STATEMENT OF COLOMBIA, October, 2015

In the dialogue process that is moving forward today with the guerrillas of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, the Government has succeeded in ensuring that women are effectively represented and have a voice at the negotiating table. Currently, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Human Rights Director of the Ministry of Interior, both women, are part of the Group of Plenipotentiary Negotiators, an advisory body in which women members make up the a significant majority.

In addition, forums have been held in different regions of the country, and several delegations of victims have been given an opportunity to travel to address members of the negotiating team. Women made up over 60 per cent of those delegations. A subcommittee on gender was set up precisely for the purpose of ensuring that the rights of women were reflected in the final agreements.