§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility for humanitarian groups of the more remote areas of Colombia; what discussions he has had on this with his Colombian counterpart; what assurances(a) he has requested and (b) he has received with regard to the Colombian Government's efforts to facilitate access to all parts of Colombia; and if he will make a statement. [173435]
§ Mr. RammellThere are currently no legal restrictions in place in Colombia preventing access to any part of their country for international organisations and their agencies or for Colombian or foreign NGOs working there. However, the continuing armed conflict and the country's geography mean that access to the remotest parts of the country can be difficult. In addition paramilitary or guerrilla groups do attempt to block access by outsiders to some parts of the country, particularly remote rural locations. International organisations and NGOs are also conscious of the potential risk to their staff of attempting to gain access to areas in which the armed conflict is ongoing. Through its democratic security policy the Government of Colombia is trying to bring security and accessibility to all regions in the country. We constantly urge the Colombian Government to ensure that the implementation of this policy is in accordance with international law. We also monitor developments closely to inform our own travel advice.
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