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FOIA 0108-09 COLOMBIA - DIGEST
Glossary
APS Assistant Private Secretary
PS Private Secretary
PUS Permanent Under Secretary
DICD Drugs and International Crime Department
HRDGG Human Rights, Democracy and Governance Group
MOD Ministry of Defence
DHM Deputy Head of Mission
Steering Minute from Head of Andean Section to Dr Kim Howells and Head of South America Team on Dr Howells' visit to Colombia, 29 November - 2 December 2007
YOUR VISIT TO COLOMBIA: 29 NOVEMBER-2 DECEMBER
You are making a short 2 working day visit to Colombia, primarily to attend the Third London-Cartagena G24 conference in Bogota. I attach:
Latest draft programme;
Steering Brief;
Individual speaking notes/briefs for set-piece events;
Background and Declarations agreed at previous G24 meetings (a UK-launched initiative);
Just-published EU Council Conclusions on Colombia;
Latest reporting eGrams from Bogota and Caracas. Information redacted
Press Office has submitted separately on media aspects of your visit.
Signed Head of Andean Section
DR HOWELLS' VISIT TO COLOMBIA - STEERING BRIEF
Your visit comes at an important time. The situation in Colombia continues to be controversial for some civil society and UK Parliamentary actors, with our policy of support often criticised. Your visit enables you to gain an accurate personal update on our multi-dimensional work in Colombia; information redacted; and demonstrate our commitment to addressing the difficult human rights situation.
The G24 conference, the third in the series, will not cure Colombia's problems, nor will it solve on-going difficulties in the relationship between civil society and the Colombian authorities. But it has been an important facilitator of dialogue between government and civil society, information redacted.
Information redacted
Our latest steer is that President Uribe and Foreign Minister Araujo will attend the opening session of the conference, after which they will travel to Ecuador for the inauguration of President Correa's Constituent Assembly. Information redacted.
Information redacted
Your meeting with senior civil society representatives mirrors your meeting with their UK counterparts in the FCO on 12 November. At the latter meeting, NGOs repeated well-known concerns on human rights. Your meeting with them in Bogota enables you, backed up by our Embassy human rights team, to highlight the efforts we are continuing to make on human rights work. James Dauris (DHM)'s reception to meet NGO and Government officials provides a further opportunity to discuss human rights, and reiterate our commitment. You will separately meet the President of the CUT (TUC equivalent), whom you can probe on the situation faced by trade unionists information redacted, as well as reiterate our invitation to Colombian Trade Unionists to visit the UK.
Information redacted
Information redacted
Information redacted
Argentinian Foreign Minister Taiana will address the G24 conference as G24 chair. Information redacted.
South America Team
28 November 2007
Visit programme for Dr Kim Howells to attend G 24 III International Conference
Thursday 29 November 07
20:05 - Arrives from Miami on Flight no: AA 915
Quiet bite to eat with HMA at Residence
Friday 30 November
08:30 Opening of the III International Conference about Colombia.
Mr. Alvaro Uribe Vélez, President of the Republic of Colombia
09:30 Speech by the President of the G-24
Mr. Jorge Enrique Taiana, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Argentina
11:00 Round table meeting with NGOs (8 high profile British and local NGOs ) (Oxfam,
Christian Aid, Peace Brigades Internationl, Save The Children , Plan International,
Fundacion para Libertad dePrensa (FLIP), Equitas, Fundacion Ideas para la Paz (FIP)
(venue: Embassy)
12:00 Lunch
Lunch hosted by the Colombian Government for Ministers and Head of Delegations plus Ambassadors
Venue: Palacio de San Carlos, Salón Bolívar
Dr Howells to respond to Vice President's invitation
SLOT IN PRESS CONFERENCE AT VENUE???
17:40 Meeting with Carlos Rodriguez, President of CUT Venue: DHM's Residence
18:00 Drinks at DHM's Residence to meet NGO and Government officials (Guest list approx 30-40)
20:00 Dinner at Residence guest list (total of 10 - 4 UK side)
Saturday 1 December
SUMAPAZ
07:40 Leave for airport
08:15 Information redacted
09:00 Information redacted
10:00 Walk
12:30 Return
13:30 Information redacted
15:00 Information redacted
17:00 Information redacted
19:30 Dinner with Vice President Santos
Sunday 2 December
08:00 Flight departs for Miami
Briefing for Dr Howells' Meeting With Carlos Rodriquez, President Of The CUT (Colombian TUC Equivalent)
Points to Make
Welcome close cooperation between the CUT and the Embassy. An important demonstration of our continuing support for trade unionists in Colombia;
Welcome your views on the situation faced by your colleagues, and also on your interaction with the Colombian Government, at local and central level. What are the biggest issues? Is protection from the Government appropriate/sufficient?
Information redacted
Welcome upcoming visit of Colombian trade unionists to UK, working with you and TUC. Embassy will be in touch. What would you hope the group to see, and achieve, whilst in UK? Look forward to meeting the group when they visit.
Background
Information redacted. The CUT is the Colombian equivalent of the TUC and carries similar weight. BE Bogota speak regularly with them and are considering further steps to support trade unionists in Colombia, including the possibility of a visit to the UK for Colombian trade unionists. This would be the second such trip by CUT members to the UK funded by the Embassy designed to help unions here learn from UK experience in labour relations and build links with British TUs. This is a priority area of work given the current levels of political interest and concern about the human rights problems faced by union members.
Information redacted
Information redacted
Dr Howells' speaking notes at G24 lunch
Delighted to be here. UK was instrumental in launching this process. We believed then - and we continue to believe - that there must be a proper and structured dialogue between governments, civil society and the international community;
Hope this conference, like the first two before it in London and Cartagena, are a useful stepping stone as Colombia and all its constituents continue to strive for peace, security and prosperity;
Engagement with civil society is never easy. You cannot pick and choose the comments you receive, or who makes them. But history has shown that civil society has an important and legitimate role to play in all countries, especially in Colombia;
The G24 process will have served its purpose when there is a negotiated and peaceful solution to the conflict; when Colombians all over the country no longer live in fear of murder, harassment and kidnapping.
There is still much to do here, including on Human Rights, before the G24 can pack its bags. So we must continue to engage seriously in the process, and demonstrate our commitment when we say we will take the G24's important contribution forward energetically.
The G24 process should not be static. The G24 needs to adapt to changing circumstances if it is to stay relevant. Perhaps that moment is upon us, as senior civil society representatives told me recently that they were frustrated with the process. I hope that we can all consider, both at this conference and afterwards, how the process can continue to add value.
But one constant is clear - and that is the continuing need to engage with civil society at all levels, in our own countries and throughout Colombia.
Civil society do some outstanding work in sometimes difficult and dangerous circumstances. The United Kingdom works closely with, and funds, many of the organisations represented at this meeting, both in Colombia and centrally.
That support will continue, and I hope everyone here continues to do likewise so that civil society continues to make its mark, and promote positive change in Colombia.
Dr Howells' speaking notes for NGO roundtable meeting
Continue to believe that civil society has a crucial role to play in promoting peace, security, human rights and development in Colombia.
Delighted that we are working with all of you here, including on some important projects.
Want to hear your view on the situation in Colombia, and how you think we can best contribute to Colombia's development.
Encouraging that the G24 process we helped to launch is continuing. The Colombian Government, and the international community, need to be talk regularly to civil society, to garner your unique perspective on the key issues. I have recently encouraged senior members of the Colombian Government to engage positively with civil society. Hope G24 in whatever form can evolve into a proper avenue for substantive dialogue.
Colombia, in my view, is moving in the right direction. It is a much safer place than 10 years ago, but there still is hugely worrying levels of oppression, kidnapping and violence.
Colombia remains a very dangerous place for too many people. The human rights situation in Colombia remains complicated, difficult and challenging. I know that this is of utmost concern to you, as it is to us.
On human rights, there is much to do. Killings continue. Trade unionists, human rights defenders, journalists, government officials and employees, as well as ordinary Colombians, continue to be targeted by illegal armed groups. Around 30 candidates for the recent local elections in Colombia were assassinated. Clearly a gruesome picture.
We fully support the valuable work conducted by human rights defenders, often in dangerous circumstances. We have made representations to the Colombians, including with EU partners, on individual cases of concern. We also make a point of visiting HR defenders at their offices, to demonstrate in an obvious way our support and interest in their work.
Reports of continuing abuses that may have been carried out by Colombian State agencies and organisations are deeply worrying. Extra-judicial killings continue. The influence of the paramilitaries in some Colombian State structures is coming to light and we will continue unequivocally to condemn it. I raised these concerns with the Colombian Vice President and Defence Minister when they visited London in the past weeks.
We will keep raising our concerns on human rights until the abuses stop. We regularly make these points to our Colombian interlocutors - most recently when the Foreign Secretary met with President Uribe in the margins of UNGA in September and when I met their Foreign Minister and other officials.
But civil society must maintain this pressure also.
Advocacy is not enough. A significant aspect of our assistance programme is aimed at providing the Colombian authorities - and civil society - with the tools needed to tackle the on-going abuses. We have placed a comprehensive schedule of UK human rights work onto the FCO's website.
And we continue our essential and highly productive work to ensure Colombia is rid of the landmines that the FARC and other terrorist groups continue to place.
Pleased that, working with the TUC and their Colombian counterparts the CUT, we will be bringing over a delegation of Colombian trade unionists to the UK. We hope they can learn from the UK experience in taking forward their important work.
Information redacted. Our defence assistance programme has three very clear objectives - improving human rights training of the Colombian armed forces so that their activities consistently keep within international humanitarian law; humanitarian demining; and specific and targetted CN work. No hidden agendas; no blank cheques.
Our work in Colombia on counter narcotics is successful. But, a good deal of that, by definition, is highly confidential and discussing publicly what we do on CN in Colombia would undermine the safety and effectiveness of work there, and of the Colombians we work with. I monitor it closely and I am satisfied that our work there is appropriate, effective and meets our criteria on human rights and social justice.
We want, with your help, to help the democratically elected Government of Colombia, and civil society, develop the tools to ensure that abuses stop.
Information for Dr Howells' meeting with NGOs - 30 November 2007
Oxfam GB - David Huey, Director
Oxfam has been working in Colombia for more than 20 years. Its focus in the country is on sustainable livelihoods, providing support to vulnerable communities affected by conflict, and promoting fair trade for small producers.
The British Embassy is in regular contact with Oxfam either through meetings organised in the Embassy or other events. In May 2006, the Embassy interceded to help Oxfam for the Communications Ministry to grant a licence as an operator of “auxiliary aid service”.
Moreover, Oxfam was invited to the annual NGO meeting organised by the Embassy on November 22, 2006 on the DDR process, one of various meeting organised for British NGOs in Colombia.
Save the Children UK - Robin Braverman, Country Representative
Save the Children UK's work in Colombia focuses on protecting children and young people from violence and abuse, and helping them avoid recruitment into armed groups. This includes helping children who have dropped out of school.
The FCO has supported Save the Children UK's work in Colombia since 2005 through two GOF-funded projects: One for child rights training of journalists in 7 cities of Colombia (£63,000), and the second in capacity building for Bogota's authorities towards the reduction of child abuse (£30,000).
Peace Brigades International - Juan Carlos La Puente Tapia and Alain Marcel Mullenex, Co-ordinators
PBI currently has 32 volunteers in Colombia in four sub-teams providing protection for NGOs, individuals and communities in Barrancabermeja and the Magadalena Medio, Bogotá, Urabá, and Medellín.
The teams operate as observers in their areas, accompanying people or organisations under threat, making regular visits to conflict zones, and distributing information about the evolution of the conflict. The project also carries out advocacy, lobbying and public relations work with the international community and civil and military authorities.
The British Embassy is in regular contact with PBI and have received various lobbying requests on human rights defenders. In June 2006, Post accompanied PBI and other organisations to a meeting with INCODER (Instituto Colombiano de Desarrollo Rural) on the land issues in Chocó.
Plan International - Gabriela Bucher, Director
Since 1962, Plan has been working in Colombia with communities, to help children and adolescents living in extreme poverty. They support around 100,000 families in their endeavours to build a better life for their children. Plan is present in 35 municipalities in the departments of Nariño, Cauca, Valle, Chocó, Sucre, Atlántico and Bolívar, as well as in Bogotá.
The Embassy has good relations with the organisation and is currently supporting one of its projects worth £63,000 to strengthen of attention policies for children who have been internally displaced through GOF funds.
Christian Aid - Jonathan Glennie, Country Representative
Christian Aid seeks to contribute to improving the opportunities for poor and vulnerable communities in Colombia, participating in decision-making spaces that affect their rights and interests, with special emphasis on access to justice for the same population groups.
Post has regular contact with Christian Aid and has always been receptive to its comments and queries. Christian Aid was invited to the annual NGO meeting organised by Post on November 22, 2006 to discuss the DDR process. More recently, the Embassy interceded to help them with a migratory situation they faced with the Administrative Security Department (DAS).
The Foundation for the Freedom of Press (FLIP) - Carlos Cortés, Director
The FLIP is a Colombian NGO created by some of the most prestigious journalists in the country, amongst them Gabriel García Márquez and Enrique Santos. Its main goal is the promotion of freedom of expression and of the press in Colombia, as a means to guarantee society's right to be informed, and as a central element in the construction of a sustainable democracy.
The UK has been a leading international partner working on Freedom of Press in Colombia, and has supported FLIP since 2004 through 3 different GOF-funded projects:
Support and strengthen FLIP's capacity to protect journalists at risk (£10,000),
Making more visible the importance of clear access to information laws in Colombia (£8,500), and
Reducing self-censorship practices of journalists through regulation of public sector advertising contracts (£27,000).
Ideas for Peace Foundation (FIP) - María Victoria Lorente, Executive Director
The FIP is an independent think-tank created by academics in 1999 and supported by the private sector. Its mission is to contribute with ideas and proposals to overcome conflict and violence in Colombia. Information redacted. Post has supported three GCPP-funded projects since 2005:
The Role of the Colombian Police in Conflict and Post-Conflict Scenarios (£25,000),
Supporting and facilitating the effective and transparent implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights by extractive companies in Colombia (£37,000), and
Strategic review of the Colombian Military in Conflict and Post-Conflict scenarios - first steps (£25,000).
EQUITAS - Ana María Gómez, Legal Representative
EQUITAS is the first non-governmental organisation to technically address issues referring to forced disappearances by illegal armed actors in Colombia. EQUITAS is made up of qualified, national and international forensic anthropologists with global experience and expertise in applying international protocols and methodologies that are relevant to the Colombian scenario, where armed conflict has left behind multiple mass graves with unidentified victims. EQUITAS was created to respond to the needs of family members by helping them locate and recover the remains of the missing persons and by supporting their families in the process.
Post has supported Equitas and has led discussion within the international community around the issue of forced disappearances in Colombia. Support has concentrated in two GCPP-funded projects that have been key in the process of implementing a reliable search plan for missing persons in Colombia:
Developing strategies to resolve conflict-related disappearances in Colombia: pilot case Casanare (£30,000), and
Supporting the implementation of the National Search Plan in Casanare and Santa Marta (£30,000).
Press briefing for Dr Howells' visit to Colombia
From: Press Office
Date: xx November 2007
APS/Dr Howells
MINISTER'S TRAVEL TO COLOMBIA 29 NOVEMBER - 02 DECEMBER
The Minister will travel to Colombia from the 29 November - 02 December for the Third International Conference on Colombia. This note sets out the media handling for the visit and possible follow-up on the Minister's return. The Minister's Press Officer will accompany the party.
Objectives
The objectives of the visit are:
To emphasise the key themes of the G24 conference (victims, peace and human rights; democracy; poverty).
To reinforce the UK's strategic relationship with Colombia.
Media Objectives
We regularly receive negative media coverage on our relationship with Colombia media. We should use this visit to correct some myths and as such our overall media objective for visit should be:
To ensure that UK policies are understood and not miss-represented.
In particular we should emphasise:
Colombia is a friend.
Our support helps Colombia in its struggle to address severe and long-running problems.
Our support does not stop with the Government; we also support Colombian Civil Society, including trade unionists and human rights defenders.
and we regularly highlight the importance we place on Colombia being actively involved in the challenge to find solutions to Colombia's long-running problems.
Media Programme
Pre Visit Media
Press Office, the FCO Web Team and Latin America Team will create a Newsfile on the FCO homepage. The Newsfile will be an ongoing project - starting from before the minister's departure until his return to the UK. The Newsfile will contain FAQ's, existing photos of recent meetings; such as the civil society roundtable, the Colombian Deputy FM Santos and Defence Minister Santos.
I recommend that the Minister record a video blog for the Newsfile before leaving. This will add context to the Newsfile and further help to raise his profile on Colombia.
I recommend that the Minister agree an OpEd for publication in Colombia then for wider release to the Latin American correspondents in London. This will also be placed on the Newsfile and again will help to cement the Ministers profile on Colombia.
We will issue a press release in London on the Ministers departure, draft attached.
The Visit
The Minister will arrive in Bogota on the evening of Thursday 29/11. The media programme will commence on the 30/11.
From the programme the following media opportunities have been identified so far:
30 November
08:30 Opening of the III International Conference.
There will be great local and regional media interest. It is likely that some international agencies (wires/local stringers) will also be represented. We expect the media will seek comments/doorsteps from the Minister and we should be prepared to consider bids.
09:30 Speech by the President of the G-24
The opening speech will be made by Mr. Jorge Enrique Triana, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Argentina. We expect the Minister to deliver an address and again the media will to take note. We shall endeavour to ensure a `Checked Against Delivery' version is available locally quickly and that it is transmitted to the FCO Web Team for up-loading to the Newsfile. We shall look for further media opportunities around the Minister's attendance at the conference..
10:00 Meeting with the President and Vice President
The meeting is likely to take place in the margins of the conference. If this takes place at the conference venue it is likely that the media will be interested, doorsteps are entirely possible, in any case there will be photos.
11:00 Round table meeting with NGOs
The NGO round table will take place at the Embassy. NGOs represented will be Oxfam, Christian Aid, Peace
Brigades International, Save The Children, Plan International, Fundacion para Libertad dePrensa (FLIP), Equitas and Fundacion Ideas para la Paz (FIP). Any meeting with NGOs will be of interest to the media, both local and here in the UK. We expect that NGOs will wish to have some element of media around the meeting but at a minimum we should expect photo's. This may be a good opportunity for the Minister to record another video blog and perhaps involving one or two NGO representatives.
12:00 Lunch
The lunch will be hosted by the Colombian Government; only Ministers, Ambassadors and Heads of Delegation will attend. We expect a family photo to be taken. We do not expect any other media opportunities here.
From 16:00 hours the Minister has no official engagements planned. This is valuable `down-time' for the Minister but we would hope that 20-30 minutes could be set aside for more focussed media opportunities such as a briefing for selected journalists. .
Information redacted
Post Visit Possibilities
I recommend a Latin America foreign diplomatic correspondents briefing and will liase with Private Office on timings. We aim to focus the briefing on the visit but other areas of Latin America relations may also arise.
FCO Press Office
0207 008 2861
PRESS RELEASE: 29 Thursday 2007
KIM HOWELLS ARRIVES IN COLOMBIA
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Kim Howells MP, will visit Colombia from 29 November to 03 December for the 03 International Conference on Colombia.
The goal of the conference is to help the Colombian Government in its efforts to address threats to democracy, terrorism, illegal drugs, human rights and international humanitarian law violations.
During the visit, Kim Howells will meet Colombian ministers, NGOs, and representatives of Colombian civil society, as well as Embassy officials.
Before leaving, Kim Howells said:
“This conference is a testament to the commitment of the international community and a wide spectrum of civil society organisations to help the Colombian Government move toward a secure, stable and prosperous future.
“This visit is part of a process, building on the previous London Conference on International Support to Colombia and it demonstrates the British Government's strong support for the democratic process and the role of civil society in Colombia.”
FCO Press Office