Victims‘ rights: implementing the peace agreement – newsletter on point 5

What does the 2016 Final Peace Agreement Say About Point 5: Agreement regarding the Victims of the Conflict: “Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-repetition,” including the Special Jurisdiction for Peace; and Human Rights Commitments. The text of the Peace Agreement says: “Redress for victims  is  at  the  core  of  the  Agreement between the […]

What does the 2016 Final Peace Agreement Say About Point 5:

Agreement regarding the Victims of the Conflict: “Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-repetition,” including the Special Jurisdiction for Peace; and Human Rights Commitments.

The text of the Peace Agreement says: “Redress for victims  is  at  the  core  of  the  Agreement between the National Government and the FARC-EP.”

The Comprehensive System is made up by different judicial and extra-judicial mechanisms that will be put into action in a coordinated manner with the aim of achieving the greatest possible satisfaction of victims’ rights, accountability regarding what happened, legal security guarantees for those who participate in the System, and as a contribution to achieve a peaceful coexistence, reconciliation, non- repetition, and a transition from the armed conflict to peace. This is the first time that a system of this nature has been agreed upon in a peace negotiation.

PRINCIPLES:

1.      Recognition of the victims. A reparation of victims must be at the core of the Peace Agreements.

2.    Acknowledgment of responsibility. We will not exchange impunity measures.

3.    Satisfaction of victims‘ rights: The rights of the victims of the conflict are non-negotiable.

4.     Victim participation: The discussion on the satisfaction of the rights of victims of serious human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law during the conflict necessarily involves the participation of the victims, using different means and at differen t times.

5.     Clarification of the truth: Trust can only be regained by a full elucidation and recognition of the truth.

6.        Reparation for the victims: Restoring victims‘ rights and changing their lives for the better, in an end-of-conflict scenario, is a fundamental aspect of building stable and long- lasting peace.

7.      Guarantees of protection and security: Protect the lives and personal integrity of the victims.

8.    Guarantees of non-repetition: Guarantee non-repetition so that no future gene ration of Colombians will be victims or face the risk of being a victim.

9.    Reconciliation of all Colombian citizens to move towards civility and peaceful coexistence.

10.     Rights-based approach: The State must promote and protect all rights and fundamental liberties.

Point 5 talks about the “national tragedy” when recognizing that:

The armed conflict, which has multiple causes, has inflicted suffering and loss on the people to a degree that is unparalleled in our history. Millions of Colombians have been victims of forced displacement, the dead number in the hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands of…
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NEWSLETTER POINT 5_OCTOB_eng