Colombia has become the country to watch in the Southern hemisphere: oil is now the country’s biggest export and Colombia has become the third-largest producer in South America after Venezuela and Brazil. There are many opportunities for Canadian companies to transfer their experience to the Colombian setting, but there are also risks and concerns, particularly with respect to security and human rights.




To raise awareness of human rights and security issues among Canadian companies operating in Colombia, Export Development Canada hosted a roundtable event on June 17, 2011 on Security and Human Rights in the Extractive Sector in Colombia. The roundtables also served as a forum to exchange ideas on best practices for addressing human rights and security issues.

Participants included individuals with diverse perspectives and experience from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government departments and corporate enterprises. Canadian company representatives spoke strongly of their commitment to Colombia and to their considerable progress in implementing the UN Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

The current challenges for companies in managing security and human rights issues include the ongoing rebuilding of Colombia’s reputation, the legacy from the ongoing armed conflict, a large number of indigenous communities, local institutions with limited capacity and the presence of criminal/guerrilla groups in some rural areas of the country. There is also the challenge of building relationships with various levels of government, NGOs and other organizations. While the security situation in Colombia continues to improve, companies are moving into more remote areas with a history of security and human rights violations, thus presenting greater challenges and risks to companies and their personnel.

Other shared observations included:

  • Even companies with high standards might not be aware of how their actions could complicate the situation for a community that has a history of conflict or criminal activity.
  • This situation can be avoided by undertaking prior due diligence and working with organizations such as CIDA or in-country NGOs to learn about the local context and initiatives that might already be underway in a region.
  • Companies can contribute to local capacity by empowering people to do things for themselves and respond to local problems by helping a community apply for and obtain state funding for such things as infrastructure development.
  • Companies can build trust by being sensitive to local customs, hiring local people, having the company CEO meet directly with local leaders, and taking a long-term business perspective.
A repeated observation was the need for companies to undertake comprehensive risk assessment of the local context because indigenous and local communities all have unique circumstances and needs. A ‘one size fits all’ approach does not work. Company due diligence should involve steps to identify local needs and their accompanying capacity gaps, as well as plans to respond to those needs and gaps. Capacity-building can occur by working with local peoples to strengthen their institutions, providing jobs, procuring supplies locally, and helping communities to develop their own commercial ventures.

Participants agreed on the need for companies to treat each community as unique, with distinct circumstances and traditions; as a result, region-specific risk analysis is critical. Insight gained from this approach should inform companies on how to build capacity in local communities and how to anticipate and respond to human rights situations. Managing security and human rights is an ongoing process and companies need to stay current and remain aware. Without trust and respect for human rights, even the most well-intentioned programs will fail.