US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA3052

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 003052 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG, ETRD, PHUM, PREL, CO 
SUBJECT: THE VOLUNTARY PRINCIPLES PROCESS IN COLOMBIA 
 
REF: A. 05 STATE 38469 
 
     B. 04 BOGOTA 3373 
     C. 04 BOGOTA 10071 
 
1.  Summary.  On March 29, Vice President Santos hosted a 
meeting on the Voluntary Principles (VPs) process in 
Colombia.  Present at the meeting were the Ambassador, 
members of the National Committee on Voluntary Principles, 
and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 
Presidencia, and the Netherlands Embassy.  Items discussed 
were the 2005 VPs work-plan, NGO involvement, and the 
creation of a technical team.  End Summary. 
 
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Background 
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2.  As stated in reftels, the GOC has embraced the VPs 
framework and developed a work-plan, which focuses on three 
areas: a risk assessment, relations between hydrocarbon 
companies and public security forces, and relations between 
hydrocarbon companies and private security forces.  In 
addition, a National Committee on Voluntary Principles was 
formed to advance the VPs process in Colombia.  The committee 
currently consists of representatives from the Vice 
President's office, the embassies of the U.S. and the U.K., 
the Colombian Association of Petroleum Producers (ACP), 
ChevronTexaco, Occidental and British Petroleum (BP).  The 
committee expects to incorporate a representative from the 
Netherlands Embassy, the Inspector General's Office, the 
Ministry of Defense, Ecopetrol and other hydrocarbon 
companies, and a few NGO's.  The Ambassador made it a point 
to attend the meeting personally to emphasize the importance 
we place on this program in Colombia. 
 
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Highlights of the Meeting 
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3.  ACP began the meeting with a presentation outlining the 
importance of the VPs, a review of the VPs process in 
Colombia, and the work-plan for 2005.  To date, the National 
Committee has developed a draft risk assessment, which was 
formulated after 11 regional workshops with the Armed Forces, 
the Justice Department, the Inspector General's office, the 
Department of Security, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, 
Interior, and Defense, as well as more than 40 companies in 
the energy sector.  Best practices meetings were also held to 
develop the risk assessment.  On the margins, econoff spoke 
to committee members regarding factoring in equipment 
transfers and human rights records to the risk assessment 
process (responses were favorable). 
 
4.  ACP outlined actions already taken concerning relations 
between hydrocarbon companies and private security forces. 
Over the last year, ACP held workshops to discuss best 
practices among the hydrocarbon companies in Colombia.  From 
these workshops, companies developed internal guidelines to 
promote linkages between the protection of human rights and 
security.  In some cases, these guidelines are articulated in 
the contracts signed between the hydrocarbon firms and 
private security companies. 
 
5.  The 2005 work-plan focuses on the three major aspects of 
the VPs as well as strengthening democratic institutions. 
Looking forward, the risk assessment will consist of an 
exchange of information and analysis from the National 
Committee members and a promotion of best practices. 
Relations with public security forces will focus on promoting 
human rights and the VPs among the Armed Forces, identifying 
procedures within the committee to call attention to human 
rights violations in the field, and increasing transparency 
of the VPs process.  Relations with private security forces 
will focus on promoting the VPs and human rights among the 
private security firms and sharing best practices among the 
hydrocarbon companies.  Strengthening democratic institutions 
is a new, but important aspect in promoting the voluntary 
principles.  Under this theme, the committee is looking to 
promote more Casas de Justicia in towns near extractive 
industries to increase access to government services for the 
local community.  The Casa de Justicia in Yopal is a USAID/BP 
funded project, which continues to be funded by BP. 
 
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NGO Involvement 
--------------- 
 
6.  During the meeting, Vice President Santos asked about NGO 
involvement and requested the committee to focus on including 
NGOs in the VPs process.  ACP plans to meet with 
International Alert in early April to discuss the VPs process 
and solicit their support.  Other potential NGOs are the 
International Crisis Group and Transparency International. 
 
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Technical Team 
-------------- 
 
7.  At the conclusion of the meeting, Vice President Santos 
agreed to the formation of a technical team, which will meet 
monthly to discuss the VPs process and hold additional best 
practices meetings.  The technical team will be made up of 
representatives from the National Committee and other VPs 
stakeholders.  In an effort to show leadership of the VPs 
process, Vice President Santos instructed Carlos Franco, 
director for the presidential program for human rights, to 
lead the technical team. 
 
8.  During the meeting, Vice President Santos seemed focused 
on the image of the VPs program, to which the Ambassador 
commented that the image is only a byproduct of the process 
and not the goal.  He added that the National Committee needs 
to focus on concrete steps, such as publishing the work-plan 
on the web.  Santos reacted favorably and directed ACP to put 
it on the internet. 
WOOD