The All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG) held this meeting to examine current political trends and human rights concerns in Colombia.
The meeting featured the following speakers, both of whom have received threats and attacks for their work defending human rights in Colombia:
- Father Alberto Franco, Executive Secretary of the human rights NGO Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission (CIJP)
- Jani Silva, a community leader from Putumayo department of southern Colombia.
The main points raised during the meeting were:
- There has been an increasing number of threats against human rights defenders (HRDs) in recent months. From January to March 2016, 19 HRDs were killed.
- 63% of attacks are attributed to paramilitary groups, which are still active in many areas such as Putumayo. Prospects for peace in Colombia are poor unless these groups can be dismantled.
- HRDs and community leaders working in support of victims and who have made allegations against officials or companies are particularly vulnerable to attacks. This is because the paramilitaries often have links with state and business officials.
- When there have been advances in the peace process, there have been increased levels of attacks and violence against HRDs and community leaders. As powerful groups in Colombia have benefitted economically from the displacement of people from the land, many wish to preserve these interests.
- In Putumayo, mineral extraction projects have created terrible pollution, particularly the contamination of the water supply. This has major health implications for the communities living in the area.
- UK Parliamentarians are encouraged to press the UK Government to raise concerns about paramilitary violence with their Colombian counterparts.
- The UK Government must also be questioned about its trade and investment practices in Colombia to ensure that British companies are not complicit in human rights abuses. In particular, this can be done with reference to the Foreign Office’s Business and Human Rights Action Plan.
The PHRG campaigns extensively on human rights in Colombia and will continue to follow the peace process diligently in the coming months.