Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with the government of Colombia about increasing protection for the Wiwa indigenous peoples currently being displaced by high-impact, armed organised crime groups; and, if so, what was the outcome.

Supporting Colombia in its commitment to secure a lasting peace is an important priority of this Government. We continue to urge Colombia to take further steps to protect all vulnerable groups including indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities most affected by conflict. We remain concerned at the violence facing the Wiwa community. Through funding to civil society organisations and the UN Human Rights Office, the UK supports the protection of the Wiwa indigenous peoples with strategic litigation and self-protection mechanisms. In October, Embassy officials visited Wiwa communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and discussed the security situation with local authorities.