Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to encourage the Colombian Government to provide additional support for indigenous people in that country who live in extreme poverty.

UK ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern, with the Colombian Government. At the UN Security Council meeting on Colombia in April, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon raised our concerns for indigenous communities that continue to be disproportionately affected by violence, displacement and confinement. We look to the Colombian Government to further integrate its presence in conflict-affected areas, and strengthen the institutions that can investigate and prosecute the criminal actors responsible.

To date, we have spent over £69 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and improve stability and security. Our funding is supporting the Colombian Government's rural development and reintegration programmes, transitional justice mechanisms, and strengthening the security and participation of indigenous communities in conflict-affected areas.