The European Union (EU) was set up after the Second World War. For more than twenty years the EU has supported Colombia in its aim to peacebuilding.
Two special programs: Peace Laboratories (2002-2012) and New Peace Territories (2012-2017), show how methodological transfers and capacity building activities could contribute to conflict-affected territories peaceful and sustainable development.
This broad experience is capitalized by the European Trust Fund for Peace in Colombia as an effective mechanism to respond to the government of Colombia’s request for assistance and channel the resources in a structured and efficient way. Furthermore, the Fund demonstrates the solidarity and political support of the EU for this important peace process and also promotes the general interests of the European Union as a whole. The EUTF is made up of the EU itself, 21 of its Member States, the United Kingdom and Chile, and all of them work towards the same goal: to promote the generation of scale economies and accomplishing this to reach the utmost impact with efficiency.
The EU has extensive experience in rural development, land restitution and local productive development, and the Fund´s objective is to support Colombia on comprehensive rural development in the territories most affected by the conflict, enhance economic and productive activities, strengthen state presence, rebuild the social fabric of communities and support the social and economic reincorporation of ex-combatants.
Strategic Pillars
The European Fund for Peace’s strategy in Colombia comprises six pillars. 31 interventions, regardless of their particular approaches, share common objectives andcontribute to generating impact in terms of social transformation.
These six pillars help analyze the Fund’s impacts and each project’s specific contribution to peace implementation and the construction of equity, equality, transformation, and coexistence in Colombia.
Reconciliation
and conflict
de-escalation
Social and economic
reincorporation of
former combatants
Social inclusion:
youth, women and
ethnic groups
Sustainable
and inclusive
productivity
Institutionalization
and state
legitimacy
European
Union value
added
Geographic scope of the Fund
The European Trust Fund works throughout the Colombian territory. It prioritizes the areas most affected by the armed conflict, based on specific needs of, and paying special attention to, vulnerable, rural municipalities that require priority measures. Currently, the EUTF works in 26 departments and 181 municipalities, 81 of which are PDET municipalities (Development Programs with a Territorial Approach) and 17 correspond to Special Plans for Comprehensive Intervention in Strategic Areas of Comprehensive Intervention – Future Zones.
RELATED NEWS
Comunicación para la paz, instrumento necesario para la tolerancia y la reconciliación en Colombia
Las tensiones políticas en Colombia han desencadenado una marcada y creciente polarización de la sociedad, que genera limitaciones a la libre expresión, al debate público y a la convivencia en toda la sociedad, incluida la infancia. Un docente de la zona rural...
La asociatividad, estrategia efectiva para una posición más ventajosa en el mercado: El caso de COMGASOLANO
El departamento de Caquetá ha estado marcado durante las últimas décadas por una dinámica productiva en torno a la ganadería extensiva de doble propósito, con una fuerte predominancia del sector lácteo y sus derivados, principalmente la elaboración de quesos, y en...
En Putumayo las instituciones públicas mejoran su atención a víctimas de violencias de género
Las violencias basadas en género (VBG) restringen en las mujeres el ejercicio pleno de sus derechos; y aunque hay avances en el reconocimiento y atención de la problemática, aún es un reto el cumplimiento de la Ley 1257 de 2008, que dicta normas de sensibilización,...