Foreign AffairsSupplementary written evidence from ABColombia
ABColombia Response to exchanges at Q 166 to 170:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmfaff/uc529-ii/uc52901.htm
In February, 2013 when the UK Embassy in Colombia presented their information on the funding criteria for projects in Colombia, they did this alongside the Vice-President of Colombia, whom the Embassy had invited to speak. The UK Embassy outlined the criteria for grant applications, giving background information to help non-governmental organisations (NGOs) fill in a good application. In their presentation the Embassy emphasised something very similar to what Amy Clemitshaw under Q170 put succinctly:
One of the things we are looking for is what is going to make the most effective project, delivering your project in partnership with the Colombian Government will give your application far more chance of being successful.
The previous year the Embassy had stressed that ensuring that you were in dialogue with the Colombian Government would give the project greater chances of success.
The UK Embassy in Colombia has a very small pot of money to give to NGOs. The movement from “dialogue with” the Colombian Government to “working in partnership with” the Colombian Government was made very clearly in the overhead presentation.
The presentation stated “we want to work together with the Government and civil society to tackle these themes” (Queremos trabajar en conjunto con el gobierno y el sociedad civil para abordar estos temas) and under the criteria the only point underlined on the presentation was “demonstrable partnerships with the public sector” (Alianzas demonstrable con el sector publico). The context in which this presentation was given should also be considered: it was made with the Vice-President of Colombia present at the Embassy’s invitation, and he publically stated he agreed with the proposals.
In the British Embassy Bogota- Human Rights and Democracy Fund 2013–14 notes to applicants it states: “Our aim is always to support joint work between the government and civil society groups”.
Various NGOs at the presentation made the point that in certain situations and certain parts of the country it would be difficult to work in partnership with government; specifically local and regional governments. Colombia still suffers from corruption and involvement with illegal armed groups (paramilitary, guerrilla and criminal) in local areas and regional governmental structures. For projects working on issues of human rights and democracy, a sensitive subject in these areas, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to apply for funding from the UK Embassy.
The result of all this is to dissuade NGOs from applying unless they are working in partnership with the Colombian Government. We pointed out the dangers of this for specific projects in our original submission to the Foreign Affairs Committee.
3 September 2013