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Colombia
Website of the SDC in Colombia: www.cooperacion-suiza.admin.ch/colombia/
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Columbia is a priority country of
the Confederation’s humanitarian aid. According to UNHCR estimates, the 50-year-long internal conflict has forced more than four million to take flight and to seek refuge and safety in other parts of
the country (“internally displaced persons”, IDPs), with the rural community particularly hard hit. Columbia is also the country with the most landmine victims in the world. The OCHA claims that it
is the biggest, but largely forgotten, humanitarian crisis in the western hemisphere. The SDC programme in Columbia also includes global cooperation activities (cooperation with Swiss companies:
“Water Footprint”).| The Swiss Government's bilateral commitment | 2009 |
2010 |
2011* |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDC | |||
| Bilateral development cooperation | 0.34 | 0.19 | 0.16 |
| Humanitarian aid | 6.30 | 6.95 | 7.70 |
| State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) | |||
| Economic Cooperation and Development | 10.16 | 2.59 | 3.83 |
| Total SDC/SECO commitment | 16.80 | 9.73 | 11.69 |
| Other Federal Offices | |||
| Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA (Political Affairs Division IV and other) | 1.83 | 2.49 | 2.03 |
| State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER) | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.28 |
| Total other Federal Offices | 2.09 | 2.77 | 2.31 |
| Total | 18.89 | 12.50 | 14.00 |
Bilateral development cooperation excluding program contributions to NGOs
Humanitarian aid: Priorities
The SDC/HA has been present in Columbia since 2001. The 2010-2012 medium-term programme focuses on the following areas: activities for better protection and improved living conditions for the sections of the population hardest hit by the conflict, as well as preparedness and rapid response following natural disasters. The programme office in Bogotá now has regional responsibility in this area (responsible for Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela). SDC/HA activities are concentrated primarily on the Pacific Coast and in the south of the country.
Below are some of the SDC’s activities and partners in Columbia:
- Whole of Government approach: several government bodies (PA II, PA IV, SDC, seco) are active in Columbia. Co-operation is periodically reviewed and optimised to ensure a consistent presence in the field.
- Support for the programmes of the UN agencies UNHCR and WFP, as well as for the ICRC: the programme office in Bogotá holds regular discussions with these institutions and conducts field visits to check the results.
- FDFA strategy for the protection of the civilian population in armed conflicts 2009-2012: the SDC/HA are working to achieve the goals of this strategy; in Pasto, for example, they have seconded a protection officer to the UNHCR and provide the UN agency with financial support.
- Do-No-Harm: this approach, which has been promoted by the SDC/HA in Columbia since 2004, is greatly appreciated by the donor community and by the authorities. It has enabled the SDC to achieve an impressive level of visibility.
- Regional cooperation in the area of Rapid Response: in the event of natural disasters, the SDC offices in Latin America can rely on the support of a joint unit, the Rapid Intervention and Support Group (GIAR).
- Natural disaster preparedness: close cooperation with the Colombian Red Cross, which has considerable capacity and know-how in this area.
Background information Colombia
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| Source: World Bank's World Development Indicators 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background information provided by the BBC
Local SDC contact address:
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Colombia (Bogotá) |
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Oficina de Cooperación Suiza en Colombia |
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| Phone | +57 (1) 349 72 30 |
| Fax | +57 (1) 347 55 78 |
| Bog.sdc@eda.admin.ch | |
| Website | www.cooperacion-suiza.admin.ch/colombia/ |
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Additional Information and Documents Here, you will find more publications, links, documents and articles about Swiss development cooperation and humanitarian aid in this country. |