CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY: THE CASE OF COLOMBIA

WITH
FEDERICA MOGHERINI, JUAN MANUEL SANTOS &
FELIPE GONZALEZ

18 months ago, the Colombian Government and the FARC concluded a peace agreement, putting an end to 52 years of armed conflict. The agreement was a major achievement for Colombia, as well as Latin America and the rest of the world, as recognised by the Nobel Peace Committee. It is proof that major and seemingly intractable conflicts can still be resolved through negotiation. But building lasting peace is no easy task. Reconciliation will be the work of generations to come.

At BOZAR, the European Union will host a special event on the Colombian peace process, bringing together key figures from the peace negotiations in Havana with other speakers. It will look at the path forward for peace and how the EU can continue to help; and it will consider lessons from the Colombian peace process which may be relevant for the resolution of conflicts elsewhere in the world.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE 21st CENTURY: THE CASE OF COLOMBIA
Brussels 31 May 2018

08h30 REGISTRATION FOR THE EVENT
09h00-09h45 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS:
Ms Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Juan Manuel Santos, President of the Republic of Colombia. (Interventions of 15 min. each)

———- Press briefing ————–

09h45-11h00 FIRST PANEL: LESSONS LEARNED
The Colombian peace agreement is proof that major and seemingly intractable conflicts can still be resolved through negotiations. What lessons can be drawn from those experiences that are relevant to the international community and to the European Union in particular? The panelists will speak for 5 minutes each.
Moderator:
Mr Felipe Gonzalez, Former President of the Kingdom of Spain.
Panelists:
Mr Dag Nylander, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Norway / Former Special Representative for Norway to Colombia.
H.E. Rodolfo Benítez Verson, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to South Africa / Former Head of Cuban guarantor team in the Colombian peace negotiations.
Mr Rodrigo Londoño, President of the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Común party / Former leader of FARC-EP in the Colombian peace negotiations, Republic of Colombia (tbc).
Mr Jeffrey Feltman, Former Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations.
H.E. Sergio Jaramillo, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to the European Union / Former High Commissioner for Peace. Question and answer session (30 mins)

11h15 – 13h00 SECOND PANEL: PEACE, DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE
The conceptual basis of the Colombian peace process is the difference between ending the armed conflict through a negotiation and the subsequent building of a stable and lasting peace through the implementation of the Final Agreement, which addresses the enabling conditions or factors that contributed to the continuation of the conflict. Building a lasting peace is going to need more development, especially inclusive rural development in the hard-hit peripheral regions of the conflict where the conflict raged.

Integrating the Colombian periphery and promoting rural development requires markets that drive that process. That is where the free trade agreement signed by Colombia and the European Union comes in. It affords new opportunities to support peace building through investment and in particular through the co-ordination of government programmes and European cooperation (in particular the Trust Fund) with European investors and market opportunities. With the right incentives, the peace agreement and the free trade agreement can reinforce each other.
The panelists will discuss for an hour-and-a-quarter, after a brief introduction.

Moderator:
Mr John Carlin, Journalist and author.
Panelists:
Ms Jolita Butkeviciene, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, DG International Cooperation and Development, European Commission.
Mr Eamon Gilmore, EU Special Envoy for the Peace Process in Colombia, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland.
Padre Francisco de Roux, President of Colombia’s Truth Commission, Republic of Colombia.
Mr Luis de Grandes Pascual, Chair, Delegation for Relations with the Countries of the Andean Community, European Parliament.
Ms Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, (ECLAC).
Ms Helena König, Deputy Director General, DG Trade, European Commission
Mr Arnaldo Abruzzini, CEO of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres), Belgium.

Question and answer session (30 mins)

13h00-13h30 CONCLUDING REMARKS:
Mr Felipe González, Former President of the Kingdom of Spain.
H.E. Maria Angela Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Colombia

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