THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN CONFLICTS: PEACE PROCESS NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE FARC-EP

Margarita María Bautista Martínez
PhD Candidate, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, margaritamaria.bautista@gmail.com

Abstract
This research paper aims to study the role of international cooperation within the context of conflict, humanitarian aid, or emergencies during the current Peace Process initiated in 2012 between the Colombian National Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC- EP). The study takes into account that, for both parties involved, international cooperation is defined as a necessary condition for overcoming the Colombian armed conflict because during the negotiations and the peace agreements, it has generated significant impact within all social sectors and, in particular, to the direct actors involved in the conflict.

The importance of encouraging the Peace Process’ visibility at the international level in order to secure support from the international community arose at the beginning of the negotiating tables. Although access to economic resources was essential, getting technical and even diplomatic support from other nation states and international organizations was equally imperative since, inasmuch as there were more international actors supporting peace, internally, negotiations would be strengthened and confidence would be given to the Colombian people. In the same way, external actors would contribute knowledge from other negotiation processes, accompany the Peace Process, and guarantee it both in negotiation and post-agreement.

The International Cooperation on which we will focus during this research includes the political, financial and technical cooperation, from public resources and public actors, issued by regional and local authorities from donor countries and international governmental organizations.

In this way, we intend to summarize and analyze the issue in order to identify whether or not cooperation contributes to creating conditions that affirm the Peace Process or, on the contrary, if international cooperation has been peripheral to the process.

Keywords: Colombian armed conflict, international cooperation, peace process, negotiations, post-agreements.