About The European Trust Fund for Colombia
In 2016, The Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC was signed after over 50 years of internal armed conflict. To support the implementation of this agreement in a coordinated and efficient wat, the EU the same years established the European Trust Fund for Colombia (EUTF).
Currently, the EUTF comprises 21 EU Member States, the United Kingdom, and Chile as the first donor and Latin American member. The Fund has a total of €130 million in contributions.
The Fund allows its members to contribute in an effective and coordinated way to the consolidation of peace, economic and social development in territories most affected by the armed conflict. It achieves this by channeling the contributions from its donors.
The Fund also promotes economic activity and productivity using sustainability criteria, institutional strengthening, social fabric reconciliation and support for the social and economic reincorporation of ex-combatants.
Main objectives
The overall objective of the European Trust Fund for Colombia is to support the implementation of the Peace Agreement that was signed between the Colombian government and former FARC-EP. This agreement aimed to help the Colombian population overcome the negative effects of 50 years of internal armed conflict.
Building upon the expertise of the European Union and its Members States, the activities carried out through the Fund focus on the early recovery and post-conflict stabilization of the municipalities which have been affected the most by the armed conflict.
The European Trust Fund concentrates on rural development, supporting public administration reform programs, decentralization and social participation. It does so by increasing civil society participation and strengthening resilience among vulnerable population groups, such as victims, former combatants, indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants.
Contributing Countries
Germany
Slovakia
Hungary
Luxembourg
United Kingdom
Austria
Slovenia
Ireland
Malta
Czech Republic
Chile
Spain
Italy
Netherlands
Sweden
Cyprus
Finland
Latvia
Portugal
Croatia
France
Lithuania
Rumania
Investment for peace
In the search for a stable and sustainable peace and the definitive end of the armed conflict, the Colombian government and the former armed group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia FARC-EP signed the Final Agreement to End the Armed Conflict and Build a Stable and Lasting Peace on November 24, 2016.
The European Trust Fund for Colombia supports item 1 of the Agreement on Integral Rural Reform and item 3 on the Reincorporation processes.
In this regard, State Members contributions are used to finance projects and initiatives, with a territorial approach, that enhance the implementation of items 1 and 3 of the Peace Agreement.