Country: Colombia Source: Stimson Center Please refer to the attached file. Researchers Julie Gregory and Elias Yousif traveled to Bogotá, Cali, and Buenaventura in early 2025 to examine the work of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC) in implementing its mandate and supporting efforts to protect civilians. This video and accompanying field note offer some observations and reflections from that visit.The view from the port city of Buenaventura in Colombia at sunset could be like any other coastal holiday location in Latin America. Except, for so many, it’s anything but. With the Shotas and Spartanos gangs vying for de-facto control of this economically strategic city, and other armed actors encroaching in the surrounding rural areas, the peaceful calm of the city can quickly be overpowered by the outbreak of gang violence, leaving the streets deserted and empty.It’s within such a community, and many communities like it, that the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC) is present. However, as a civilian-led mission, with no armed UN police or military, its focus remains on supporting and verifying implementation of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP, the leading paramilitary force within the country at the time.Nearly ten years on since UNVMC was established in 2016, the conflict environment in Colombia has evolved significantly. The Petro government’s ambitious “Total Peace” policy aims to negotiate simultaneously with a variety of armed groups, yet progress has been slow and violence persists in many regions. Former combatants face ongoing security threats, while social leaders and human rights defenders continue to be targeted by armed groups.The Stimson Center, represented by Elias Yousif and myself, visited the country in February 2025 to undertake research on UNVMC and its efforts to support the government of Colombia in fulfilling its primary responsibility to protect civilians. As researchers, we wanted to better understand how UNVMC’s work to promote implementation of the peace agreement and accompany the ongoing peace talks impacts the safety and security of civilians in country.Over the course of a week and half, Elias and I made our way from the mountainous valley of Bogotá to the thriving city of Cali and then through the verdant hills down to the port city of Buenaventura. With each stop, we gained fresh insights from UN mission personnel at headquarters, at a regional level, and in a field office. As a priority, we also engaged with government officials, former combatants, Indigenous leaders, and community members.Many conversations brought home the direct and reverberating effects of the violence and human rights violations perpetrated by armed groups on civilians. For instance, we heard from Indigenous community leaders in the Valle del Cauca department how their communities are facing forced confinement by armed actors who seek to exploit their land, and from women and Afro-Colombian human rights defenders of the many societal ills that continue to feed ongoing cycles of violence.Through these engagements, we were pleased to uncover that UNVMC’s work actively supports the protection of civilians. This finding, however, raises fundamental questions about the tools available for civilian protection by a UN special political mission. For instance, how can a mission without an explicit civilian protection mandate or armed capabilities contribute to a protective environment? How can political missions inform government action when civilians come under threat?Colombia’s experience with UNVMC has much to offer the international community, especially at a time when the UN is considering future forms of peace operations. UNVMC’s experience could offer valuable insights of what it can look like for a mission without armed capabilities to contribute to the protection of civilians in practice.The findings from this research trip will be published in a forthcoming Stimson Center research paper. This case study is part of a wider project that looks at how the full range of UN peace operations, including peacekeeping and special political missions, can help advance the protection of civilians in strategic and diverse ways.The Stimson team is grateful to UNVMC and the individuals interviewed for their time and engagement on this project. Stimson’s research in Colombia as part of this project is supported by Global Affairs Canada. This project builds on Stimson’s long-standing history of engagement with the United Nations on strengthening peace operations and efforts to protect civilians. All views reflected in this piece are the responsibility of the author.