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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. 
 
 
 
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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. 
 
 
 
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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. 
 
 
 
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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. 
 
 
 
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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