the FBA we look forward to continue supporting the peace-building process in Colombia, Hans concludes.

Click here to read more about the FBA’s work on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants (DDR).

Photo: UN Photo/Gill Fickling

Call for members to new International Research Working Groups

Participating in FBA’s International Research Working Groups offers a unique opportunity for researchers to contribute to the work for peace, security, and development. The thematic scope is now expanding with five new groups, inviting interested scholars from around the world to apply.

2025-03-13 16:49

Read our publications

The Gender-Responsive Leader's Handbook

Gender equality is both a goal and a prerequisite for sustainable peace and development. FBA’s Gender-Responsive Leadership (GRL) Initiative is designed to support leaders and managers within organizations such as the EU, UN, ECOWAS, OSCE and the African Union to fulfill their central role in enabling gender equal peace, security and development work.

Documents

The Gender-responsive leader's handbook

More Publications

On international deployment

Teresa Wiklund

Monitor at EUMM in Georgia

Kajsa Norman

Election observer

Catalina Perdomo Rodriguez

Adviser to the UN in Colombia

Karolina Riedel

Statistician in election observation missions

Björn Tedeman

Election observer

THE FBA BLOG

>

Posted by Marie Blomdahl
A safe online space to share experiences to support leadership in the UN

>

When I joined the Leadership and Cooperation Unit at the Folke Bernadotte Academy in August 2018, after working many years mainly in the private sector, I had a feeling that this job really would offer me an opportunity to use my skills and experiences to make a difference, and at the same time grow as a professional. FBA was at the time already working actively with leadership development support for leaders in key functions within the ... Read entire post »
2021-06-03 10:54
>

Posted by Rhodri Williams
Civil Society as a Critical Partner: Rule of Law and Accountability in the Liberian COVID-19 Response, Part II

>

Part One of this post highlighted the importance of the rule of law in supporting crisis response in countries struggling with the effects of conflict. One of the most important rule of law principles in such settings is accountability, particularly “downward accountability”, in which state authorities focus on serving citizens dependent on them.

Corruption and poor governance can lead to excessive upward accountability directed toward political superiors, leaving a gap between the state and ordinary citizens. Civil ... Read entire post »

The post Civil Society as a Critical Partner: Rule of Law and Accountability in the Liberian COVID-19 Response, Part II first appeared on FBA-bloggen.
2021-02-15 13:43
>

Posted by Kristin Valasek
Time for a joint vision on gender-responsive leadership

>

Right before the winter break, 236 women and men from 105 different organizations and 46 countries around the world joined our International Dialogue on Gender-Responsive Leadership, to discuss an absolutely critical and often missing part of the gender equality puzzle: gender-responsive leadership.

After twenty years of struggling to achieve the commitments of the global women, peace and security agenda, we at the FBA have learned that executives and managers are essential to success. Not just as supporters, ... Read entire post »

The post Time for a joint vision on gender-responsive leadership first appeared on FBA-bloggen.
2021-02-10 16:09

Navigate to FBA Blog

FBA supporting the peace process in Colombia

Read more

Call for members to new International Research Working Groups

Latest news

Scholarship Opportunity for Young Leaders in Women, Peace, and Security in Palestine

New research grants for 2025 – part of FBA’s evidence-based approach

Continued international support is crucial for Ukraine’s future

Read our publications

The Gender-Responsive Leader's Handbook