Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Colombian Truth Commission; and if he will make a statement.

The UK sees the transitional justice system and the involvement of victims as vital elements of Colombia's 2016 Peace Accords. We are pleased that the Truth Commission and associated institutions have begun their work. We continue to emphasise our support for transitional justice in Colombia,?both with the government and in multilateral fora, including most recently at the UN Security Council on 14 July, where our Permanent Representative commended the Truth Commission and other institutions' quick adaptation to the pandemic by moving their work online.

The UK government has contributed over £26 million towards transitional justice mechanisms,?and victims of the conflict in Colombia since 2016. This includes supporting the Truth Commission's work to gather testimonies?from Colombians?both in Colombia and abroad, including here in the UK. We will continue to work closely with the Colombian government and civil society on the peace process and related matters.