Written question asked by Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) on Thursday, 21 July 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 October 2005. It was answered by Adam Ingram (Labour) on Monday, 17 October 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Colombia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what monitoring of UN human rights recommendations relating to aid provided by his Department to Colombia is undertaken; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The UK's bilateral military assistance to Colombia is consistent with United Nations human rights recommendations. We use the best information available to assure ourselves that Colombian military units or individuals benefiting from UK assistance are not engaged in activities that violate human rights, or internal repression or are in collusion with paramilitary organisations. This includes personal interviews and background checks. Wherever possible, we take all reasonable steps to keep in close contact to maintain this assurance throughout the duration of any project. Our sources of information on possible human rights violations by members of the Colombian security services include the United Nations and independent human rights organisations.

Secondary information