Colombia

IILA has been working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, primarily through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on the following international law capability-enhancing projects:

Protecting Marine Biological Diversity in the Oceans (since June 2021): With extensive experience in these negotiations working to ensure the environmental protection of the oceans – as well as equitable distribution of marine genetic resources discovered therein – IILA has supported Colombia to enhance its understanding and build its capabilities in seeking to enhance its goals in environmental implementation and compliance, as well as dispute prevention, with benefits for all stakeholders.

Business and Human Rights Treaty Negotiations (since September 2021): Since 2014, a UN Working Group has been working towards a legally binding convention to regulate the activities of corporations by reference to international human rights law. Beyond the treaty process, the issue of ensuring that corporate activity respects and protects the human rights of the citizens of small / developing States underlines the importance of heightened engagement of those States, like Colombia, that both require foreign investment to seek sustainable development for poverty eradication, but also seek to ensure all corporate actors actively promote human rights. IILA continues to build Colombian capacity in this topic and in preparation for deeper engagement in the negotiations.