¡°Mediation serves as a bridge from ¡°the logic of the warrior¡± to a shared vision for a country¡±, Juanita Mill¨¢n - Expert in the Â鶹APP Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers
As the only female member of Colombia's government security forces to take part in peace talks in her country - and later, after joining the UN, serving as an expert in Libya, Sudan, Ukraine, and other conflict settings - Juanita Mill¨¢n Hernandez brings a deeply informed perspective to high-stakes ceasefire negotiations.
Question: What drew you into this work and what does mediation mean to you personally?
Juanita Mill¨¢n: My journey into mediation began with a desire to serve, deeply rooted in my childhood in the Colombian countryside and inspired by the example of my parents. This commitment was sharpened by a powerful reality check during my Political Science studies at Javeriana University.
As a volunteer in the Magdalena Medio region in the 2000s, I witnessed the devastating impact of displacement, which transformed my interest in understanding armed conflict from a theoretical pursuit into a mission, one aimed at breaking the cycle of violence among Colombians. This mission propelled me to join the Colombian Navy, determined to help end the armed conflict.
My time as a Navy Officer led me to the most pivotal chapter of my life: the Havana Peace Talks (UN supported negotiations from 2012-to 2016) (). As the only woman from the security forces on the Government¡¯s negotiating team, I transitioned from analyzing conflict into actively shaping its resolution. I worked on the sub-commission, responsible for developing the ceasefire, the disarmament process, and the Tripartite Monitoring and Verification Mechanism.
I was also privileged to be part of the Gender Sub-commission, ensuring the peace agreement addressed the distinct needs of both men and women. These experiences taught me that peace is not merely an aspiration; it is a carefully constructed technical and human framework.
Question: What was one of the most complex challenges you encountered and how did you overcome it?
Juanita Mill¨¢n: One of the most difficult challenges I faced as part of the government team was negotiating and implementing the Tripartite Ceasefire Monitoring and Verification Mechanism in Colombia. This initiative was unprecedented and was further complicated by the fact that negotiations occurred amidst an ongoing conflict. Building trust with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) representatives while managing public expectations created significant demands on our side.
To address these obstacles, I prepared thoroughly, continued to learn, and practiced active listening to ensure that the interests and needs of the government, civilians, and the FARC were represented, while allowing both teams sufficient time to discuss issues and reach consensus. Balancing complex technical negotiations, longstanding grievances, and efforts to foster mutual trust was essential in helping the technical commission create a credible, reliable, and technically sound monitoring system that was crucial to the ceasefire¡¯s success.
Question: Why does gender-inclusion make peace processes stronger and more sustainable?
Juanita Mill¨¢n: Peace cannot be sustained if it only addresses the needs of those who carried weapons. During the Havana talks, my work on the Gender Sub-commission focused on ensuring the peace agreement was not gender blind. Inclusion strengthens peace processes by bringing previously overlooked security concerns to the forefront. Ignoring these issues can lead to renewed violence, this principle is confirmed in my work with the Â鶹APP wherever I have served.
Whether in Colombia or anywhere else in the world, a peace that includes everyone is a peace everyone will defend. When women are present at the table as security experts, not just as observers, they help transform fragile truces into robust social contracts. Gender-sensitive security arrangements are a necessity, not an accessory.
Omar Nieto, Office of the High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia
Question: How did your presence (or that of other women) change the dynamics of the talks?
Juanita Mill¨¢n: Although I was the only woman from the security forces in the Havana talks, many women were present in both delegations and among the Guarantor teams. Women¡¯s participation in the talks reached at least 40%. In the government ceasefire team, I was in a traditional, hyper-masculine ¡®macho¡¯ structure for over two years. Making my voice heard and succeeding in that environment provided me with valuable experience when facing challenges in my current work.
The presence of women from both sides of the conflict, the Government and the FARC, fundamentally changed the dynamic of the talks. Our commitment and persistence resulted in fully integrating a gender perspective with over 120 concrete commitments to women¡¯s rights in the Colombian Peace Agreement and more than 10 specific measures involving both men and women in the ceasefire agreement¡¯s text and protocols, this was unprecedented and a major achievement.
Our presence shifted the negotiation dynamic from an adversarial stance to one of mutual understanding. By employing a 'different approach' focused on listening rather than argumenting, we were able to build consensus. This enabled us to acknowledge opposing views and identify shared goals, like empowering all marginalized groups in the Colombian society.
Question: How have you carried these lessons forward after leaving the Colombian Navy and joining the DPPA Standby Team of Senior Mediaton Advisors (?
Juanita Mill¨¢n: For me, mediation is helping others find their own path in the pursuit of peace, just as we did in Colombia then. Applying the lessons I learned in Havana during my time as Standby Team Adviser to some of the world's most challenging crises, whether advising on cease fires in Libya, Sudan or Ukraine, mediation serves as a bridge from the 'logic of the warrior' to a shared vision for a country. It is rooted in the belief that technical, inclusive, and honest dialogue can fundamentally reshape a nation's future, even after decades of conflict.
In Sudan for example, the meaningful participation of women is not simply a normative requirement; it is a necessity. Women often provide the most accurate information and knowledge regarding how violence affects daily life, including community movement and food security. These insights are essential for designing ceasefires that are truly effective, as they may be missed by military commanders.
Likewise, in supporting the Libyan-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism (), I emphasized the importance of inclusive security arrangements for credibility. Excluding women from monitoring and verification structures means half the population cannot report violations, which leaves significant gaps in the peace architecture.
Question: What are the biggest misconceptions about mediation work?
Juanita Mill¨¢n: In my experience, one of the biggest misconceptions is that the mediator or the mediation team should lead the entire process. From my point of view, the mediation team should be accompanying the conflict parties through the process, providing creative methodologies, options, back-channeling, and logistics, but the content, the decisions, and the timing should be owned by the conflict parties. We are there to support, not to take over the negotiation.
Another big misconception is that the most important work happens inside the negotiation room; in my opinion, that is not entirely correct. Most of the heavy lifting in a negotiation process happens outside the main room within the technical teams and on the ground with civil society.
Finally, there is the misconception that mediation concludes when the pens hit the paper. Many people believe the signing ceremony marks the end of the process, but in reality, the signing is just the beginning. The hardest work lies in implementing the agreements. Mediation is a continuous, often quiet effort that persists long after the cameras have left the conflict zones.