Backgrounder - Canadian leadership in supporting Colombia’s efforts in improving peace and stability

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the following initiatives aimed at strengthening Canada’s ties with the Americas, highlighting Canadian leadership in supporting Colombia’s efforts in improving peace and stability.

Support for Colombia’s Peace Efforts

Canada is supporting Colombia’s efforts to delivery transitional justice, promote and protect the rights of victims of the conflict, and enhance security and stability. Specific projects with government, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral bodies currently under consideration include support for conflict prevention, community reconciliation efforts, and activities to increase attention to the rights of victims.

Transitional justice refers to the judicial and non-judicial processes used to confront the legacy of conflict and achieve an overall sense of justice, reconciliation and trust. Canada announced $5 million, through the Global Peace and Security Fund, in 2007/08 – a substantial increase on previous funding of $3.6 million provided between 2005 and 2007. 

Child Protection

Colombia is developing its own child-protection framework, using a model recently developed by Canada through consultation with local and international non-governmental organizations and other donors. To assist the Colombian government in implementing its new framework, Canada is providing funding to increase the capacity of public authorities at the national, regional and local levels to develop programs and policies that protect children.

This $1.2 million project, provided through UNICEF and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), will provide training to 6,000 civil servants in effectively implementing the new law; a program to prevent the recruitment of children into illegal armed groups, which will benefit 5,000 children; and psychosocial support for 6000 children to mitigate the effects of conflict.

Education and protection to children affected by violence in Colombia and Haiti

Canada will help improve the quality of formal and informal education for up to 60,000 children in Colombia and Haiti. This program will contribute to achieving the goal of education for all children in conflict-affected areas with high numbers of internally displaced people. Working closely with the Colombian Ministry of Education at the national and municipal levels, the program will create transparent and equitable options for financing education.

Canada has allocated approximately $740,000 for Colombia, as part of a $1.6 million package, through CIDA, for Save the Children Canada. 

Support for internally displaced people

Colombia has the third highest rate of internally displaced people in the world – about 3 million people, of which almost half are children and youth, according to estimates by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). To help the Colombian government in developing programs to assist internally displaced people, Canada has provided $2.8 million, through CIDA, which will provide access to basic social services for 350,000 people. 

This UNHCR project will build the capacity of the Colombian government at the national, regional and local levels to develop policies and programs to meet the needs of internally displaced persons. Basic social services will include education, health, housing and income generation for over 350,000 internally displaced persons in Colombia. The program will also assist internally displaced persons in integrating into host communities or facilitate their eventual return to their homes.

Colombian Integral Rehabilitation Centre

Canada continues to demonstrate leadership in the area of landmines through long-standing programs with OAS, UNICEF and other partners. Canada’s contribution will enable the Colombian Integral Rehabilitation Centre (CIREC) to establish a rehabilitation centre for landmine victims in Nariño, one of Colombia’s most affected provinces, near the Ecuador border.

This contribution ($100,000, through CIDA) will help provide medical services, physical and occupational therapy, psychological support and prostheses to landmine survivors. About one in four land mine survivors treated by the CIREC are children.

International Program for Professional Labour Administration

To help Colombia strengthen and enforce its labour legislation; adhere to international labour standards; modernize labour administration (government ministries and the justice system; facilitate national dialogue on labour rights and policies; enhance national occupational health and safety standards; and facilitate social dialogue between the labour ministry, employers and unions; Canada is providing specific funding ($1 million) as part of a total of $8.5 million package for the development of projects in the Andean, Central American and Caribbean regions.

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