The price of peace - lessons from Colombia, questions for Ukraine

We hosted a joint event with Gray's Inn on 23 October 2026. 

It's almost 10 years ago that Colombia signed a historic peace agreement after 52 years of conflict. President Santos was instrumental in bringing the Peace Accord to fruition in 2016. Ukraine faces a profoundly different conflict today with immense human suffering and allegations of international crimes. The two conflicts are not equivalent but to mark the 10 years of peace in Colombia and 5 years of war between Ukraine and Russia, we gathered more than 50 people together in London, including lawyers and judges, to reflect on how to create and sustain peace.

Chair of the Bar Kirsty Brimelow KC was joined by Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia, and Orysia Lutsevych OBE, Deputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme and Head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House. They discussed the historic 2016 peace accord, the pillars of transitional justice and the lessons learned.