Colombia GP20 Concept Note
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Thematic Priorities |
Durable Solutions / IDP Engagement / Peacebuilding |
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Timeframe |
2018 |
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Stakeholders |
7 International experts – 24 community representatives – Government officials – Judges and commissioners from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the Truth Commission – Civil society organizations |
Problem Statement
While the ongoing peace process in Colombia presents enormous opportunities to end the country’s longstanding armed conflict, peace is unlikely to come overnight. Building sustainable peace also requires public policies that support durable solutions for Colombia’s internally displaced populations. This means, for example, ensuring that victims of the conflict, almost 90% of whom are IDPs, have effective access to truth, justice and guarantees of non-recurrence of human rights violations. In order to achieve this goal, it is fundamental to increase the capacities of affected communities to adopt alternative mechanisms of conflict resolution and thereby promote peaceful coexistence.
Objective
To reflect on and draw up guidance and best practice on the link between achieving durable solutions to internal displacement and peace building, from distinct but complementary perspectives: (1) the perspective of the communities that are engaged in the implementation of the Peace Agreement in Colombia; and (2) the perspective of the international experts and national authorities (government officials, judges and commissioners from the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the Truth Commission) with experience on the matter. The dialogue, guidance and best practices that link durable solutions to peace building will be used to build networks between communities experiencing displacement and state and development actors involved in peacebuilding. The outcomes of the GP20 initiative discussion will contribute to the IDPs’ effective access to truth, justice and guarantee of non-repetition of human rights violations.
Activities
Seizing a unique window of opportunities and momentum of the ongoing peace processes in Colombia and the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, UNHCR proposes to convene an international conference that will discuss experiences, lessons learned and challenges of implementing the Guiding Principles in a transitional context.
- Stage 1: April 2018 (Series of 1 day local pre-events) to discuss and learn from IDP communities about their practical experiences and advice on achieving durable solutions. Three representatives will be selected for each of eight regions to participate in the International Conference.
- Stage 2: October 2018 (3 days for the main international conference) with panels composed of representatives of the communities selected at the local events, international experts, and national Colombian authority in charge of implementing the Peace Agreement as well as workshops on experiences about durable solutions for IDPs and peace building.
- Stage 3: October – December 2018 (series of 1 day by local post-events) providing feedback at the local level of the conclusions of the International Conference, strengthening community networks working on durable solutions and peace building, and ensuring the participation of communities in the transitional justice mechanisms of the Peace Agreement.