POSITIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEVELOPMENT IN COLOMBIA

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003814 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL ENRG PGOV CO SUBJECT: POSITIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEVELOPMENT IN COLOMBIA ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Vice President Santos extolled Colombia's entry as an "Engaged Government" in the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) program at a plenary meeting on November 18. Santos remarked that Colombia is a great example of the VPs process and offered to support other countries interested in the program. Deputy Chief of Mission underscored Santos' management of the VPs process and noted our continued willingness to support the program in Colombia. Extractive industries' executives congratulated Colombia and recommended including other business sectors into the VPs program. END SUMMARY. -------------- Voluntary Principles -------------- ¶2. (U) In 2000, the U.S. Department of State, the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, oil, mining, and energy companies, and human rights, labor, and corporate responsibility NGOs launched the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs). The VPs program addressed concerns of governments, extractive companies, and civil society over difficult operating environments that created challenges to both security and human rights. Voluntary Principles are designed to provide practical guidance and strengthen human rights safeguards in extractive industries. ¶3. (U) Currently, VPs participants include four governments (Netherlands, Norway, U.K., and U.S.); 18 oil, gas, and mining companies; and eight international NGOs. Canada is next in line to become a "Participant Government" once it submits its action plan to the VPs Steering Committee. VPs programs have been launched in Nigeria, Indonesia, and Colombia. Talk of launching a VPs program in Peru, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is underway. -------------- Culmination of a Long Process -------------- ¶4. (U) Initiated in October 2003, the Colombian National Committee on the Voluntary Principles -- now known as the Mining and Energy Committee on Human Rights (CME) -- has as members several multinational petroleum and mining companies, Ecopetrol, Colombia's oil industry association, and various members of the Colombian government, including the Vice President's office and the military. The committee recently started to include NGOs in its official meetings. 
¶5. (U) With support from the U.S. and UK governments, Colombia has decided to become an "Engaged Government" under the VPs program, which is the first step to becoming a VPs "Participant Government." Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez submitted Colombia's request to become an "Engaged Government" in early October to the VPs Steering Committee and received a positive response later that month from the Committee. Colombia will be publicly welcomed as an Engaged Government at the upcoming VPs plenary in London in March 2010. ¶6. (U) Under the leadership of Vice President Santos, Colombia has excelled in the Voluntary Principles program. The VPs Steering Committee has highlighted Colombia's success in the program and believes Colombia is in a position to become a regional leader to promote the program to other countries. -------------- -------------- Santos Celebrates New Status and Offers Leadership Role -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Santos hosted a Voluntary Principles plenary on November 18 with senior officials from VPs participant countries, executives of the extractive industries in Colombia, GOC ministry officials and senior military officers, and Colombia's Mining and Energy (CME) Committee on Human Rights. Santos commended the CME committee for its hard work in strengthening security and human rights practices among the extractive industries; creating workshops to review risk analyses, best practices, and lessons learned between GOC and industry officials; and for including NGO participation in the committee. ¶8. (SBU) Vice President Santos stressed, however, more work is needed to become a Participant Government. Santos agreed with industry executives that Colombia's VPs program should include more business sectors within Colombia. He also added that Colombia could assume a leadership role in promoting VPs in the region (Note: CME committee members, on the margin, responded favorably to supporting Peru in the VPs process. End Note). ¶9. (SBU) The Deputy Chief of Mission congratulated Colombia for becoming an Engaged Government and praised Santos' leadership. The DCM noted our willingness to continue supporting the VPs program in Colombia and highlighted potential funding to support the CME committee. The Dutch Ambassador echoed the DCM's remarks to include a potential financial commitment and urged Santos and the committee to continue its work with NGOs. -------------- U.S. Supporting Colombia's Progress -------------- ¶10. (SBU) USAID and the Embassy of the Netherlands are in the final stages of providing a US$250,000 grant to the Mining and Energy Committee on Human Rights to provide operational support and increase its overall effectiveness, over a three year period. Specific activities will include the development of indicators to measure progress toward implementation of VPs, the development of a roadmap, and procedures to increase the effectiveness of the Committee. Other activities to strengthen human rights in the mining and energy sectors include the identification, implementation, and dissemination of best practices. BROWNFIELD