Civil Society Dialogue with Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres, Permanent Representative of Colombia

Dear colleagues.
Good morning.
Very nice to see all of you, Madam Ambassador.
Do We give you the welcome to the presidency of the Security Council.
Thank you for being with us today.
My name is Icil Bandes and I have the pleasure of moderating this event as Secretary-General of World Federation of United Nations Associations.
Wolf now works to strengthen the United Nations through the activism of more than 100 national associations around the world.
Through initiatives such as the one you are taking part in today.
As part of our transparency initiative of the Security Council, we host this monthly dialogues for civil society representatives with the president of the council.
There are opportunities to hear from the president about their work plan and the aims of the presidency to ask for clarifications and to raise matters for their attention and to offer polite scrutiny of the council's work.
The involvement of civil society, and we do believe this as well as you do is indispensable to build durable peace.
Through dialogues like this one today.
We can strengthen the links between the council and civil society.
We are honored to be joined this month by Her Excellency, Leonardo Apators of Colombia.
Colombia has outlined three priorities during its presidency.
First, peace building and sustaining peace, second, an approach that places people at the center, recognizing that the prevailing economic system has deepened inequalities, gaps within and between countries.
And And third, the strengthening of multilateralism in order to respond more effectively to interconnected challenges that require collective, coherent and sustained responses.
We look forward to hearing more about these priorities from the ambassador before giving her the floor.
A few housekeeping reminders for today's interactions after Ambassador albata intervention should center and the work of the Security Council, exclusively, please keep your microphones and silent when you are not intervening.
This event it's being transmitted directly through UN Web TV.
Once all of the questions has been done, the ones that were sent and the time allows, we will allow all of those questions from the participants that are present.
Ambassador Torres, a warm welcome.
Before this, obviously we're having an interpretation so anyone can speak in English or Spanish Ambassador.
The floor is yours.
Thank you.
I want to welcome all of the people that are joining us today in representation of organizations of civil society organizations.
I also thank the Federation to facilitate this space for dialogue.
For Colombia.
This encounter reflects the importance that we give civil society and its contribution to the work of the United Nations.
Its job strengthens the transparency, accountability, and legitimacy, and the impact of the multilateral task, also contributes for the Security Council to act with more coherence towards international law, human rights, and international humanitarian law.
As you may know, Colombia has defended historically multilateralism as the framework most legitimate framework to preserve peace, and international security.
That commitment it's based on the principles of the United Nations Charter, the international law, and the cooperation among states.
There is no stability when the norms are applied selectively.
There are no security or common security when some lives seem to be more worthy than others.
There is no long lasting peace if we ignore the structural causes of conflicts.
In this way, it's fundamental to reaffirm the principles that protect each and every state and each and every people.
The sovereign, the independency, the territorial integrity, the no intervening.
And the peaceful resolution of controversies.
That's why Colombia understands the prevention as a central task of the Security Council.
To prevent, it's not only to avoid that a crisis erupts, it's also to tackle inequality, exclusion, the lack of guarantees, violence against the communities, and the weakness of the confidence in the public sector.
It prevention also requires to listen in time, to act with responsibility.
Right.
And to recognize the signals that come from the territories.
In that task, civil society plays an essential role.
During our presidency, we will focus on the prevention, protection of civilians, the respect for international law, human rights and international humanitarian law.
Colombia comes to the Security Council to talk about peace and not about war.
We come to speak about prevention, about political solutions that are sustainable, building on the experience of a country that knows the human costs of the conflict and that also knows the complexity of building peace.
The presidency in the Security Council comes with a particular responsibility.
This role does not substitute the political will of the 15 members, but it allows to organize the work of the council during the month to conduct the meetings and also to uphold that the meetings go with flexibility, agility, and respect.
Columbia will continue to having these responsibilities with a sense of transparency, A to listen and to dialogue.
In this framework, our first signature event will be an open high level open debate on June 10th, led by President Go Petro, titled, Moving forward Political Solutions in Middle East, Mediation and Dialogue for a lasting peace.
In a moment of profound suffering and marked by polarization, this debate looks to reaffirm that diplomacy is at the center, the mediation, and the peaceful resolution of controversies when it is required political will, dialogue, and international commitment.
Colombia will continue to promote the participation, equal participation and sign and save of women in the prevention, mediation, solution of conflicts, and the sustaining and building of peace.
In that context, our second signature event will be an open debate, a high level open debate titled The Peace is Sided with Women.
Comment from the conflict and strengthening its participation, led by our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.
Olanda Miya Viceno Mai, on June 17th.
A third open debate will be done in the framework of the presentation of the annual report about children in armed conflict, and this topic in which Colombia gives the more relevancy will be focused on the protection of the educative spaces and escalar spaces.
In the context of armed conflict.
I'll have the honor to preside this signatory event in my capacity as ambassador permanent representative of Colombia to the United Nations.
Also, it's important to consider that June will be a particular month for the Security Council.
We will have a large number of meetings mandated.
We will approach situations of the interest of the Council of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Today, June 8th, the presidency has organized three emergency meetings requested by other members.
Finally, Colombia recognizes the responsibility that entails for the Security Council the consideration of candidates to the General Secretariat of the United Nations assuming this process with seriousness and during the presidency.
We will progress with transparency and inclusivity, the 15 members for this purpose.
I would like to conclude repeating the availability of Colombia to have an open and substantial dialogue with the civil society for our presidency.
It will be particularly valuable to listen to your priorities, alerts, and recommendations as well as your perspectives.
On the way the council can strengthen the efficacy, the transparency, and the human dimension of its work.
We hope that this dialogue will contribute to enrich our work during the month of June.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Miss Ambassador, now we will give the floor for questions and answers.
We're going to do the question and answer segment.
Of course, if you have a question, I'm going to start with those that were sent beforehand and then we will open the floor.
So when you are given the floor, please indicate your name and affiliation.
We'll start with Mr.
Charbonneau who is here.
Yes.
Thank you, and thank you, Ambassador, for meeting with us, Lou Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch.
I wanted to ask you about, first of all, we expect that we know that the special envoy from Myanmar is briefing the General Assembly.
Is there a plan for her to also brief the Security Council? Because the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate and we do think it would be good for the Security Council to get involved.
Then secondly, on Sudan, wonder if there might be discussion on possible expansion of sanctions now that there is growing evidence of the support by United Arab Emirates for private military contractors including from Colombia in Sudan for supporting the rapid support forces.
I wonder if there might be a discussion on that.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Abrahad.
Miss Ambassador, you have the floor.
From Theron Gray Gray Matt Foundation is, I do not see.
And we have a youth initiative for the promotion of good leadership in Nigeria? I do not see either.
It's true that I think is there anyone who has a question directly from the floor? We maintain the regular channel that the rule imposes that are accepted rules, of course, that have to do with the meetings that are requested through the member states, and we have a direct dialogue with them when possible and some archives like the archives of Sudan, that is part of the geographical archives of the Security Council, In previous presidencies, we have been using them.
Nevertheless, for the Security Council continues being during the month of June, according to meetings that are requested and foreseen or mandated, we still don't have the topic of Sudan, but we're starting the first week of this presidency.
I would not discard the possibility then.
As you can prepare for some questions from the floor, I will ask two questions that were online.
One is from doctor Tita Banks from the United Nations Association of the USA.
Given the recent actions by certain countries to disrupt the sovereignty of other countries by takeover of land or resources, what would you suggest could be the more effective response slash involvement of the UN Security Council to assist and protect the adversely affected countries? Do you foresee this type of adverse actions becoming more frequent, including in Latin or South America? That's one.
Then from Gray Matter Foundation, the question from Theron Gray is, as the Security Council considers the human impact of conflict, how does Colombia see the role of mental health and psychological support within peace building and post conflict recovery efforts, particularly for children, young people and communities affected by violence, is there a scope for the council to give greater attention to these issues under your presidency? For Colombia, it is very clear that we reached the Security Council because we consider the experiences are very important for peace building and that experience we found everywhere.
The experiences should be brought to the center to be able to give more effective responses and more immediate responses.
For us, it has been fundamental that the spirit of the principles of the UN charter that have to do with the implementation to strengthen human rights continues Present and the right of the states to the respect to sovereignty, non intervention.
The respect to the states are the rules of the game that could help us have specific solutions of all conflicts and all controversies that could be found.
The dialogue is the way The understanding is the way to actually be able to find a path by solving problems to guarantee human rights.
There is no other path but to insist in the fact that these principles that are also part of international law continue being the rule of law to promote solutions in which the protection of civilians continues being a core subject.
The protection to nature continues being the principles that are guaranteeing the future of humankind.
That's why children are fundamental in this.
We cannot talk about human rights of a society in the future if right now we don't think of the children.
If we don't think of the civil population that is being affected, that is being impacted because all these conflicts in the world, the victims are always civilians and exclusion brings about to make difficult to have humanity with dignified human rights.
That's why the core is the protection to civilians and Colombians are convinced of that.
It has been and will continue being the political view to be the Security Council at the United Nations.
We are also a foundational member of that of the organization.
This is our political line to insist in the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
The objective is to be able to re establish international order so humans can resolve differences in a more humane manner.
Madam Ambassador, I have two more questions online here, but I would first turn to the floor.
Maybe there are some questions I see, Madam and then the other lady there.
Yes.
My name is Bobby Nasser.
I'm the chair of the NTO Committee on Human Rights.
I was wondering if there would be a way to incorporate input from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights when you're discussing some of these issues based on their expertise.
It's just a thought.
Thank you very much.
If you can turn off your microphone.
Madam from Global Network of women Peace Builders.
I would like to ask how Colombia intends to advance the women peace and security agenda during its Security Council presidency, particularly in ensuring that local women peace Builder have sustainable access to funding, protection, and meaningful participation in peace processes and peace building efforts.
Thank you.
Thank you very much to both institutions.
Madam Ambassador.
In fact, the political positioning that women have nowadays to have a voice, to guarantee what we are, to be able to have a political recognition in the decision making of the states, it hasn't been for free.
We've always maintained a line of dialogue, sometimes many purposes and that we've positioned our rights, our way of being, and we have reached the space of decision making in the states.
It has been a push from the social foundations like seeds.
We have planted the land.
It has given fruit.
I believe we have progressed and in Colombia, we are convinced both men and women, and in this government of President Gustavo Petro, we've been able to progress a little bit and it has been extremely important to bring this experience of social growth of women, of youth in Colombia has been vital for transformation.
We have challenges, but those challenges are marked in political projections through our organizations.
I think that that social dynamic of women has contributed to strengthen the Colombian institutionality, to make of Colombia the state mentioned in our constitution from women that can contribute to the implementation.
That is an extremely important experience that we have find in other states and countries in which women, we also have a global dimension.
Thanks to this, we consider that we are a strength for humanity because we have included ourselves because we have found a way to walk upon it as women and we have not finished.
We have progress.
It's a challenge to achieve to that purpose in which we are all equal.
With this, I would like to state that this experience is what move us forward to keep working in this matter and also learning and strengthening what we can through our institutions.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ambassador, I turn to the floor again maybe one last time.
Are there any more question field there? Yes.
Thanks.
Yes, Lu Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch.
Again, I just wanted to follow up on the question of Myanmar, whether you expect that there might be a meeting this month.
We had heard that there might be a private meeting of the Security Council on Myanmar around the time of the Special Envoy Julie Bishop's presentation to the General Assembly.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I think.
Yes, please, you have the floor.
Mine from the Episcopal Church.
Thank you very much, first of all, for this session, as well as your meeting with us ambassador.
Two questions.
I was wondering, as we are all aware, there is a severe financial crisis happening at the moment.
The Secretary-General has mentioned on several occasions the potential collapse of the UN next month.
We've heard through our own networks that this is indeed a very serious issue and not simply smoke.
Also aware of the UN 80 initiatives and the various aspects that touch on the Security Council.
I was wondering, Ambassador, if you have any insights to share or if that will be at all part of your work during the coming month.
Thank you.
Thank you very much to both.
Madam Ambassador, you have the floor.
So, the mic.
To the question about Mimoad we appreciate the Security Council, the security council appreciates the requests that it receives and that we can have the time within our program of works.
In this moment, I cannot recall a request from Mian Mad for this matter.
Unless a member of the security council might do it because we work as a team.
But in this moment, we do not have this topic planned in our program of work.
These requests sometimes are not possible within a presidency but may take place in another presidency that can answer or that we are able to give an answer to those situations we are able to analyze.
Many of them follow ups are being monitored, but they have to do with the mandates that we receive during each presidency.
In particular, this is not being planned within the presidency of the month of June.
I cannot give you a straightforward answer because this is not mandated for June.
Note, talking about the crisis, not only the financial crisis the United Nations has, but there's also a political crisis, a humanitarian crisis, a climate crisis, financial crisis.
It's a topic in which there are also proposals that are not from this administration that also come from previous ones that has to do with political visions and views.
The topic of the sustainable development goals play a relevant role in this matter of changing of improving the conditions that we have around the world.
The objective of sustainable development.
Its purpose to have with different dimensions and to be included in a global process in which cooperation, solidarity play a very relevant role.
That's what I believe, and you are right because the financial crisis is one of the most strong topics after political will, but it also plays an important role, the financing of everything that it's important to develop under the granting of different programs and plans that allow us to have global answers in a time frame that help us.
I believe that this matters.
At this moment have critical conditions, which is financing.
I believe that the need that the United Nations is presenting in this area also has to do with the political will of the member state that can improve it.
I also believe that it has to do with the improvement that we can achieve, such as the implementation of our resolutions and our legal documents are implemented within the state, we will be able to progress in a better way.
The synergy between the decisions taken in the United Nations It has to do also with the different governance systems of each state to improve those conditions.
It's not only the wheel, the financing that United Nations can do, but I believe that what exists until now, it's wheel to be able to make it happen.
Now, the humanitarian crisis is Very concerning because when you are killing United Nations employees that work in different missions in which the victims and the officers of the United Nations It's a very high degradation of conflict and of the respect towards human rights.
That's not only a matter of financiation, but also of public consciousness.
It's a topic of protection of civilians even more over the institutions.
With this, I want to say that the crisis, it's not only financial crisis, but we have this other crisis around us and if we add the climate crisis, there will be no water in the future.
How can we guarantee the air that we need to breathe? There are so many things that are not resolved.
The life of the oceans.
Are the oceans going to exist? We have many questions to solve and we don't see how critical this is, but it's extremely high.
With this, I want to conclude by saying that it's necessary the political will of the states in order to improve everything that we can do through United Nations bodies and for the human to protect everyone and to defend human rights.
Thank you.
Sir, I turn to the fry.
I don't think there are more questions.
I have two last questions from online questions.
One from doctor Eileen Davis Jerome from UNAUSA and my apologies for this closed, yes.
In view of the current situation in Haiti, which includes extreme violence, gun trafficking, health crisis, current and in the making governance and infrastructure failures.
How will or how should the Security Council plan to address these urgent issues? The second question is from Jean Cabonoske from an NGO called Solidarity Agein Paul Developmental Adi.
Madam President, Colombia has often emphasized the importance of peace building, inclusion, and community participation in conflict prevention and resolution.
In many regions of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local civil society organizations, women and youth, continue to play a critical role in promoting peace, social cohesion, despite limited resources.
How does your presidency intend to strengthen the participation of local civil society organizations like those in discussions and why not decisions related to peace building conflict prevention in affected countries.
Madam Ambassador.
It's critical the situation that we have even to build peace.
The peace that we are leaving, we need to take care of it.
And the regions, the communities, the peoples that have Because in some regions you live in peace, how to take care of them.
The peace has existed in many places in the world in the light of knowledge, of cultures, of customs, of ways of relating and interacting among peoples and communities.
It has been possible to have and to maintain peace, to live in peace.
I believe that this every time tends to be even more and more clear that we need to take care of peace, but peace has deteriorated.
Nevertheless, I was talking before about those principles of international law.
Of United Nations Charter of multilateraliism.
I believe that peace has deteriorated because we have discarded and we have until some point to grass these principles that have given us this global framework.
For this, the civil society participation is the only guarantee that peace is built, that peace is possible to sustain.
If we If we are civilians, guarantee it.
For this, the respect of the institutions to the civil population, the participation of civil society in the institutions play the most relevant role for the prevention and for the maintenance of peace processes.
Now, we must recognize that we can live in peace and that peace is critical in many places, especially in rural areas, in non urban territories, for instance, because of the climate crisis, being realistic, we can live together, but if our life together does not guarantee the common goods that nature provides us.
Logic peace shakes, we would be in a moving peace, not a firm peace.
I believe that that should be a public awareness.
That prevention must be in the acknowledgment of other societies, other ways of thinking, and maybe the inclusion of other territories that live in peace.
Colombia in 1991, recognized being a multi ethnic and plultural country and that made it possible to recognize their educational systems to recognize and give attention to health care with traditional medicine of the peoples within the national system, how to incorporate all these matters to a development system that would lead us in a collective manner to have collective results.
In that the progress of my country have been advances that have not been easy for many reasons because the judicial foundation of the establishment of the systems on the one hand, on the other hand, the political systems, on the other hand, the economic system have not allowed to progress in a better manner.
Nevertheless, there have been a joint actions that have accomplished conquered those rights For a better response, maintenance and life together in peace and indigenous peoples and I speak as an indigenous person, we've led the country to a way of thinking that is different.
We've told the country, look, we have traditional territories that belong to us.
We need to maintain the cultures in those territories, not throughout the country, but to maintain the dignity that every culture has and that every person has.
The matter is that those political decisions be acknowledged and they are acknowledged nowadays.
That's why President Petro brought about the approval of the indigenous educational system.
Also the health care of indigenous peoples based on their cultures.
These are important traditional practices because indigenous peoples in this world have lived all the pandemics of humankind and we're alive.
We've also responded with our knowledge to all the pandemics that have taken place in humankind and indigenous peoples continue existing.
Fortunate We can consider that today those cultures exist.
I don't know which country doesn't have any indigenous peoples.
Most countries, most member states still maintain these cultures, not only indigenous cultures, and there, the United Nations is right by saying that many have been left behind.
Actually, yes, in many matters and they have been left behind and we have to bring them to the forefront.
That's why we have to bid to live in peace, Colombia, with the dialogues, with the peace agreements, with the support of the international community have played an important role, and it is a political decision of most Colombians to move and eliminate weapons as a way of solving any situations.
We are in that space that is of construction, prevention, and a way of living.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
With this, we can conclude the question and answers segment.
We thank you very much.
I will leave the ambassador the floor for her last concluding remarks and we will close with that.
But thank you very much for participating.
We were talking about it before the agenda of the Security Council is becoming, unfortunately, more and more heavy and we appreciate very much that ambassadors take some of this precious time to come to talk to civil society.
I was saying that your time is very precious and we appreciate that time in spite of your agenda.
Well, to finish, I would like to thank you.
Colombia is one of the 15 members of the Security Council, but we assume the responsibility, understanding that going back to peace is to listen more, is to watch more, and to recognize that our relationship with nature is also part of the way in which we imagine a common future.
That this conversation be an invitation to continue working for solutions that would privilege life, human dignity, dialogue, and the protection of our common home above the logic of war.
Thank you very much for this conversation.