Brussels, 03/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels with the Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Calderon, CFSP High Representative Javier Solana and Commissioners Chris Patten and Poul Nielson called on Colombia to implement the UN recommendations on human rights. Commissioner Patten "underlined the need to implement promptly the 24 UN recommendations on Human Rights to the government and reiterated the importance the EU attaches to the role of civil society and Non Governmental Organisations in bringing about a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Colombia". On Monday he met the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor for Colombia, Jamez LeMoyne and Michael Frühling, Head of the Bogotá Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.. Both sides concurred on the importance of following up the London Declaration of 10 July.
In a press statement Amnesty International highlighted the persistent abuses in Colombia and considered that the Colombian government was increasingly hostile to human rights organisation and other civil society organisations by creating obstacles to their work and security. The NGO considered that very little progress had been mad in response to the UN's recommendations that paramilitary groups be dismantled and that those violating human rights be brought to justice. Dick Oosting, Head of the European branch of Amnesty said that their organisation was worried by the fact that far from being demobilised, paramilitary groups were frequently recycled into private security firms, notably in Medelin where pressure was exercised on the locals to pay for their security.
On a stopover in Berlin, before his visit to Brussels, Mr Calderon provided assurances in an interview to the Mexican press agency, Notimex, that it ought to be possible to "demobilise the self defence groups by 2006". He declared that the doctrine of national security was something of the past and that today there was a new doctrine for ending the war, defeating the guerrillas, protecting communities, displaced persons, union leaders, peasants and businessmen. Commissioner confirmed that the EU would continue with its humanitarian and development aid to Colombia, which had risen to EUR 136 million for 2000/2003. In 2004, 8 million in humanitarian aid is expected for helping displaced persons in Colombia, indicated Poul Nielson. European aid would continue to be directed as a priority to local initiatives for peace, reform of the legal system and getting rid of mines, explained the Commission.