To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the government of Colombia to protect those defending human rights; and how they are helping the government of Colombia to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of crimes against those defending human rights.
Answered on
30 October 2017
Working together to improve respect for human rights is a key part of our relationship with the Colombian Government and civil society. The Prime Minister raised the issue of violence against human rights defenders with President Santos during the State Visit last November. At a practical level, our Ambassador to Colombia is a member of the group "Ambassadors with Defenders" which promotes the work of human rights defenders and raises concerns about specific cases with the Colombian Government. Through the Global Britain Fund, our Embassy in Bogota supports projects that promote the role of human rights defenders and strengthen the investigatory capacity of the Public Prosecutor’s office. In January, British Embassy staff in Bogota took part in a visit to South Bolivar, where local community leaders have voiced concerns about their security. As a result of this visit, the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Human rights committed to request the Colombian Ministry of Defence to provide additional security measures for community leaders.