Inter-Parliamentary Letter in Support of the Colombia Peace Process

13th May 2014, Washington, London, Dublin and Belfast
 
NEGOTIATING COMMITTEES, HAVANA

Dear Members of the Negotiating Table,

We, the undersigned elected representatives, write to express our support for the Colombian peace process currently taking place in Havana, Cuba.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for having entered into negotiations and initiating a process that we hope reaches a successful conclusion of peace with social justice leading to the end of Colombia’s almost 50 year armed conflict. We congratulate both sides on the historic agreements made so far and recognise the commitment of both sides to staying at the negotiating table and encourage you to stay there until a final agreement has been made.

It is our firm belief that the only route to bring an effective and long-lasting peace to Colombia is through dialogue and compromise and we urge both parties to continue in this momentous endeavour regardless of the future difficulties that may arise.

We encourage you to consider the possibility of a ceasefire and to take the necessary measures to minimise the humanitarian cost of the conflict and guarantee the safety of civil society. We applaud
the efforts made to include the views of civil society and we hope that this participation will be deepened and extended as the process continues. As politicians, some of whom have been involved in other peace processes, we are firmly committed to supporting the peace talks.

We will continue to increase awareness of the talks, and offer our experiences, to emphasise the extremely positive achievements that have been made so far by both sides, to ensure the international community puts its full weight behind the peace process.

Yours sincerely,

Members of the Congress of the United States:
Earl Blumenauerm Member of Congress (D), Suzanne Bonamici Member of Congress (D), Julia Brownley Member of Congress (D), Michael E. Capuano Member of Congress (D), Tony Cárdenas
Member of Congress (D), Matt Cartwright Member of Congress (D), Judy Chu Member of Congress (D), Katherine Clark Member of Congress (D), Emanuel Cleaver II Member of Congress (D), Steve
Cohen Member of Congress (D), John Conyers, Jr. Member of Congress (D), Danny K. Davis Member of Congress (D), Rosa L. DeLauro Member of Congress (D), Lloyd Doggett Member of Congress (D), Donna F. Edwards Member of Congress (D), Keith Ellison Member of Congress (D), Elizabeth H. Esty Member of Congress (D), Sam Farr Member of Congress (D), John Garamendi Member of Congress (D), Raúl M. Grijalva Member of Congress (D), Luis V. Gutierrez Member of Congress (D), Michael M. Honda Member of Congress (D), Sheila Jackson Lee Member of Congress (D), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. Member of Congress (D), Marcy Kaptur Member of Congress (D), Barbara Lee Member of Congress (D), John Lewis Member of Congress (D), Stephen F. Lynch Member of Congress (D), Jim McDermott Member of Congress (D), James P. McGovern Member of Congress (D), Gregory W. Meeks Member of Congress (D), Michael H. Michaud Member of Congress (D), George Miller Member of Congress (D), Gwen Moore Member of Congress (D), James P. Moran Member of Congress (D), Richard E. Neal Member of Congress (D), Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress (D), Beto O’Rourke Member of Congress (D), Chellie Pingree Member of Congress (D), Mark Pocan Member of Congress (D), David E. Price Member of Congress (D), Charles B. Rangel Member of Congress (D), Bobby L. Rush Member of Congress (D), Janice D. Schakowsky Member of Congress (D), José E. Serrano Member of Congress (D), Louise McIntosh Slaughter Member of Congress (D), John F. Tierney Member of Congress (D), Maxine Waters Member of Congress (D), Peter Welch Member of Congress (D), John A. Yarmuth Member of Congress (D)

Anne Beg MP (Labour), Joe Benton MP (Labour), Clive Betts MP (Labour), Rt Hon Nick Brown MP (Labour), Lorely Burt MP (Liberal Democrat), Katy Clark MP (Labour), Rt Hon Tom Clarke MP (Labour), Ann Clywd MP (Labour), Elfyn Llywd MP (Plaid Cymru), Michael Connarty MP (Labour), Rosie Cooper MP (Labour), John Cryer MP (Labour), Alex Cunningham MP (Labour), Jim Cunningham MP (Labour), Ian Davidson MP (Labour), Jim Dobbin MP (Labour), Rt Hon Frank Dobson MP (Labour), Nigel Dodds MP (Democrat Unionist Party), Pat Doherty MP (Sinn Fein), Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP (Democrat Unionist Party), Brian Donohoe MP (Labour), Frank Doran MP (Labour), Mark Durkan MP (SDLP), Jonathan Edwards MP (Labour), Natascha Engel MP (Labour), Paul Farrelly MP (Labour), Jim Fitzpatrick MP (Labour), Rob Flello MP (Labour), Paul Flynn MP (Labour), Mike Gapes MP (Labour), Michelle Gildernew MP (Sinn Fein), Andrew Gwynne MP (Labour), Mike Hancock MP CBE (Independent Liberal Democrat), Fabian Hamilton MP (Labour), Dai Havard MP (Labour), Jimmy Hood MP (Labour), Kelvin Hopkins MP (Labour), Martin Horwood MP (Liberal Democrat), Rt Hon George Howarth MP (Labour), Glenda Jackson MP CBE (Labour), Siân James MP (Labour), Graham Jones MP (Labour), Eric Joyce MP (Independent), Rt Hon Sir Gerald Kaufman MP (Labour), Ian Lavery MP (Labour), Jeremy Lefroy MP (Conservative), Naomi Long MP (Alliance), Andy Love MP (Labour), Caroline Lucas MP (Green Party), Paul Maskey MP (Sinn Fein), Graeme Morrice MP (Labour), John McDonnell MP (Labour), Alasdair McDonnell MP (SDLP), Jim McGovern MP (Labour), Ann McKechin MP (Labour), Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP (Labour), Sir Alan Meale MP (Labour), Ian Mearns MP (Labour), Francie Malloy MP (Sinn Fein), Madeleine Moon MP (Labour), Grahame Morris MP (Labour), George Mudie MP (Labour), Conor Murphy MP (Sinn Fein), Sandra Osborne MP (Labour), Stephen Pound MP (Labour), Linda Riordan MP (Labour), Margaret Ritchie MP (SDLP), John Robertson MP (Labour), Angus Robertson MP (Democrat Unionist Party), Laurence Robertson MP (Conservative), Frank Roy MP (Labour), Jim Shannon MP (Democrat Unionist Party), Jim Sheridan MP
(Labour), Gary Streeter MP (Conservative), Graham Stringer MP (Labour), Gerry Sutcliffe MP (Labour), John Thurso MP (Liberal Democrat), Derek Twigg MP (Labour), Valerie Vaz MP (Labour),  Charles Walker MP (Conservative), Tom Watson MP (Labour), Dave Watts MP (Labour), Mike Wood MP (Labour), David Wright MP (Labour)

Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas of the Republic of Ireland:
Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Fein), Ivana Bacik TD (Labour), Joan Burton TD (Deputy Leader, Labour Party), Eric Byrne TD (Labour), Joan Collins TD (People Before Profit), Michael Colreavy TD (Sinn Fein),
Michael Conaghan TD (Labour), Ciara Cornway TD (Labour), Joe Costello TD (Labour), Seán Crowe TD (Sinn Fein), Clare Daly TD (Independent), Stephen Donnelly TD (Independent), Pearse Doherty TD
(Sinn Fein), Robert Dowds TD (Labour), Dessie Ellis TD (Sinn Fein), Martin Ferris TD (Sinn Fein), Anne Ferris TD (Labour), Eamon Gilmore TD (Leader, Labour Party), Senator John Gilroy (Labour), John
Halligan TD (Independent), Dominic Hannigan TD (Labour), Senator Jimmy Harte (Labour), Senator Aideen Hayden (Labour), Joe Higgins TD (Socialist Party), Senator Lorraine Higgins (Labour), Brendan
Howlin TD (Labour), Kevin Humphreys TD (Labour), Alan Kelly TD (Labour), Senator John Kelly (Labour), Seán Kenny TD (Labour), Senator Denis Landy (Labour), Anthony Lawlor TD (Fine Gael),
Ciarán Lynch TD (Labour), Kathleen Lynch TD (Labour), John Lyons TD (Labour), Padraig Mac Lochlainn TD (Sinn Fein), Eamonn Maloney TD (Labour), Mary McDonald TD (Sinn Fein), Finian
McGrath TD (Independent), Sandra McLellan TD (Sinn Fein), Michael McCarthy TD (Labour), Senator Marie Moloney (Labour), Senator Mary Moran (Labour), Senator Michael Mullins (Fine Gael),
Catherine Murphy TD (Independent), Gerald Nash TD (Labour), Denis Naughten TD (Independent), Derek Nolan TD (Labour), Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD (Sinn Fein), Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Sinn Fein), Jonathan O’Brien TD (Sinn Fein), Senator Susan O’Keeffe (Labour), Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD (Labour), Maureen O’Sullivan TD (Independent), Jan O’Sullivan TD (Labour), Willie Penrose TD (Labour), Ann
Phelan TD (Labour), Thomas Pringle TD (Independent), Senator Averil Power (Fianna Fáil), Ruairi Quinn TD (Labour), Pat Rabbitte TD (Labour), Brendan Ryan TD (Labour), Sean Sherlock TD (Labour),
Brendan Smith TD (Fianna Fáil), Arthur Spring TD (Labour), Emmet Stagg TD (Labour), Brian Stanley TD (Sinn Fein), Peadar Tóibín TD (Sinn Fein), Joanna Tuffy TD (Labour), Jack Wall TD (Labour), Mick
Wallace TD (Independent), Senator John Whelan (Labour), Alex White TD (Labour)

Members of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland:
Cathal Boylan MLA (Sinn Fein), Michaela Boyle MLA (Sinn Fein), Mickey Brady MLA (Sinn Fein), Stewart Dickson MLA (Alliance), Sammy Douglas MLA (DUP), Colum Eastwood MLA (SDLP), Megan
Fearon MLA (Sinn Fein), Phil Flanagan MLA (Sinn Fein), Brenda Hale MLA (DUP), Chris Hazzard MLA (Sinn Fein), Gerry Kelly MLA (Sinn Fein), Seán Lynch MLA (Sinn Fein), Chris Lyttle MLA (Alliance), Alex
Maskey MLA (Sinn Fein), Declan McAleer MLA (Sinn Fein), John McCallister MLA (Unionist NI21), Fra McCann MLA (Sinn Fein), Jennifer McCann MLA (Sinn Fein), Raymond McCartney MLA (Sinn Fein),
Rosie McCorley MLA (Sinn Fein), Basil McCrea MLA (Unionist NI21), Barry McElduff MLA (Sinn Fein), Bronwyn McGahan MLA (Sinn Fein), Patsy McGlone MLA (SDLP), Martin McGuiness MLA (Sinn Fein),
Daithí McKay MLA (Sinn Fein), Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Sinn Fein), Maeve McLaughlin MLA (Sinn Fein), Oliver McMullan MLA (Sinn Fein), Ian Milne MLA (Sinn Fein), Carál Ní Chuilín MLA (Sinn Fein),
John O’Dowd MLA (Sinn Fein), Cathal Ó hOisín MLA (Sinn Fein), Michelle O’Neill MLA (Sinn Fein), Pat Ramsey MLA (SDLP), Sue Ramsey MLA (Sinn Fein), Caitríona Ruane MLA (Sinn Fein), Pat Sheehan
MLA (Sinn Fein)

Click here for the letter in electronic format.

Click here for the letter in spanish.