Project description

Title: Advising the High Commission for Reintegration in Colombia
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Colombia
Lead executing agency: High Commission for Reintegration (ACR)
Overall term: 2008 to 2010

Context

Colombia’s development is marked by the violent internal conflict between a number of violent non-state actors and the state security forces that has persisted for several decades. Since August 2002 there has been a government reintegration programme for members of the illegal groups opting to leave the armed struggle and reintegrate into civilian life. Between 2002 and 2008, around 47,000 former combatants, including 33,000 members of the paramilitary AUC (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia), opted for demobilisation. The framework for investigating and dealing with the crimes committed as well as for reparation and reconciliation is provided by the Justice and Peace Law (Ley Justicia y Paz, 975) of 2005.

Since September 2006, the process has been coordinated by the High Commission for Reintegration (Alta Consejería para la Reintegración – ACR) and implemented decentrally with the help of forty regional offices. The sustainability of the High Commission’s work depends largely on whether the social and socioeconomic reintegration of former fighters into civilian life succeeds. In view of the structural causes of conflict that continue to exist, there are still major hurdles to overcome, particularly in rural areas.

Objective

The High Commission for Reintegration documents and analyses the reintegration process at local and national level.

Approach

The central methodological element is advising the High Commission for Reintegration on developing a monitoring and evaluation system and documenting and analysing the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process since August 2002. GTZ has commissioned the Bonn International Center for Conversion with providing the advisory services.

ACR staff receive expert advice on developing a range of instruments to measure the reintegration process on the basis of objective and verifiable indicators, and in applying the instruments in four pilot regions. Advice is being given primarily to ACR staff in Bogotá and, in a pilot study, to staff in four selected advice centres outside the capital.

Expert advice is also being given on documenting and analysing the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process from 2002 to 2009. The documentation and analysis of the current process serves to identify successful, transferable models for future reintegration projects in Colombia.