UN envoy: Short window to set foundation for Colombia peace

The U.N. envoy for Colombia says there’s “a relatively short window of opportunity” to establish a solid foundation for peace between the government and the country’s largest rebel group.

Jean Arnault told the Security Council on Wednesday that consolidating peace will be a long-term process but in the short-term it’s key to lay the foundations by ensuring that the rebels lay down their arms and are reintegrated into society.

He said “the most affected people and areas” must also quickly receive peace dividends from last year’s historic agreement between the government and FARC rebels to end Latin America’s longest-running armed conflict.

Arnault said the registration of arms that FARC combatants turned in at camps is almost completed and the next step is to collect weapons and unstable armaments in caches.