Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment of the refusal of the Colombian President Ivan Duque to sign the Statutory Law on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace on the political situation in that country; and if he will make a statement.

The United Kingdom has expressed concern to the Colombian Government over delays to the transitional justice system, which is a critical part of the peace process. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace continues to function under existing legal provisions despite recent objections of President Duque to certain articles of the law. The law has now been returned to Congress. The UK believes that the delay risks undermining the system's authority and reducing cooperation with the FARC. We believe that the Transitional justice law must be approved swiftly to ensure continued confidence in the peace process. On 11 March, our Ambassador in Colombia informed President Duque of the UK position. On 15 March, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN urged Foreign Minister Holmes Trujillo to support the transitional justice system.