Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Grenfell (Non-affiliated). It was answered on Monday, 18 January 2010.

EU: Free Trade Agreements

Question: My Lords, obviously this free-trade agreement will deliver benefits to Peru and Colombia. My noble friend the Secretary of State alluded briefly to human rights: what importance, if any, should we attach to the fact that the European Federation of Public Service Unions and the European Trade Union Confederation have given solid backing to Colombia’s unions in their call for the negotiations to be suspended or blocked until they are assured that the human rights abuses, which they claim are often directed at them, have been stopped? Is there a case that they should be suspended until we hear the results of the investigation which is being carried out into Colombia’s human rights record under the current GSP Plus of the European Union; or is it the case that the social development chapter which is being negotiated within the free-trade agreement is deemed sufficient to reassure the unions that Colombia’s human rights—and theirs in particular—will be respected?

Answer: My Lords, the Government are certainly not indifferent to any human rights questions arising in any Latin American country, including Colombia which has a long track record of civil violence, including killings. This is perhaps unsurprising when a portion of the country is in the control of the terrorist guerrilla organisation FARC. Most objective observers will note the democratic progress that has been made in Colombia under President Uribe’s leadership and will welcome the growing stabilisation of the country and the decline in killings. However, that is not a reason for us to be anything other than entirely vigilant of what is going on and entirely supportive of those who are trying to combat these killings.

Secondary information