Read a summary of this teleconference.

A Situation Briefing teleconference on the prospect of peace between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Colombian voters rejected the peace deal President Juan Manuel Santos struck with FARC rebels on October 3, 2016. After nearly four years of negotiations, the accord needed to be ratified by a majority of Colombians in order to come into force. In an attempt to salvage the deal, the ceasefire between Colombian forces and the rebels has been extended to the end of the year. Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize less than a week after the peace deal was rejected, said he remains committed to reaching an accord with the rebels. Opposition leaders, including ex-President Álvaro Uribe, say the original deal failed to sufficiently punish FARC for human rights abuses, and that the rebels should not be allocated seats in Congress. On November 24 the Colombian government and the rebel group signed a new peace agreement, but opposition groups say the deal still does not go far enough.

How committed are the rebels to the peace process, and how will the government accommodate the concerns of those who rejected the original deal?

Listen to the full conversation below:

Featuring:

Ms. Katja Newman, Founder and President, KSN Consulting, Inc.

Ms. Katja Newman is founder and president of KSN Consulting, Inc. Ms. Newman specializes in helping companies in the agribusiness, energy, information technology, retail, and telecommunications sectors maximize business opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Read more.

Dr. Abbey Steele, Professor, Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam

Dr. Abbey Steele is a professor of social and behavioural sciences in the Political Economy and Transnational Governance program at the University of Amsterdam. Read more.

Moderator:

Dr. DJ Peterson, President, Longview Global Advisors

Dr. DJ Peterson previously served as a political scientist at the RAND Corporation. Read more.