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Colombia to Host the First International Congress on Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration - CIDDR
Bogota, 2 apr. 2009
Right now there are millions of people in the world who have been affected by or have participated in actions by illegal armed groups. Successfully resolving these situations and guaranteeing reparation for victims and the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of participants is a challenge for many nations.
There are very few arenas and mechanisms, however, where academics, experts, and people on the ground in charge of processes of this nature can exchange the DDR experiences they have gained in the different countries and regions around the world. And there are particularly few arenas for sharing information on community-based DDR experiences, such as the Colombian model.
There is a need to create arenas for sharing knowledge and experiences given that it has been demonstrated that these policies constitute the best guarantee for building lasting peace.
The Colombian government wants to contribute to the development of practical and concrete knowledge in DDR. It will therefore host the First International Congress in Cartagena from May 4th - 6th, where experts and technicians can meet and share the knowledge they have obtained through their experiences around the world. They can learn first-hand about the initiatives and advances made by the Colombian government in this area. Delegations from more than twenty countries will attend, including the Philippines, Liberia, Indonesia, Somalia, Eritrea, Nepal, Burundi, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Rwanda, and Angola.
The CIDDR is backed by active participation and support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the European Commission, the Mission to Support the Peace Process from the Organization of American States (MAPP-OAS), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Bank (BM), and governments of countries such as Sweden, the United States, and the Netherlands. On behalf of the Colombian government, the organizers are the Presidential High Council for Reintegration (ACR for the Spanish), the National Reparation and Reconciliation Commission (CNRR for the Spanish), the Ministry of Foreign Relations, and the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation (Acción Social).
The disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of people into society is a complex process that requires considerable human and financial resources, as well as a high level of coordination between agencies from the state, the international community, and organizations in civil society. In Colombia this process forms one part of a robust, institutionalized policy that is up and running, currently projected to be a model the world will follow, since it includes policies for peace, work, and participation in affected communities and for the effective reparation of victims.
“The process is unprecedented. In Colombia thousands of members of illegal armed groups have laid down their weapons and are rejoining civil life. Approximately 10 guerrilla members demobilize daily; more than 33 thousand Colombians are participating in the reintegration process. Colombia is attaining a balance between justice and peace, and in so doing it is making history. For the first time in Latin America, a DDR process simultaneously combines a peace policy, the application of justice, and effective reparation to victims,” states Frank Pearl, High Presidential Advisor for Reintegration, who is heading up this Congress.
Beyond providing an arena for sharing experiences in DDR, security and development, and post-conflict reconstruction in general, this Congress will highlight the benefits of community-based re-integration as the most viable strategy for guaranteeing long-term success and sustainability for the processes of reintegration and victim reparation.
The Congress will also be an opportunity for establishing innovative south-south cooperation schemes, in which Colombia’s experience is particularly relevant and appreciated, above all in terms of technical cooperation toward several of the participating countries.
During the three days of work, national and international experts on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration will present conferences and lead panels. The resulting document, “Cartagena’s Contribution to DDR,” whose content will be coordinated by Dr. Nat Colletta, authority in this area and author of several studies, will be this Congress’ contribution to the world’s processes for disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration.
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