Components

USAID has cofinanced the construction of more than 60 Justice Houses in the country. The Program focuses on expanding access to justice and conflict resolution services for rural, marginalized, and violence affected populations.

USAID activities focus on improving the efforts of civil society and the Government of Colombia (GOC) to improve respect for human rights; expand access to justice and government services in remote and conflict-affected areas; and promote citizen participation in political processes.

Human Rights:

The objectives are to

1. strengthen State capacity to prevent and respond to human rights violations;
2. improve human rights policies;
3. strengthen Colombian NGOs to monitor GOC institutions and promote greater respect for human rights;
4. promote victims’ rights to truth, justice, and reparations; and
5. increase respect for labor rights.

This component works with the Human Rights Ombudsman (Defensoria); the Inspector General (Procuraduria); the Ministry of Interior & Justice, the Vice-Presidency, and the National Police; the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Colombian human rights NGOs. This component works nation-wide.

Justice:

The objectives are to:

1. expand access to justice, especially for the Colombian’s living in rural, post-conflict regions;
2. promote effective implementation of the accusatory criminal justice system;
3. strengthen court administration; and
4. improve the effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

This component supports the Office of Access to Justice of the Ministry of Interior and Justice, the Colombian Public Defender’s Office, the Colombian Judicial Council, and Colombian NGOs.  This component works in the regions of Montes de María, Bajo Cauca, Macarena, and the Department of Nariño.

Regional Governance Consolidation:

The objective is to promote state presence primarily in post-conflict areas, thereby contributing to stabilization. The program focuses on building local capacity to:

1. implement modern public management practices;
   
2. increase citizen participation and oversight of local government decision making and performance; and
   
3. improve the ability of target local governments to deliver quality health and education services, as well as citizen security. 
   

This component supports the GOC Center of Coordination for Integrated Action (CCAI), and the governments of seven departments and 29 municipalities in the regions of Bajo & Medio Atrato, Sierra Nevada, Montes de Maria, and Catatumbo.

Political Parties & Elections: 

The objectives are to:

1. promote more democratic and representative political parties;
   
2. increase the political participation of women, AfroColombians, indigenous, and internally displaced persons; and
   
3. promote more transparent elections.
   

This component is implemented by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), and Transparency Colombia.  This program focuses on departments of the Pacific Coast (Nariño, Cauca, Valle de Cauca, and Choco) and Caribbean Coast (Antioquia, Cordoba, Sucre, Bolivar, and Magdalena).

Labor Rights:

The objectives are to:

1. strengthen Colombian labor unions;
   
2. promote legal reforms to increase rights and protections of workers; and
   
3. build the management and bargaining capacity of union leaders and members.

This component is implemented by the Solidarity Center of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).  It works primarily to support the rights of workers in the palm, port, and public sectors.