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The United States supports seminar on land restitution to IDP’s
With the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture organized the International Seminar on the Restitution of Lands to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), December 4-5, 2007. The objective of the seminar is to recognize and make known successful international experiences on land restitution policies in conflict and post-conflict situations.
Among those present at the event were Brian Nichols, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy; Andres Felipe Arias, Colombian Minister of Agriculture and Fernando Arbelaez, Vice-minister of Agriculture.
During the closure of the event, the Deputy Chief of Mission said: “The international experience has shown us that the restitution of property titles is a complex problem; one that requires long-term institutional and governmental policies and obligations. But more than anything else, it also requires an innovative approach and an effective mechanism to allow us to efficiently respond to the most urgent needs of the millions of Colombians who cry out for the restitution of their lands.”
Among the lecturers invited were Knut Rosandhaug, Director of HPD Kosovo; Jon Unruh, professor at McGill University in Canada; Samir Elhawary of Britain’s Overseas Development Institute, and Peter Van Der Auweraert, legal advisor for the Reparation Program of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva.
Bogotá D.C., 10 de diciembre de 2007
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