By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 23 -- Three top UN officials headed to Cuba for the June 23 signing between the Government of Colombia and the FARC. UN Security Council president Francois Delattre of France was asked on June 22 and, looking surprised, said he'd have more on that later. Video here.
On June 23, the Security Council issued a Press Statement, here:
"The Members of the Security Council welcomed the historic agreements reached today in Havana between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP.
The Members of the Security Council commended the determination of the parties in reaching these agreements and recognised that they represent an important further step towards a Final Peace Agreement to end the armed conflict in the Republic of Colombia after more than fifty years.
The Members of the Security Council recognised the vital role played by the Republic of Cuba and the Kingdom of Norway as guarantors, and by the Republic of Chile and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as accompanying countries of the Peace Process in Colombia.
The Members of the Security Council reiterated their full commitment to the Peace Process in the Republic of Colombia. They underlined their support to the parties in reaching a Final Peace Agreement and their determination to support Colombia’s implementation of that Peace Agreement in accordance with resolution 2261 (2016)."
Moments later the Colombian government announced that Delattre, UNGA President Mogens Lykketoft and Ban Ki-moon, whom they spelled Ban Ki-Moon, were headed to Cuba. An hour later, Lykketoft's office confirmed he'll be in Cuba June 22-26. Then Ban followed suit - but he's headed to France by June 24, to get an honorary degree.
On May 15, the UN's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui has traveled to Havana to witness and praise the agreement to separate and reintegrate child soldiers associated with FARC.
(On the child soldiers issue this comes two days before the Security Council committee considers Iraq and Central African Republic and after the Congolese army FARDC being the bigger recruiter in that country was covered up, as reported by Inner City Press even amid eviction (NYT here) and the attempt to give its office to a never present state media - more on that to come.)
You can find a copy of the Special Representative’s statement delivered in Havana, Cuba here."
On Colombia back on March 11, even with the deadline for an agreement between the government and the FARC being pushed back, Germany's Special Envoy on Colombia Tom Koenigs spoke with the Press.
He had, he said, met with UN Under Secretaries General Feltman, Mulet, Ladsous and Khare, about the upcoming UN mission to be headed by Frenchman Jean Arnault. He noted the history of cultural exchange between Germany and Colombia," saying that "Germans read a lot of Garcia Marquez."
Inner City Press asked Koenigs about the cost of the peace process - and how much Germany would contribute - and about impunity, including in relation to the process, such as it is, in Sri Lanka.
Koenigs among other things said:
To Inner City Press' financial question: "Germany has close relations to Colombia and is ready to support the peace process politically and through technical cooperation in a number of areas. Loan of 300 million Euros by German KfW Development Bank. In addition: 50 million in technical and development cooperation, plus approximately 1 million EUR per year for bilateral demining programs. Also: science and technology transfer through cooperation of universities in the two countries."
To Inner City Press' impunity question: "Those responsible for war crimes have to be brought to justice. Colombia is establishing a transitional justice system and is also a party to the Rome Statute. Impunity is not an option. However, prisons are not the only possible method of corrections. There may be alternatives which could be explored."
Inner City Press had and has some questions about those not part of the FARC negotiations in Cuba - more on that in another story.
Germany is running again for UN Security Council for 2019-20. By the election in 2018, the 2015 Person of the Year award to Chancellor Angela Merkel from TIME Magazine may have faded in memory. Still, its economy is larger than the two other European countries with Permanent seats on the Council; it is about to send 650 peacekeepers to MINUSMA in Mali, on top its current UN peacekeeping contribution of 150 military, 35 police and 60 civilians.
On January 21 Germany's Permanent Representative to the UN Harald Braun held a background briefing on his Mission's 22nd floor. Inner City Press asked three questions and afterward got permission to publish the following responses from Ambassador Braun, on Germany's positions:
On Libya, on which Inner City Press asked whether the recent slew of good-news press statements by the UN Secretary General, the Security Council and many states really mean that the corner has been turned, Ambassador Braun called the situation an“uphill struggle” but said that UN envoy Martin Kobler (who separately told Inner City Press he has a return ticket to the German foreign ministry,video here) has “offered the right instruments.”
On Yemen, on which Inner City Press has previously quoted sources in Sana'a on Germany's Bettina Muscheidt as a possible replacement UN envoy, Braun called the situation “complicated,” adding that “we regret the exclusion of the human rights envoy.”
On Burundi, Germany's Ambassador Braun said, “It is important to dialogue, especially with countries that have human rights issues. We believe that in the current situation it is right for the Security Council to put pressure on the government in Burundi.”
Harald Braun in UNSC, eye on 2019-20, UN Photo/Loey Felipe
And on North Korea and its nuclear test, Braun said, “I believe that China was just as surprised as other Council members... It is my expectation that China will agree to a targeted set of sanctions.”
On this last, no draft has yet been circulated even to all Permanent Five members of the Security Council, they say. Germany, along with a number of other countries, would like to have such a seat. The above are its positions at the UN, on which we'll have more. Watch this site.
