United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew late on Wednesday, 22 June, from New York to Havana, Cuba, to witness the signing of a ceasefire and the laying down of arms between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army (FARC-EP).

On Thursday, the Secretary-General held separate meetings with President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón of Colombia and with the commander of the FARC-EP, Timoleón Jiménez, also known as Timoshenko.  During both meetings, he noted that the ceasefire was a clear demonstration of the parties’ commitment to reach a final peace agreement in the near future and discussed ongoing preparations for the deployment of the United Nations Mission in Colombia.

The Secretary-General also had a meeting with President Nicolás Maduro Moros of Venezuela on the Colombian Peace Process and the political situation in Venezuela.

In his statement at the signing ceremony, the Secretary-General expressed his great admiration for the negotiating teams.  He also said that expectations were now high that the vision articulated in the agreements will soon become a reality for the Colombian people.  (See Press Release SG/SM/17875.)

The Secretary-General then had a brief meeting with President Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz of Cuba, before leaving Havana for Cannes, France, where he arrived on 24 June.