Development Co-operation Profiles

Colombia

Introduction

Colombia plays a dual-role in the international co-operation architecture as both a recipient of official development assistance (ODA) and a South-South and triangular co-operation provider. As such, Colombia highly values country ownership, capacity building and knowledge sharing as critical drivers to support national development through international co-operation.

The government of Colombia is committed to promoting ODA and South-South co-operation principles and actively participates in regional and global discussions to propose added-value models of intervention. Colombia also aims to enhance the effectiveness of projects and initiatives by focusing on local needs and considering each partner’s objectives, expertise and capabilities. Additionally, Colombia implements its co-operation in a unique manner in the Latin America and Caribbean region by allocating, since 1996, its national resources to a Cooperation and International Assistance Fund (FOCAI in Spanish) to support foreign humanitarian aid and knowledge-exchange initiatives. Colombia sees this approach as a way to exercise autonomy, as well as to propose and diversify international co-operation mechanisms.

Policy

Every four years, Colombia approves a National Strategy of International Cooperation (ENCI in Spanish). The strategy is the main framework for setting priorities and mechanisms to guide the international non-reimbursable co-operation that it receives from international stakeholders, and potentially offers to Global South partners.

The current ENCI 2023-2026 was designed according to the strategic priorities and needs set out in the National Development Plan 2022-2026, emphasising “total peace” as a central policy objective implemented through productive transformation and the fight against climate change; the fight against hunger and the provision of assistance to migrant populations; the promotion of a culture of peace, justice and the fight against inequality; and the strengthening of institutional capacities for the management of co-operation.

The ENCI 2023-2026 outlines Colombia’s approach along the policy, strategic and implementation levels. The policy objectives identify the main changes expected from the implementation of the strategy and strategic direction should generate new opportunities in the field of international co-operation. Finally, the management and implementation guidelines support the design of sectoral and territorial action plans, both as a recipient and as a provider of development co-operation.

As part of its development co-operation strategy, Colombia is increasingly focusing on initiatives in the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions, as reflected through regional co-operation projects with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development on the green and blue economies.

FOCAI also finances humanitarian assistance to countries affected by natural disasters and crises caused by political and economic shocks, through financial and in-kind support, including food aid.

Estimates of international development co-operation

Colombia’s South-South co-operation is implemented through bilateral co-operation, regional projects, strategic alliances, triangular projects and humanitarian assistance, all of which are financed through FOCAI. According to OECD estimates based on available information from the government of Colombia, Colombia’s international development co-operation amounted to USD 4.39 million1 in 2023. This figure does not include assessed contributions to the multilateral system.

Triangular co-operation

The Colombian government is committed to elevating South-South and triangular co-operation to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – as established at the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Co-operation (BAPA+40). Colombia prioritises countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa for this co-operation, as well as other plurilateral mechanisms such as the Pacific Alliance, the Andean Community and the Mesoamerica Project.

In 2023, 80 new South-South and triangular co-operation projects were approved2. The Latin America and the Caribbean region hosts a total of 71 initiatives. In addition, in 2023, seven bilateral co-operation programmes were signed with Argentina, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and in the Caribbean region (CARICOM + Aruba and Curaçao). The initiatives’ main sectors of intervention are strengthening institutions and public policies, as well as agriculture, culture and the environment.

An innovative mechanism for financing projects

Colombia has an innovative mechanism for financing projects called the Tripartite Mechanism for Triangular Cooperation. In this mechanism, the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC-Colombia), the European Union and Germany work together in a horizontal manner (for example on the monitoring of land degradation and desertification), creating space for dialogue and joint decision making.

Each of the partners provides an annual contribution of EUR 250 000 to the Mechanism’s Fund to finance three technical co-operation projects with the participation of at least one Latin American partner and the technical support of a European partner.

Source: Information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia/APC-Colombia.

Learn more about triangular co-operation and Colombia’s number of projects through the OECD’s voluntary triangular co-operation project repository. Colombia is a member of the Global Partnership Initiative on Effective Triangular Co-operation.

Institutional set-up

The three main actors in Colombia’s development co-operation system are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (International Cooperation Directorate), APC‑Colombia and the National Planning Department. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formulates and guides Colombia’s foreign policy, APC-Colombia is the technical and financial co-ordinator of the non‑reimbursable international co-operation that the country receives and provides.

The National System of International Co-operation, established in 2022 and led by APC‑Colombia, is aimed at enhancing institutional capabilities to co-ordinate international co-operation at the subnational level in accordance with both sectoral and territorial policies. The system presents a law enforcement mechanism to strategically align international co-operation with Colombia’s institutional efforts in support of its dual role as a provider and recipient of ODA, based on programmatic and operational scenarios considering the 2030 Agenda, international commitments and co-operation frameworks agreed upon between the Colombian government and international donors.

Additional resources

Colombia’s National Strategy for International Cooperation (ENCI), https://www.apccolombia.gov.co/comunicaciones/publicaciones/enci-2023-2026 (in Spanish)

Presidential Agency for International Cooperation (APC-Colombia), “Colombia’s role in the SDGs”, https://www.apccolombia.gov.co/seccion/rol-de-apc-colombia-en-los-ods (in Spanish)

Government of Colombia, National Development Plan 2022-2026 “Colombia World Power of Life”, https://colaboracion.dnp.gov.co/CDT/portalDNP/PND-2023/2023-05-05-texto-conciliado-PND.pdf (in Spanish)

APC-Colombia (2023), Accountability Report, Presidential Agency for International Cooperation, https://www.apccolombia.gov.co/sites/default/files/2024-01/2023%20Informe%20de%20Gestio%CC%81n.pdf (in Spanish)

APC-Colombia (2023), Budget approved in fiscal year 2022 onwards, https://www.apccolombia.gov.co/transparencia-y-acceso-la-informacion-publica/4-planeacion/presupuesto-aprobado-en-ejercicio-1 (in Spanish)

Member of the OECD since 2020. Not a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

Colombia is an Adherent to the OECD Recommendation of the Council for Development Co-operation Actors on Managing the Risk of Corruption and the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development. In 2019 and 2021, Colombia participated in the LAC-DAC Dialogue on Development Co-operation.

Notes

← 1.  This includes expenditures in technical co-operation (flights, hotels, logistics) and the so-called strategic partnerships and humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian assistance to Slovenia was excluded.

← 2.  Information reported by Colombia during the production of this 2024 Profile.