The UK’s strategy on Human Rights and Democracy in Colombia is focused on providing tools to State institutions and civil society for creating structural change. The main funding channels for this policy priority are the FCO’s Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) and Bilateral Programme Budget (BPB).

All projects should contribute to UK priorities for project assistance in Colombia. For 2008/09 these are:

1. Strengthening Criminal Justice

The UK’s co-operation efforts will focus in the following areas:

• Effectiveness of the Colombian Oral Accusatorial System
  
• Implementation and compliance of the International Standards signed by Colombia in detention procedures.

2. Discrimination against minorities, women and persons with disabilities

Promoting the rights of women, minorities and persons with disabilities is a UK foreign policy priority. We will focus our work on:

• Supporting the development of anti-discrimination policies
  
• Strengthening political participation of women, indigenous, afro-Colombians and person with disabilities.
  
• Promoting access to information for women, indigenous, afro-Colombians and persons with disabilities.

3. Promotion and Protection of Civil Society

To promote and protect civil society, we will concentrate our work on:

• Reduction of risk factors for human rights defenders
• Supporting the wide recognition of legitimacy for Civil Society Organisations
• Promoting civil society’s access to information
• Promoting civil society’s participation to strengthen accountability.

4. Freedom of Expression and Media

Freedom of expression is vital for a transparent and accountable Government, as well as free and fair election procedures.

The UK’s co-operation in this field will focus in the following areas:

• Support measures that lead to abolishment of criminal defamation laws.
• Promote a freedom of expression law in line with international standards.
• Reduction of risk factors for journalists.