Colombia
Today, the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC) accompanied Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Vanessa Frazier on a visit to Cauca, where she met with Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities to discuss security challenges and the protection of children and adolescents. Separately, in Villavicencio, the Mission participated in the first Model United Nations organized by public educational institutions at La Esperanza School. Students from six schools debated national and global challenges and proposed solutions through dialogue and multilateral cooperation, highlighting the role of young people in building a culture of peace.
On 10 November, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UNVMC Miroslav Jenča participated in the forum Ten Years After the Peace Agreement, held at Universidad del Rosario. The forum provided an opportunity to assess progress in implementing Colombia’s 2016 Final Peace Agreement and reflect on the achievements and challenges of the peace process a decade after its signing. The event formed part of activities marking the agreement’s tenth anniversary. Watch the forum.
Libya
On 10 November, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) convened the Berlin Process Economic Working Group Plenary in Tripoli, bringing together Libyan institutions and international partners to discuss economic challenges and support Libyan-led reforms. Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hanna Tetteh warned that excessive public spending, currency depreciation, weak economic governance and illicit financial activities continue to undermine stability and affect livelihoods. Co-chaired by Egypt, the United States, the European Union and UNSMIL, the meeting focused on strengthening transparency, institutional accountability and oversight of public resources, while identifying priorities for coordinated international support. Read Tetteh’s opening remarks.
Electoral assistance
The Council of Europe's World Forum for Democracy, held in Strasbourg on 2-3 November, brought together political leaders, representatives of civil society and academia, youth voices, the general public, and experts from all backgrounds to discuss the pressures facing democracy and emerging solutions. The event's message was clear: stronger participation, resilient institutions and empowered young people are key to democratic renewal. During the Forum's opening segment, Michele Griffin, Director of the Electoral Assistance Division, delivered a keynote address on the UN's work on electoral assistance and an analysis of some of the challenges around the world, while emphasizing that people remain deeply committed to elections and to having a voice in the big decisions that shape their lives.
