Colombia

2013 UNHCR country operations profile - Colombia

Working environment

The context

A key challenge for UNHCR in Colombia today is the deterioration in security. The internal conflict in the country has hit indigenous communities particularly hard, with many deaths, as the activities of an increasing number of illegal armed groups force thousands to flee their homes. Most of the displacement is concentrated in areas bordering Ecuador and Venezuela, as well as parts of the Pacific Coast. The effects on the environment of gold mining and the extraction of other natural resources, compounded by the influence of armed groups in these activities, has had a devastating impact on civilians.

Colombia enacted a Victims and Land Restitution Law in June 2011 in order to help those who have been displaced, but its implementation will take time and its impact will only begin to be felt in late 2012.

In November 2011, the number of officially registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country stood at more than 3.8 million. Estimates by the government and other sources indicate that between January and September 2012 a total of 101 large group displacements had taken place affecting 6,650 families. The displacement was particularly acute in 11 areas of the country: Antioquia, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Nariño, Norte de Santander and Putumayo. UNHCR and OCHA have identified other group displacements that have not been taken into account by the authorities. On the positive side, the Government is making progress in creating an integrated reparations system.

As of July 2012, UNHCR Colombia had registered 119 refugees and 87 asylum-seekers, mainly in urban areas. Of the 38 asylum claims filed during that period, 24 were made by Cuban nationals.

At a meeting between Colombia and Ecuador held in Bogotá on 7 September the local integration of Colombian refugees in Ecuador and the potential for their voluntary repatriation to Colombia were discussed. While the Victims and Land Restitution Law may raise interest in voluntary repatriation to Colombia, the lack of security in many areas of origin may make many refugees in Ecuador reluctant to consider returning.

The needs

Despite the Government's efforts to improve its response to victims of displacement and implement new measures such as the Victims and Land Restitution Law, widespread security risks and violence involving forced recruitment of children and youths, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and girls, threats, disappearances and murders continue to haunt many areas of the country. The growth in urban violence and displacement as well as the closure of the humanitarian space in remote rural areas highlight the need for continuing prevention and protection programmes at the national and local levels.

UNHCR is working with local communities and government authorities to promote sustainable solutions, especially local integration, as more than half the number of registered IDPs reside in cities and are not willing or able to return to their communities of origin. A UNHCR-UNDP Transitional Solutions Initiative (TSI) programme was launched in 2012 targeting seven communities. It will be expanded in 2013 to benefit 12 communities, subject to adequate funding.

Main objectives and targets for 2013

Security from violence and exploitation

Protection from the effects of armed conflict is strengthened.

• Monitoring missions during the year enhance protection-by-presence in the municipalities most affected by armed conflict.

• Measures are implemented to minimize forced recruitment.

The risk of SGBV is reduced and the quality of the response to it is improved.

• Some 70 per cent of known SGBV survivors receive support.

• Community participation strengthens the anti-SGBV response.

• A secure and confidential reporting system is established.

Favourable protection environment

Laws and policies on protection are developed or strengthened.

• National laws and policies on forced displacement are made consistent with international standards.

• Expert and technical assistance strengthens UNHCR and its partners' protection capabilities.

Durable solutions

A comprehensive solutions strategy is developed, strengthened and updated.

• All partners agree on a comprehensive solutions strategy. The potential for local integration is realized.

• The number of people of concern who opt for local integration or who have integrated locally rises.

Strategy and activities in 2013

The main strategic priorities for IDP operations continue to be the prevention of displacement, protection of the displaced and the search for solutions. These will be implemented with the aid of cross-cutting projects covering registration; land issues; the incorporation of age, gender and diversity considerations into programmes; an emphasis on the protection of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities; and community participation. UNHCR will provide technical guidance at the institutional level and promote self-reliance projects among communities.

The organization will ensure that the needs of specific communities or groups with special protection needs are highlighted. An integral component of the strategy is a protection-by-presence approach implemented through 10 field offices located in four regions of the country.

UNHCR will aim to fulfil its strategy to prevent more displacement by:

• ensuring protection-by-presence in remote areas affected by ongoing conflict;

• expanding humanitarian space with the cooperation of communities and the implementation of practical protection projects (PPPs);

• strengthening early warning systems and carrying out protection risk analyses, including in border areas, and the sharing of information among UNHCR field offices in neighbouring countries; and

• maintaining close links with local authorities, community ombudspersons, local partners and IASC teams to ensure coordinated activities and a place in the public discourse for displacement issues.

To improve the protection of the displaced, UNHCR will:

• help to strengthen public policies, including on land restitution, and provide technical support to institutions responsible for implementing the Victims and Land Restitution Law;

• strengthen registration, legal counselling and follow-up in the case of large group displacement situations;

• encourage local action on contingency planning and emergency response; and

• disseminate information on how to gain access to assistance, as well as rights and responsibilities under the Victims and Land Restitution Law, to both local communities and institutions.

UNHCR's search for durable solutions will emphasize:

• playing a catalytic role in support of the return, relocation and local integration of communities where conditions allow;

• engaging national and local authorities and development actors to take action to facilitate the transition from humanitarian aid to sustainable development support; and

• promoting the transition from "displacement" to "citizenship".

With regard to refugees and asylum-seekers, UNHCR's overall goal is to help Colombia make its laws and policies consistent with the international protection regime and promote access by persons of concern to durable solutions based on their specific needs.

Constraints

The constantly evolving nature of the conflict, the involvement of criminal elements and the proliferation of armed groups continue to raise concerns about the protection of displaced people and the maintenance of humanitarian space.

Likewise, SGBV and the forced recruitment of children and adolescents remain of major concern in different parts of Colombia.

While the institutional shift towards the defense of IDP rights and land restitution opportunities raises hope for a more solutions-focused approach, vast challenges remain, both in terms of security as well as ensuring effective protection and reparation. New threats arise from the increased strength and organizational capacity of post-demobilization groups.

Organization and implementation

Coordination

The Government's responsibility to prevent and respond to displacement is firmly entrenched in a legal framework.

UNHCR maintains close working relations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Agency for International Cooperation and the Presidential Department for Social Prosperity through the Special Administrative Unit for Victims Assistance and Reparation. At the beginning of 2012 a Triennial Work Plan was signed with the government. This outlined key priorities and interventions on prevention, protection and solutions, as well as cross-cutting issues such as registration, AGDM considerations, public policy and land issues for 2012-2014.

UNHCR has established partnerships with different line ministries, in particular the Ministries of Agriculture and Interior, the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare, the Vice-President's Office and regional and local administrations, as well as community-based groups. An accountability mechanism on IDP response has been promoted with the help of the national Controller's Office.

The protection working group in Colombia remains under the leadership of UNHCR and the NRC. The working group has established a partnership with UNFPA to implement a Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS) to improve the focus on SGBV prevention and response.

UNHCR participates in the UN Country Team as well as in inter-agency projects and interventions such as those funded by CERF and MDGF. Colombia's National Planning Department, UNDP and UNHCR work together on the TSI project.

Financial information

For the past five years, operations in Colombia have received the continuous support of the international community. However, the global financial crisis has affected funding in 2011 and 2012.

UNHCR continues to need funding support to strengthen prevention and protection and to implement the TSI programme. UNHCR's funding needs for 2013 in Colombia are forecast at USD 29.63 million.

Source: UNHCR Global Appeal 2013 Update

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