HUMAN AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS IN COLOMBIA

Early day motion 727, tabled 24 January 2007 by Frank Doran (Labour). Signed by 227 members.

That this House notes with concern the continuing human rights crisis in Colombia and that since 2002, the year of President Uribe's election, more than 500 trade unionists have been assassinated; further notes that the vast majority of abuses are carried out by paramilitary groups that have documented links to the Colombian state security forces, and that the most recent annual report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia found that extrajudicial executions carried out directly by the armed forces have increased; calls on the Colombian government to implement fully the UN human rights recommendations in line with the policies of Colombian and international human rights organisations such as the TUC-backed Justice for Colombia coalition; and calls on the UK Government to freeze military aid to Colombia until the UN recommendations are implemented.

Signatures by party: Labour 153, Liberal Democrat 53, Conservative 6, Scottish National Party 5, Plaid Cymru 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Independent 2, Independent Labour 1, UUP 1.