Colombia Peace Forum: Seeking Truth on the 'Disappeared' (English)

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While Colombia’s government and the guerrilla group known as the FARC work on the final details of a comprehensive peace deal, one part of the proposed accord is already in effect: the commitment by both sides to recover and return the remains of tens of thousands of “disappeared” people—those presumed to have been secretly killed in the conflict. Join USIP and the Latin America Working Group Education Fund on April 22 for an early assessment of how implementation of the agreements on disappearances is proceeding.

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With provisional agreements and mechanisms in place, implementing and verifying these measures on the ground often proves difficult. What are the challenges? What can civil society, the negotiating teams, and the international community do to ensure compliance with the agreements? What role do victims’ organizations and human rights advocacy groups have in this process? A panel of Colombia experts will seek to answer these questions. They will also consider future challenges facing a special, autonomous unit to be established after the final accord to account for the disappeared.

Virginia M. Bouvier, Moderator

Senior Advisor for Peace Processes, U.S. Institute of Peace

Lisa Haugaard, Commentator

Executive Director, Latin America Working Group Education Fund

Diana Arango, Speaker

Executive Director, independent forensic group, Equitas

Ulianov Franco, Speaker

Executive Director, Familiares Colombia

Carlos Eduardo Valdés, Speaker

General Director, National Institute of Legal Medicine

Christoph Harnisch, Speaker Head of Delegation, International Committee of the Red Cross (via Skype)