IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 426 

Recognizing 2007 as the Year of the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons 

in Colombia, and offering support for efforts to ensure that the internally 

displaced people of Colombia receive the assistance and protection they 

need to rebuild their lives successfully. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2007 

Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. RUSH, 

Mr. LYNCH, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. FARR, Mr. 

FATTAH, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. WATSON, Ms. JACKSONLEE of Texas, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. LEE, 

Mr. MCDERMOTT, and Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing 2007 as the Year of the Rights of Internally 

Displaced Persons in Colombia, and offering support for 

efforts to ensure that the internally displaced people 

of Colombia receive the assistance and protection they 

need to rebuild their lives successfully. 

Whereas Colombia has experienced the internal displacement 

of more than 3,800,000 people over the past 20 years, 

representing approximately 8 percent of Colombia’s population; 


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•HRES 426 IH 

Whereas Colombia’s internally displaced population is one of 

the worst humanitarian crises in the Americas, and the 

second largest internally displaced population in the 

world, after Sudan; 

Whereas more than 200,000 people continue to be displaced 

internally every year; 

Whereas Colombia’s internally displaced people are often 

forced from their homes multiple times, and fear repercussions if they identify their attackers; 

Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross and 

the World Food Program have found internally displaced 

people in Colombia to be poorer and more 

disenfranchised than the general population, with 70 percent suffering from food insecurity, inadequate shelter, or 

limited health care services; 

Whereas Afro-Colombian and indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected by displacement, representing almost one-third of the internally displaced; 

Whereas women and children also comprise a large majority 

of the internally displaced; 

Whereas very few internally displaced Colombians have been 

able to return to their original homes due to ongoing conflict throughout the country, and when returns take place 

they should be carried out voluntarily, in safety and with 

dignity; 

Whereas, in 1997, the Government of Colombia passed landmark legislation, known as Law 387, to guarantee rights 

and assistance to its internally displaced population; 

Whereas the Government of Colombia has expanded its ability to assist internally displaced people through its own 


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•HRES 426 IH 

agencies, and with the financial, technical, and operational support of the international community; 

Whereas the Constitutional Court of Colombia has handed 

down multiple decisions recognizing the insufficient nature of the government’s efforts to meet the basic needs 

of internally displaced persons and upheld the importance 

of implementing law 387 in light of the United Nations 

Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement; 

Whereas the Constitutional Court of Colombia, in consultation with the Government of Colombia, civil society, and 

the United Nations, has developed an extensive set of 

measurements to ensure government compliance with 

Law 387; 

Whereas the Government of Colombia, the international community, and civil society are engaged in the LondonCartagena Process to develop coordinated responses to 

domestic problems, including humanitarian assistance 

and internal displacement; 

Whereas the Government of the United States provides valuable, but limited, humanitarian assistance to Colombia, 

and has programs targeted specifically for internally displaced people; and 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, on a visit to Colombia in March 

2007, urged greater attention to the issue, stating that 

it should be a ‘‘national priority’’ and asked for ‘‘greater 

coherence’’ in programs to address the needs of the internally displaced: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 


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•HRES 426 IH 

1 (1) the United Nations High Commissioner for 

2 Refugees, the Colombian Catholic Church, and the 

3 Coalition for Human Rights and Internal Displace4 ment should be commended for their initiative to de5 clare the Year of the Rights of the Internally Dis6 placed People in Colombia; 

7 (2) the Government of Colombia and the inter8 national donor community should be encouraged to 

9 prioritize discussion of humanitarian assistance and 

10 internal displacement with the international donor 

11 community, especially within the context of the Lon12 don-Cartagena Process; and 

13 (3) the Government of the United States should 

14 increase the resources it makes available to provide 

15 emergency humanitarian assistance and protection 

16 through international and civilian government agen17 cies, and assist Colombia’s internally displaced peo18 ple in rebuilding their lives in a dignified, safe, and 

19 sustainable manner. 

Æ 


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