The COVID-19 crisis has profoundly impacted the efforts to build and sustain peace. In many countries, the implementation of peace agreements has been curtailed, interrupted, or delayed.

In Colombia, the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the implementation of the peace agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC). Women peacebuilders shared with GNWP that the pandemic has been used as an excuse to divert funding away from the peace agreement implementation, including the transitional justice institutions; Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz, JEP) and the Clarity and Truth Commission (Comisión de Esclarecimiento de la Verdad, CEV). In the Philippines, in 2018, the adoption of the Bangsamoro Organic Law led to the formation of the transitional government with regional administrative capacity. It gave women and youth peacebuilders an outstanding opportunity to participate in the formation of the regional government that is anchored on the vision of long-lasting peace. Despite some challenges, it was able to form its parliament as well as the executive office –including a Women’s Commission. The implementation of the peace agreement was well on its way—the institution building, the policy-making – but this came to an abrupt stop because of the COVID-19 crisis. Several aspects of the peace agreement have been delayed, including the reintegration process of thousands of MILF ex-combatants, and the development of a gender-responsive electoral code. The demobilization of the combatants has also been rendered more difficult as it delayed the delivery of the expected “dividend" or benefit of peace.

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