An extension of the ceasefire between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP was announced on 15 October, a milestone occurring one year since the Peace Dialogue Table—of which the World Council of Churches (WCC) is a permanent accompanier—was established. 

It is within the framework of the 6th cycle of the sessions of the Peace Dialogue Table between the government and the general staff of the Magdalena Medio Bloc Commander Gentil Duarte and Commander Jorge Suárez Briceño, and the Raúl Reyes FARC-EP Front, which began on 11 October, and will end on 19 October, that the extension of the Bilateral and Temporary Ceasefire with Respect for the Civilian Population was announced. 

“We commend this development as an indication that the efforts for peacemaking work when people from different backgrounds are keen to find solutions together in dialogue,” said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the WCC. “While peace processes are always in a challenging situation in many parts of the world, it is heartening to know that in this context there are new developments towards peaceful solutions. The WCC warmly welcomes and encourages these efforts.”

According to Presidential Decree 1280 of 15 October, the extension of the ceasefire will last for six months, from 16 October to 15 April 2025.

Dr Humberto Martin Shikiya, WCC special envoy to the peace process in Colombia, noted that the peace process between the government and the FARC-EP enters a new year as a Peace Dialogue Table, strengthening the participation of civil society in the construction of the peace agenda. 

“Listening to the population about their needs and responding to them in a sustainable way provides people the opportunity to exercise their rights and dignify their lives through sustainable projects within the framework of inclusive coexistence,” he said. “Peace is built in people's lives in their territories and can be amplified on a large national scale where justice, reconciliation, and unity make peace sustainable in the long term.”

The development of the Bilateral and Temporary Ceasefire with respect for the civilian population must contribute to progress on the agenda for building and strengthening the peace agreement, with full participation of the civilian population, deepening territorial social transformations, replacing illicit economies, and protecting the environment in a fair and sustainable way.

“Social and environmental justice have been the horizon of peace for this process,” noted Shikiya. “This vision and commitment are strengthened with the upcoming COP16 on biodiversity, which will take place soon in Colombia, in the city of Cali, under the government's motto: peace with nature.”

The WCC has been a permanent accompanier to this Peace Dialogue Table since its installation and in prior conversations. It fulfills this role along with the Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church, the Permanent Peace Monitoring Mission of the Organization of American States, and the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. 

As part of its responsibilities as permanent companions, the WCC is also part of the Oversight, Monitoring, and Verification Mechanism of the bilateral ceasefire. In this way, the WCC contributes concretely and effectively to building peace in Colombia in the various territories where, through the Dialogue Table, social dialogues for territorial transformation and conversion of illicit economies are developed with a focus on environmental care and protection.

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