Colombia assumes UN Security Council presidency for June

Colombia on Monday assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for June, pledging to prioritize peacebuilding, women's participation in peace processes, and the protection of children affected by armed conflict.

"Colombia will exercise the presidency of the Security Council on the basis of a premise that has deeply characterized our own history, and that is that peace is not a linear process; rather, it is one that is built collectively, gradually," Colombia's Ambassador to the UN, Leonor Zalabata, said during a news conference outlining the Council's program of work for the month.

She said Colombia's presidency comes at a time of "growing geopolitical tensions, multiple conflicts, and humanitarian crises exacerbated by the increasingly significant impacts of climate change and a growing fragmentation of the international system."

Reaffirming her country's commitment to the UN Charter, international law, human rights and international humanitarian law, Zalabata said Colombia's activities would be guided by principles including sovereign equality, respect for sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, noninterference and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Outlining the presidency's priorities, she said Colombia would focus on three tracks: building and sustaining peace through dialogue, promoting a people-centered approach to addressing conflict and inequality, and strengthening multilateralism to better respond to global challenges.

As part of its agenda, Colombia will convene two open debates. The first, a high-level meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, will focus on women's participation in peace processes under the theme "Peace Is Decided with Women."

Zalabata said the debate will underscore the importance of the "full, equitable, equal, safe and meaningful participation of all women in prevention, mediation and peacebuilding."

A second open debate at the ambassadorial level will address the prevention of conflict and the protection of education for children affected by war.

"If we don't defend children, we are not then guaranteeing a future for humanity," she said.

She further affirmed that the Council will hold its regular meetings on the Middle East and review developments in Libya, Yemen, Sudan and the Central African Republic throughout the month.

The UN Security Council presidency will pass to the Democratic Republic of Congo in July.