The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom announced Monday in Bogota that the European country will fund two new projects in Colombia to aid the prosecution of sex crimes and support victims of sexual violence.
The UK’s Foreign Secretary William Hague said during a visit to the South American country that one of the projects would work with the Prosecutor General’s Office and NGO Dejusticia to bolster the training of investigators and the investigation of sex crimes.
MORE: Colombia’s Ombudsman warns over increased violence against women
The other project will work with two Colombian NGOs, Casa Amazonia and LIMPAL, to support victims of sexual violence and link them to government authorities while also fostering the promotion of women’s organizations, Hague said in his speech.
Hague added that British experts would meet with their Colombian counterparts to discuss their views on a new International Protocol that will lay the framework for the “documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict that we hope will be adopted at the June summit.”
Hague invited Colombian organizations to take part in the summit to be held in London this June, which plans to bring governments, international organizations and civil organizations from across the globe together in a public FORUM, to affirm and comply with an International Protocol that would establish set guidelines on assessing and responding to sexual violence in conflict.
“I am aware of one survey that estimates between 2001-2009 almost 500,000 women were victims of sexual violence associated with conflict” Hague stated while arguing the importance for the Colombian government and Colombian civil organizations to both share knowledge with other countries experiencing sexual violence related to conflict and listen to other nations as well.
The UK Foreign Secretary also spent time Sunday and Monday this week in Colombia giving support to the ongoing peace talks between the FARC rebel group and the Colombian government and reaffirming economic interests between the two countries.
Sources
- UK and Colombia working to tackle sexual violence (UK Government)
- UK takes campaign to stop war-zone rape to Colombia (Thomas Rueters Foundation)
- Foreign Secretary in Latin America to promote security and prosperity (UK Government)
