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

“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 the 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 October 15, the extension of the ceasefire will last for six months, from October 16 to April 15 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 WCC has been a permanent accompanier to this Peace Dialogue Table since its installation and in prior conversations. It fulfils 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.

(WCC)