Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK businesses operating in Colombia are required to carry out human rights due diligence in relation to their overseas operations and do not initiate projects in Colombia without gaining free, prior and informed consent from the communities that they affect.

The UK National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights sets out how the Government is implementing the UN Guiding Principles. British firms are expected to uphold these principles in their overseas operations, as well as in the UK. We worked closely with the Colombian authorities to develop their National Action Plan, published in December 2015. All companies operating in Colombia, including British ones, are expected to comply with the requirements and guidelines set out in that National Action Plan. British companies are expected to incorporate human rights into their Corporate Social Responsibility policies. We have also provided technical assistance for British companies in non-judicial dispute resolution.