Declaration in Support of the Peace Process in Colombia

April 22, 2001

We, the Heads of State and Government of the countries of the Americas, meeting in Québec City, for the Third Summit of the Americas, declare our firm support for the efforts which, as state policy, the President of the Republic of Colombia, Andrés Pastrana Arango, is carrying out to achieve peace and reconciliation in his country and to strengthen democratic values.

We recognize the efforts made to progress in the dialogue with guerilla groups, stress the need that the commitments made in the negotiations of Los Pozos be fulfilled, and underscore the importance of the role of the international community and of facilitator countries. At the same time, we are issuing an appeal that, through a firm commitment, progress be made toward a cease-fire and an end to hostilities, with a view to the effective reestablishment of peace. It is necessary that the guerilla groups act in a manner that corresponds to the efforts of the Government to achieve this objective.

We express our confidence that the dialogue and the political negotiations, based on the primacy of law and on respect for international humanitarian law, will lead to a stable, just, firm and lasting peace, putting an end to the violence and human suffering caused by the conflict.