The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia issued its recommendations to ensure security conditions ahead of the imminent electoral scenario the country will face, with this year’s legislative and presidential elections.
The warning from this body, which comes just months before the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Havana Peace Agreement, is framed within a context of violence that persists in some parts of the country, institutional weaknesses, and deep political divisions that make it difficult to definitively heal the scars of the armed conflict.
The mission, whose mandate runs through October 2026, says that the progress achieved must be protected through concrete actions that guarantee not only the physical integrity of voters, but also confidence in the electoral process.
For its experts, who have traveled through territories historically affected by violence, campaign polarization and security risks in many regions of the country pose a real threat to participation and political inclusion for communities that still bear the weight of the conflict.
This context not only challenges national authorities, but also the international community that has supported the peace process since its inception in 2016.
UN Verification Mission issues recommendations for Colombia’s elections
The U.N. Verification Mission has underscored the need to strengthen security guarantees in areas where high levels of violence persist. In its most recent communications to the U.N. Security Council, the body has insisted that the effective deployment of the state in conflict-affected territories is essential to protect the right to vote and the integrity of both candidates and voters.
Its call focuses on the implementation of strategies to dismantle or reduce the presence of illegal armed groups and to ensure that the political system is accessible to all, without fear of reprisals.
Among the recommendations is the urgency of consolidating protection programs for social leaders, former combatants, human rights defenders, and rural communities that have been targeted by violence since the signing of the Peace Agreement.
The persistence of targeted killings and forced displacement, especially in the Pacific region and southern Bolivar, is a reminder that citizen security remains a challenge for the Colombian state.
The mission has also called for closer coordination among electoral authorities, security agencies, and community organizations to ensure that the electoral process unfolds with the least possible armed interference.
Beyond physical security, the mission has pointed out that strengthening confidence in democratic institutions is crucial. Ongoing political polarization may translate into voter disengagement or fear in regions where the social fabric has not yet been fully rebuilt.
According to U.N. experts, improving participation requires not only state presence but also ensuring that communities perceive that their needs and rights will be addressed within the democratic framework.
The impact of cuts to the UN mandate
However, the mission’s ability to influence this process has been reduced. In October 2025, the United Nations Security Council approved a modification to the mission’s mandate that entails substantial cuts to the functions it traditionally performed.
The resolution removed, among other things, the verification of restorative sanctions imposed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the monitoring of the Ethnic Chapter of the Peace Agreement. This decision, supported by the majority of Council members, was justified as a reorientation of efforts toward aspects considered more directly linked to peace and security.
The reduction in functions not only diminishes the U.N.’s institutional presence in sensitive areas of the agreement’s implementation but also limits its capacity to provide comprehensive support at a time when electoral tensions are testing the progress achieved since 2016.
National organizations and international experts have noted that these restrictions may translate into reduced monitoring and response capacities in the face of emerging crises, just as Colombia prepares for one of the most highly contested electoral races in its recent history.
Three pillars for future verification
Under the new approach, the Verification Mission will focus its work on three key points of the Peace Agreement. The first is the comprehensive reintegration of former members of the now-defunct FARC, an essential component to prevent those who laid down their arms from returning to violence.
The mission will closely monitor the political, social, and economic inclusion of former combatants, a process that, although it has advanced, still faces significant obstacles. It should be noted that in its January report, the Verification Mission confirms that 80% of the guerrillas demobilized in 2016 — just over 11,000 people — remain committed to reintegration.
These individuals, who, according to the international body, have around 10,000 children, remain committed to the peace process and the abandonment of armed struggle.
The second pillar is guaranteeing security for the signatories of the agreement, their families, and affected communities. This aspect takes on critical importance ahead of the elections, as it is directly related to the ability of citizens in rural regions to participate freely without threats from groups seeking to influence or coerce the vote.
According to Miroslav Jenča, head of the Verification Mission, 487 peace signatories have been killed since laying down their arms. Of these, 45 were killed last year, representing a troubling increase of 36 compared with 2024.
Finally, the mission will continue its work on verifying the comprehensive rural reform, a component many analysts consider indispensable for addressing the structural causes of the conflict, such as inequality in access to land and the lack of economic opportunities. In the U.N.’s view, an effective rural reform can translate into greater stability and, consequently, less volatile conditions during the electoral cycle.