The European Union’s Contribution to the Implementation of the Ethnic Approach Within the Colombian Peace Agreement (2016–2021)

Abstract

AbstractThe chapter examines to what extent the European Union is contributing to territorial peacebuilding through the implementation of the Peace Agreement’s ethnic approach. It is vital to support Colombia’s ethnic minorities—who are the main victims of the armed conflict and whose rights have historically been violated—in order to effectively contribute to reconciliation and positive peace. Likewise, ethnic communities have collective imaginaries and conceptions of territory that are different from those of modern society. As a result, territorial peace is in danger of replicating the liberal peace model if it does not effectively integrate these other perspectives when rebuilding governance. The conclusion of this research is that the European Union is sensitive to the situation and demands of ethnic peoples, and is supporting peace projects and initiatives with an ethnic aspect through cooperation programmes. However, in the first five years of implementation (2016–2021), it has not sufficiently supported the commitments adopted in the Peace Agreement with ethnic peoples, having underestimated the significance of the ethnic approach in its peacebuilding strategy in Colombia.