logros del sector de relaciones exteriores - inglés

8/13/2019 Logros del Sector de Relaciones Exteriores - Ingls

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L ib e r t ad y O r d e n

TRADITIONAL PARTNERS

1. The Free Trade Agreements withCanada, the United States and theEuropean Union, as well as the

Convention for the Avoidance ofDouble Taxation with Canada, wentinto operation.

2. Bilateral relations and regionalcooperation with Central America,mainly in the area of integral security,have been invigorated.

3. The agenda with the United States

has been diversi ed to includescience, technology, innovation, theenvironment, climate change andenergy, among other topics.

4. Mechanisms for consultation oneconomic, social and environmentalmatters, including security and humanrights, have been established withCanada and the European Union.

NEW PARTNERS5. Through high-level visits, speci c

agendas have been prioritisedand enhanced with the followingnew partners: Australia, Algeria,Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Indonesia,Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco,Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand,the Philippines, South Africa and theUnited Arab Emirates.

COLOMBIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS6. Relations based on respect and

cooperation with Venezuela andEcuador were restored.

7. Progress has been made in combattingillegal, undeclared and non-regulated

shing through the establishmentof Action Plans with Costa Rica andEcuador.

INTERNATIONAL MECHANISMS8. The Paci c Alliance, the most

ambitious and successful integrationprocess in Latin America, was createdwith Chile, Mexico and Peru.

9. The Paci c Alliance has made greatefforts to establish a deeply

integrated area to permit freedomof movement of goods, services,capitals and persons among itsmembers .

10. As Pro-Tempore President of the CAN(2011-2012), Colombia promotedthe institutional reengineering of theAndean Integration System.

11. Within the framework of theMesoamerica Project, Colombiapromoted the increase of electricalinterconnection to intensify exchangesbetween Central American countries.

12. The Association of Caribbean Stateswas strengthened through high-level participation and the election ofColombian citizen Alfonso Munera asSecretary General for the 2012-2013period.

A PEOPLE-FOCUSED,INTEGRATIONIST, GLOBAL AND

PRAGMATIC FOREIGN POLICY


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13. In UNASUR, we shared the GeneralSecretariat with Venezuela and activelyparticipated in the security councilsand actions against transnationalorganized crime.

14. The Mercosur Agreement on TravelDocuments to allow nationals to travelwith only their identity cards wassigned.

15. Colombia adhered to the MERCOSURAgreement for Temporary residence,which permits Colombians to live forup to 2 years in Argentina, Bolivia,Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru andUruguay.

16. Our country continues to positionitself as a campus for learning Spanishas a foreign language. Spanish coursesfor diplomats and public of cials,with Spanish immersion courses fortourist guides from Member Statesof the Forum for East Asia-LatinAmerican Cooperation (FEALAC),

and promotional fairs for Colombiasoffer of Spanish courses have beenessential.

17. Colombia was invited to begin theaccession process to the Organizationfor Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD).

19. Colombia was a non-permanentmember of the United Nations SecurityCouncil for the 2011-2012 period.

20. During 2013, in the United NationsSystem, Colombia presided over thework of the Economic and SocialCouncil (ECOSOC) and the UNHCRBoard.

21. During the VI Summit of the Americasin Cartagena, the Hemispheres 34Heads of State and Governmentagreed to start a debate on the currentdrugs policy and search for a newconsensus at continental level.

22. Colombia has improved its humanrights standards and has become anexample of good practices in aspectssuch as follow-up of the systemsrecommendations and prevention ofthe recruitment of minors. Colombiawas excluded from Chapter IV of theInter-American Human Rights System.

23. Between 2010 and 2013, 30 Colombiancandidacies to International Bodies,such as the Inter-American Humanrights Court, UNESCO, ACS andUNASUR, were successful.

24. Through the Comprehensive SecurityCooperation Strategy, Colombiatrained 14,372 foreign of cials fromCentral America, the Caribbean,Europe and Africa in the ght againstthe global drugs problem andtransnational organized crime.

SOCIAL PROGRAMMES25. The Borders for Prosperity Plan (BPP)

has been active in Colombias 13border departments, implementing201 projects worth COP$85,600 million.

26. BPPs presence in Colombias borderareas led to the presentation of adifferential public proposal re ected inthe CONPES document Prosperity forBorders.

27. The Comprehensive Programmefor Children and Adolescents with


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Opportunities has inaugurated 2school canteens and 16 recreationalcentres in 11 departments.

28. The Sports Diplomacy initiativehas offered 35 sports exchangeprogrammes to 547 young peoplefrom 20 Colombian municipalities to27 countries.

29. The Plan to Promote Colombia Abroadhas carried out 479 cultural activities in61 countries.

NEW DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS

30. Diplomatic Representations were

opened in Ghana, Turkey and theUnited Arab Emirates and reopened inFinland, Indonesia, Morocco, Thailandand Trinidad and Tobago. Of ces inAlgeria, Azerbaijan, Singapore andVietnam will open this semester.Consulates were opened in Calgaryand Vancouver (Canada), Antofagasta(Chile), Guangzhou and Shanghai

(China), Auckland (New Zealand) andNewark and Orlando (United States).

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA31. The Ministry authored and co-

authored 72 bills of law whichsuccessfully completed their passagethrough Congress.

MIGRATION POLICY

32. 9 counties have eliminated the visarequirement for Colombians: ElSalvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti(for US or Schengen visa-holders),Jamaica, Mexico, the Russian

Federation, Turkey and Venezuela. USAextended the term of the tourist visa to10 years. The transit visa requirementfor Belgium, France, Luxembourg andthe Netherlands was also eliminated.

33. Through its Special Migrations Fund,created under Law 1465 of 2011,the Ministry offered assistance in251 humanitarian cases. Under anAgreement with the InternationalOrganization for Migration, theMinistry dealt with 109 cases ofhuman traf cking.

34. The Anti-Human Traf ckingInvestigations Group (GIATT), whichwas created with 120 migrationof cials, performs judicial policeactivities in coordination with theOf ce of the Public Prosecutor with 2designated prosecutors.

35. Compared to 2008-2010, the numberof Mobile Consulates has increased

by 147% between 2010 and 2013.403 Mobile Consulates have assisted55,941 Colombians since August 2010.

36. Colombia has assumed importantleadership in migration matters,participating in events, such as theInternational Migrations Week andthe South American Migrations

Conference, and creating Alliancesfor the exchange of experiences andgood practices.

37. Good Government policies haveresulted in improved ef ciency


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and service times in migrationprocedures. The implementation of anew migration management modelhas made Colombia an internationalexample.

38. The Automatic Migration Projectwas implemented in Bogotas ElDorado Airport. This includes theincorporation of intelligent gates tofacilitate the automatic immigrationand emigration process.

CITIZEN SERVICES39. The North Service Centre (Calle 100)

was inaugurated to centralise thePassports, Visas and LegalisationsOf ces.

40. The Integrated System for Proceduresby Citizens (SITAC) was created tomodernise and improve servicesprovided to Colombians bysimplifying online processes andenquires.

42. The Comprehensive Citizens ServicesCentre (CIAC) was created so thatColombians can contact the Ministryof Foreign Affairs to enquire aboutonline legalisation of documents, visas,passports and request assistance.Using state-of-the-art technology,bilingual staff provide continuousservice, 24 hours a day, 365 days a

year.43. The Diplomatic and Consular Career

was strengthened, with entranceexams in Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla,Cucuta and Pasto, as well as Bogota,and the number of entry-level placeswas increased to 35.

MIGRACIN COLOMBIA44. The Colombian Migration Authority

has been recognised nationallyand internationally for its improvedcustomer service, as well as its useof technology, collaboration withthe Judicial Police and analysis ofmigration matters.

L ib e r tad y O r d e n