The UN Describes Cease-Fire Accord in Colombia as Historic

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 23 (acn) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), described as historic today in this capital the bilateral and definitive agreement for the cease fire and cessation of hostilities between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP.

It is possible to achieve peace with dignity, said Ban Ki-moon, in a speech after the signing of the document at the Protocol Hall of Cubanacan and in the presence of Army General Raul Castro, President of the Cuban councils of State and Ministers.
He congratulated the governments of Cuba and Norway in their capacity as guarantors of the peace talks that began in Havana on November 19, 2012, and also those of Chile and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the presidents of which, Michelle Bachelet and Nicolas Maduro, respectively, attended the meeting.
He acknowledged the fact that the UN Security Council and the member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) committed themselves to contribute to the solution of the conflict of more than 50 years in that South American nation.
The Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) began more than three years ago at Havana's Convention Center.
The UN will play an important role in the monitoring and verification of the bilateral and definitive agreements reached on the cease-fire and cessation of hostilities and the surrender of weapons.
Pursuant to this mandate, on January 25 last, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2261, by way of which it was decided to establish a political mission of unarmed international observers for Colombia.
The member countries of the CELAC will make the observers required for monitoring and verifying compliance with the agreement available to the aforementioned UN mission.