Colombia Programme 2018 1. Political update 2018
2017 marked the first year of the implementation process of the Peace Agreement signed late 2016 by the National Government and FARC-EP. In the political arena, this process entailed two main tasks: the demobilization and reincorporation of FARC’s members and the approval of constitutional and legal reforms by the Congress to provide an institutional foundation for the implementation of the Agreement. During the demobilization process, there were many concerns about the low responsiveness and capacity of the Government to fulfil its commitments under the Agreement. In terms of the legal amendments established in the Peace Agreement, the Congress has approved some of the most urgent constitutional and legal reforms. By June 2017, the disarmament process had finalized and the majority of FARC ex-combatants were ready to start their social, economic and political reincorporation process. FARC leaders announced their official transition to a political party during a national convention in August 2017. Due to the track record that the programme has managed to demonstrate during the first 18 months of implementation, DSH agreed to unlock the programme funds for the period 2018-2020 during the policy meeting on 18 May 2017.

Looking forward, at the core of the Colombian political agenda are the two elections (parliamentary and presidential) that will take place in the first half of 2018. These elections entail a potential risk for the implementation of the Peace Agreement if the opposition wins and/or gets a majority in Congress. Simultaneously, the peace negotiations between the ELN guerrilla and the National Government, who reached a joint ceasefire in September 2017, will continue in Ecuador. 

• Outlook for 2018
In 2018, NIMD Colombia will keep working on a more open and inclusive political system that contributes to stability. This is especially important in circumstances that potentially can put the implementation of the Peace Agreement at risk, as is the case with the 2018 parliamentary and presidential elections. Furthermore, the programme aims to promote responsive and capable political parties by designing innovative tools for political parties to strengthen their capacities for democratic representation and policymaking. At the same time, environmental governance will be promoted in the framework of the 2018 elections. This subject has been a crucial focal point for several political actors to better connect with their constituencies. Interventions at the culture level will aim to prevent political violence during the elections through massive awareness campaigns, promote the leadership and capabilities of the Democracy School alumni and provide training on mediation and conflict resolution. Lastly, the inclusion of marginalized groups within politics will be supported by identifying and overcoming barriers to entry and developing strategies for the strengthening of political leadership of minorities. Political actors are defined as the combined main target group of the Strategic Partnership: - (representatives of) political parties - politicians - (Members of) Parliament and its Committees - Other elected representatives at local levels. NIMD will primarily focus on political parties.