memorandum of justification concerning human ... - Just the Facts

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populations, particularly women and children, and to more effectively guard their civil
rights. To fulfill this mission, between June 2008 and April 2009, the government held
18 regional meetings of the Commission and its Technical Committee. In addition, three
studies were done, one each by Valle and Los Andes Universities on socioeconomic
conditions of Afro-Colombians, and one by the Department of National Planning, which
focused on government policies on and resources for Afro-Colombians.
On May 29, 2009, at a ceremony at Cartagena‘s Palace of the Inquisition, the
Commission presented to Vice President Santos the findings of its meetings with over
4,000 representatives of Afro-Colombian communities over the last year and a half.
Central themes were the problem of structural discrimination against Afro-Colombians
within politics and society. The Commission recognized positive steps toward inclusivity
taken by the government, pointing to Law 70, but stressed the need for increased
representation of Afro-Colombians in political parties and the Armed Forces. The
Commission‘s principal recommendations were to:
Increase political representation by encouraging political parties that include
Afro-Colombian candidates;
Increase access and create incentives for public and private institutions, focus
on inter-cultural education, develop a quota system for scholarships for higher
education, strengthen schools in Afro-Colombian municipalities, and create a
national award for ethnic diversity;
Seek participation of Afro-Colombians in the labor market that, at a minimum,
matches the percentage of Afro-Colombians in the country, incorporate
minority-owned businesses in government procurement systems;
Support legislative projects to penalize racism;
Foster entrepreneurship amongst the Afro-Colombian population, create tax
incentives for private sector companies that develop diversity policies, create a
social responsibility certification for companies that develop diversity policies,
include Afro-Colombians in companies that have agreements to conduct
business in Afro-Colombian territories;
Include special mention of inclusion of Afro-Colombians in the Armed Forces;
Develop an ethnic diversity promotion campaign, reinterpret Afro-Colombian
history, create centers that promote Afro-Colombian cultural memory; and
Develop a differentiated approach in governmental information systems so that
they are more inclusive of ethnic minorities.
The Commission also committed to presenting to Congress a law designed to increase
inclusion of Afro-Colombian, Palanquero, and Raizal communities, and did so on July
20, 2009.
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