United Nations, Oct 30 (IANS): The Security Council has adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia for another year, till October 31, 2022.

Resolution 2603, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member Security Council, expresses its willingness to work with the government of Colombia on the further extension of the mission's mandate on the basis of agreement between the parties, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Bogota government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) struck a peace deal in August 2016 after four years of negotiations in Havana, Cuba. The Security Council in July 2017 approved the establishment of the Verification Mission to verify the political, economic and social reintegration of former FARC combatants as well as security guarantees.

The Verification Mission succeeded a UN mission of unarmed observers tasked by the Security Council in January 2016 to monitor and verify the laying down of arms, and to help monitor and verify the cease-fire following the signing of a peace agreement.

In May 2021, the Security Council adopted a resolution to expand the mandate of the Verification Mission to include verifying compliance with and implementation of the sentences handed down by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, which is a transitional justice mechanism to investigate crimes committed during the five-decade-long armed conflict between the government and FARC.