Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the peace process in Colombia.

Mr Hugo Swire

We strongly support the ongoing peace talks between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). I reiterated the UK’s support for the peace process when I met President Santos on 12 May, as did the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), during his visit to Colombia in April.

We have offered advice to the Colombian Government based on our experience in Northern Ireland, which is welcomed by President Santos. The UK supported Colombia in drafting and steering UN Resolution 2261 through the Security Council in January, receiving unanimous support.

Through Conflict, Security and Stability Fund, we have contributed £4.2 million to a UN post-conflict trust fund. The UN trust fund will increase the Colombian Government’s capacity and resources to fully implement the peace agreement, addressing issues such as food security, the removal of landmines and the strengthening of the judicial system.