German-Colombian Peace Institute - kick-off event in Bogotá with participation from Göttingen

13.01.2017 - The German Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Colombian colleague, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, have launched the "German-Colombian Peace Institute" (Instituto Colombo-Alemán para la Paz), which also includes the University of Göttingen, with a festive kick-off event at the National Museum in Bogotá.

Legal experts from Germany accompany the peace process in Colombia. The University of Göttingen is one of the German universities involved in the German-Colombian Peace Institute (DKFI), which is now being set up with the support of the German Academic Exchange Service.The University of Göttingen is represented by the Institute for Latin Criminal Law and Criminal Proceedings, CEDPAL (Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Kai Ambos) and the Institute for Agricultural Law (Prof. Dr. Martínez).. On January 12th and 13th2017, Prof. Martínez discussed with representatives of the German and Colombian universities and with high-profile experts from science, politics and civil society perspectives and challenges of the Colombian peace process and its support in the context of the German-Colombian cooperation and took part in the kick-off event with Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Prof. Martinez is responsible for the area "Rural Development", the first chapter of the peace treaty between the government and the rebel groups of the FARC, at the DKFI."The talks with the Colombian consortium partners and civil society representatives made clear, that Colombia will not find peace as long as the problem of land distribution is not resolved." said the expert for agricultural law in Göttingen. " Land-use, violence, lack of legal and economic safeguards , drug cultivation and illegal mining have made rural areas a place lacking state influcence. Rapid and efficient measures are needed to implement the peace process to avoid disappointment, that could jeopardize the acceptance of the peace treaty."

The DKFI is to provide expertise on important questions of peace research, the management and memory of the past, the prevention of conflicts and the shaping of a peaceful society. The University of Giessen administers and manages the project; The Freie Universität Berlin, the Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research are also involved, as well as the University of Freiburg as an Associated Member.