Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there have been any civil society dialogue meetings with Colombia under the UK-Andean countries trade agreement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Officials met with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, within the framework of the first UK-Andean Civil Society Dialogue on Trade and Sustainable Development on 18 July 2023. The event was open to the public and attended by representatives from each partner’s civil society, including the domestic advisory groups established under the UK-Andean Countries Trade Agreement. This was a helpful step in the implementation of the Trade and Sustainable Development commitments.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which civil society organisations she is consulting in the civil society dialogue meetings with Colombia under the UK-Andean countries trade agreement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Civil Society Dialogue between the UK and Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – held on 18 July 2023 - was attended by representatives from the domestic advisory groups of the parties and open to the public. The UK’s Trade and Sustainable Development Domestic Advisory Group consists of 12 member organisations, representing a broad range of labour and environmental stakeholders including businesses, trade unions and academia.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of coca substitution programmes in Colombia on levels of (a) coca production and (b) alternative economic opportunities for local coca growers in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Colombia remains one of the largest producers of coca, which continues to fuel violence in some areas of the country as illegal armed groups fight for control of territory. We commend the Colombian Government's commitment to tackling the root causes of insecurity and to developing sustainable livelihoods for those living in conflict-affected areas. We remain committed to working with Colombia and international partners, including through our contribution to a multi-donor $2 million project for crop substitution and food security.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department (a) is providing and (b) plans to provide support to Colombia to help enable (i) structural reform of the National Police, (ii) a review of the protocols for the use of force and weapons and (iii) greater protection for the right to peaceful assembly.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Whilst structural reform and internal reviews are a matter for the Colombian Government, we are clear that we support the right of all Colombians to protest peacefully, and that the right to peaceful assembly and association must be guaranteed. Through the Conflict, Security, and Stabilisation Fund (CSSF) in Colombia, the UK launched a three year, £2.1 million Police Innovations for Stabilisation in Colombia Programme (SCIP) in 2020, which is helping the transformation of the Colombian National Police. The SCIP aims to contribute to the modernisation of the police service by scaling up and improving police practices with a preventive approach, focusing on i) building links and trust with communities to improve relations and reduce conflict; ii) putting human rights first when managing social tensions and preventing violence; iii) developing and implementing strategies for tackling and preventing gender-based violence.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with their counterparts in Colombia on the adoption of collective and comprehensive protection measures for communities experiencing violence by armed groups in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During his visit to Colombia last May, the Foreign Secretary met with the Colombian Foreign Minister to discuss our ongoing support to peace and security in Colombia. Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), which has committed £79 million since 2015, the UK is helping the Colombian Government to strengthen the institutional capacity of the National Protection Unit and civil society organisations involved in the security and participation of communities in conflict-affected areas.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has provided (a) financial and (b) technical assistance to the (i) police and (ii) military in Colombia in the last 12 months.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since 2015, the UK has committed £79 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the peace process and improve stability and security in Colombia. As part of the CSSF funding in Colombia, the UK launched a three year, £2.1 million Police Innovations for Stabilisation in Colombia Programme (SCIP) in 2020, which is helping the transformation of the Colombian National Police.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps with international counterparts to help tackle gender-based violence in Colombia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in Colombia. The UK has provided support to the development of Colombia's first WPS National Action Plan through co-funding consultation workshops with women's rights organisations across the country. We will continue to collaborate with the Colombian government to support implementation.
Colombia is also a FCDO Human Rights Priority country and focus country for the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Strategy. The Colombian Government is a vice-chair of the UK-founded International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. At the UN Security Council, we consistently highlight gender issues related to the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is providing support to Colombia's recently established Ministry of Equality and Equity.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the creation of the Ministry for Equality and stand ready to further support the Vice President, in her capacity of Minister for Equality, and her Vice Ministers, as the new Ministry takes shape. During her visit to Colombia in April, the UK's Global Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, met with Colombia's Presidential Counsellor for Women's Equality to discuss advancing the rights of women and girls. Since 2015, the UK has committed £79 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the peace process and improve stability and security in Colombia.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to support the adoption of a national action plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in Colombia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in Colombia. The UK has provided support to the development of Colombia's first WPS National Action Plan through co-funding consultation workshops with women's rights organisations across the country. We will continue to collaborate with the Colombian government to support implementation.
Colombia is also a FCDO Human Rights Priority country and focus country for the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Strategy. The Colombian Government is a vice-chair of the UK-founded International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. At the UN Security Council, we consistently highlight gender issues related to the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) Colombian and (b) Mexican counterpart on the recent Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During his visit to Colombia last May, the Foreign Secretary met with the Colombian Foreign Minister to discuss our ongoing support to peace and security in Colombia, which includes helping to tackle serious organised crime. Whilst the Foreign Secretary did not specifically discuss this conference with his counterparts in Colombia and Mexico, we continue to work bilaterally with international partners to disrupt the narcotics supply chains that feed European and UK markets. HMG officials from our Embassy in Bogotá attended the conference and we are firmly committed to our international obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.