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Colombia

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Last reviewed: 02 June 2009

Country information

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Relations with Neighbours

Colombia's relations with other countries in Latin America are generally good. An unresolved territorial dispute persists with Venezuela, as does an island dispute with Nicaragua, though these are not impacting significantly on bilateral relations. Relations with Ecuador remain frosty, following a Colombian Army incursion into Ecuadorean territory in March 2008 to kill a leading FARC operative. All of Colombia's neighbours suffer from the overspill of the drugs problem.

Relations with the International Community

Colombia has strong economic relations with the US, EU and support from the International Community in its peace processes. The UN maintains a large presence in Bogotá dealing with human rights, displacement, drugs and crime, health and labour issues.

The US provides considerable financial assistance to Colombia's security and counter-narcotics policies through 'Plan Colombia'. The Organisation of American States (OAS) provided monitoring support for the process of paramilitary demobilisation, and the conduct of elections.

Relations with the UK

UK Policy and Assistance towards Colombia

Under the Presidency of Alvaro Uribe, Colombia has made significant progress, with reduced levels of violence, and a prosperous economy – but the challenges remain huge. The internal conflict in Colombia, fuelled by the illegal drugs trade, continues to cause high levels of violence, murder, kidnappings and human rights abuses.

The UK is helping President Uribe’s government with the essential tasks of working for lasting peace in Colombia, tackling the narco-traffickers, and ensuring that the basic human rights of all Colombians are respected. We welcome the political commitment the Colombian Government is devoting to tackling the serious problems the country faces. But we remain concerned about the level of human rights abuses. We express our concerns on human rights frankly and often with our Colombian counterparts, both bilaterally and with EU partners.

On 30 March the Foreign Secretary issued a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament, outlining changes to the way we deliver our objectives in Colombia.  We believe that these changes will enable us to carry out our programme of assistance to Colombia as effectively as possible.  We will focus on areas of specific concern, such as tackling the flow of drugs from Colombia to the UK, improving the difficult human rights situation, supporting human rights defenders and other members of civil society, and addressing the on-going problem of impunity in the criminal justice system. 

Human Rights

The human rights situation in Colombia continues to cause significant concern. Ordinary Colombians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. A wide range of Colombians, including human rights defenders, trade unionists, journalists, teachers and indigenous communities, continue to be the target of threats, intimidation, kidnappings, murders and forced displacement.

The UK’s constructive but not uncritical relationship with the Colombian government enables us to raise our concerns frankly.  FCO Minister Gillian Merron met the Colombian Vice President, Foreign Minister and Ambassador several times in 2008, and raised various human rights concerns, including the on-going problem of abuses committed by members of the Colombian Armed Forces.  The Foreign Secretary raised human rights during his meeting with President Uribe in the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2007, and with the Colombian Foreign Minister in October 2008 and May 2009. 

For further details please see the statements issued by FCO Ministers about Colombia in 2008.

FCO Minister Gillian Merron’s speech on human rights in Colombia, 11 May 2009.

We frequently raise, and follow up on, individual human rights cases of particular concern at the highest level and regularly remind the Colombian government of its human rights obligations. We make a point of showing visible support, both bilaterally and with EU and international partners, to non governmental organisations (NGOs) which have been threatened by illegal armed groups, by visiting their offices and communities under threat. We also reinforce the message with the authorities at a local and national level that they must properly protect those under threat and thoroughly investigate acts of intimidation and violence.

In October 2008 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Navi Pillay, visited Colombia.  She discovered “persistent and deeply entrenched human rights challenges”, but remarked on the Government’s progress in tackling some of these challenges.  We agree with successive reports of the Office of the UNHCHR that most human rights abuses are committed by illegal armed groups.  However, some parts of the Colombian Armed Forces continue to be implicated in human rights abuses. We have made it plain to the Colombian government that all human rights abuses must be dealt with, regardless of who commits them. We strongly support the work of the UN to help tackle human rights issues. We regularly urge the Colombian government to implement all outstanding UN human rights recommendations, and we fund a number of projects to strengthen this process.  These aim to provide the Colombian government and civil society with the tools to systematically address the human rights situation.

In December 2008 Colombia underwent a Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva  – a process undergone by all UN Member States.  The UK, working with civil society organisations, compiled a list of questions and recommendations that we delivered to Colombia in advance of the Review. Our recommendations, which were adopted in full by Colombia, focused on the role of civil society organisations in Colombia, and their relationship with the Colombian Government; the activities of illegal armed groups; internal displacement and poverty; and human rights abuses attributed to Colombia’s armed forces. 

A fuller assessment of the human rights situation in Colombia can be found in the 2008 FCO Human Rights report.

Drugs

The drug trade fuels the armed conflict in Colombia, contributing directly to gross violations of human rights, significant environmental damage and untold misery in Colombia, the UK and elsewhere. Much of the cocaine sold on UK streets is produced in Colombia.

Specific Areas of UK Assistance

Click here for a full schedule of UK projects on-going in Colombia - Colombia: UK Project Activity Report 2009-10 [new window, 40.5KB].

Counter-Narcotics Assistance

We are determined to reduce the damage caused by illegal drugs to people in both the UK and Colombia, and will continue with our effective and important work in this area.  Cocaine has a damaging impact on UK communities.  Much of this cocaine comes from Colombia. 

The UK works in Colombia, and indeed elsewhere in Latin America, to help put the narco-traffickers in jail, seize shipments of cocaine destined for the UK and other markets, and seize the proceeds of these crimes.  This is vital work, strictly controlled and in the UK’s clear national interests, that we must continue.  It is also very dangerous work, and discussing publicly any aspect of it, including its cost, risks putting the lives of British and Colombian staff in danger. 

Alongside this work, we have also provided over £900,000 to support projects through the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.

Impunity

The problem of impunity in Colombia remains one of particular concern.  Those guilty of human rights and other crimes often do not receive justice for their actions, which in turn provides no deterrent for those considering committing criminal acts.  We have therefore allocated £250,000 for projects focused on helping to strengthen the Colombian judicial system. 

Human Rights Assistance

We will provide over £1,000,000 over the next few years for project work focusing on human rights.  Our particular emphasis will be on strengthening civil society, promoting freedom of expression and other democratic standards, and supporting the vital work of human rights organisations.  We also continue to work with the Trades Union Congress to look at opportunities to strengthen labour relations in Colombia.  I attach a list of our ongoing projects.

The UK’s bilateral human rights project - high-level strategic advice and workshops for trainers and senior Colombian defence officers on international humanitarian law, rules of engagement and the embedding of civilian defence management with the Colombian Armed Forces - has ceased.  We have achieved our objective of helping the Colombian government develop a roadmap to promote their military’s adherence to international humanitarian law.  We have also strongly criticised the Colombian military’s involvement in abuses, and the challenge for them now is to ensure that their soldiers adhere consistently to international humanitarian law.  We will continue to contribute where we can to international and United Nations work to help the Colombian Armed Forces adhere consistently to human rights norms and values. 

De-mining Assistance

A recent report by the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that Colombia remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Our engagement on humanitarian demining in Colombia is being integrated alongside international governmental and non-governmental partners. 

DFID assistance

Through DfID, the UK channels most of its development assistance via international organisations, primarily the UN, the EU, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and international NGOs. DfID’s regional assistance programme for Latin America is supporting the 2 largest donors, the IADB and the World Bank, to improve the effectiveness of their programmes in the region. The UK provides a significant percentage of the European Commission’s aid programme to Colombia, which in 2007-11 will total €104m in funding, with another €56m in 2011-13. Priority areas are: peace and stability, including alternative development (70%); rule of law, justice and human rights (20%); and productivity, competition and trade (10%).

In addition, DfID provides grants to a number of international NGOs who are active in Colombia (£13 million for the Latin America region). DfID’s Civil Society Challenge Fund also supports four individual projects working with communities affected by violence.

Cultural and Educational Relations with the UK

The British Council has had a centre in Bogotá since 1940 and has an active cultural relations programme. It works in three areas:
  • Intercultural understanding and positive change
  • The UK's creative and knowledge economy
  • Climate security

It has been involved in projects aimed at supporting the peace process, good governance and conflict resolution initiatives in Colombia, in which UK experience has been carefully tailored to local needs.

It is a leading provider of educational and cultural services in Colombia. In addition to having its largest language teaching operation in Latin America based in Colombia, it has been lead consultant for the Colombian Ministry of Education and Local Education Authorities in a major government initiative to improve language teaching and learning in schools: Colombia Bilingue. The British Council actively supports PM12 promoting educational opportunities in the UK for Colombian students and supporting a network of private educational consultants.

Through its series of cultural events, the Council projects the UK's creativity, cultural diversity and encourages a greater awareness of the UK. Major recent projects have included Hay Festival Cartagena, Dance workshops for non-disabled and disabled dancers supported by the UK Dance group CanDoCo and managing the UK’s contribution as Country of Honour at the 2008 Bogotá International Theatre Festival.

British Council, Colombia

Recent Inward Visits

February 2003 Foreign Minister Carolina Barco
July 2004 President of the Senate, German Vargas Lleras
February 2005 Vice Minister of Defence Andres Penate
13–14 July 2005 President Alvaro Uribe
28 November 2005 Vice-President Francisco Santos
November 2006 Vice-President Francisco Santos
January 2007 Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo
February 2007 Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos
May 2008 Vice-President Francisco Santos
October 2008 Vice President Francisco Santos
October 2008 Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez
May 2009 Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez

Recent Outward Visits

September 2003 British MPs from the Inter-Parliamentary Union
September 2004 Richard Allen MP, as Chair of the All-Party Group for Colombia
February 2005 Bill Rammell MP, as FCO Minister of State
August 2006 Kim Howell MP, as FCO Minister of State
September 2006 Lord Triesman, as FCO Minister of State
October 2006 Kim Howells MP, as FCO Minister of State
November 2007 Kim Howells MP, as FCO Minister of State
December 2008 Sir Peter Ricketts, as head of the Diplomatic Service
May 2009 Alan Campbell MP, as Home Office Minister of State for Crime Reduction
May 2009 Gillian Merron MP, as FCO Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

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