Alfonso López Caballero, Ambassador of Colombia
Talk in the House of Commons on Monday 30 October 2006
EDUCATION:
BSFS International Affairs, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown
University, Washington, D.C.
MBA, Institut Europeen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD)
Fontainebleau, France.
M.a.: M. Phil (Ph. D., candidate). Economics, Columbia University, New York.
POSITIONS HELD:
Assistant Manager, First National City Bank of New York, Business Consultant, Arthur Young & Co., Congressman, Senator, Ambassador of Colombia to France, Minister of Agriculture, Ambassador of Colombia to Canada, Minister of the Interior, Minister in charge of President functions (During Presidential trips abroad), Government negotiator with the Farc guerrilla during the Peace Process.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES:
Professor of Macroeconomics, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano.
Professor of Financial; Management, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano.
Professor of Latin-American Economics, Universidad de Los Andes.
HE Alfonso López Caballero shared a few thoughts about Colombian
foreign relations with the assembled group on: the context of foreign policy, immediate goals, changes in Colombia, and emphasis of the Government at the current time.
Colombia is a very good example as far as a good foreign policy is
concerned. It is a peaceful country and believes in multiculturalism. There is a strategic relationship with the US and the strongest problem is terrorism and drug trafficking.
The emphasis on foreign policy is a shared responsibility campaign.
There has been a raising of the profile of the fight against drugs at both ends.
In 1990 the drugs problem was very large. Cocoa is not a traditional
crop in Colombia but in the last ten years Colombia has become the
largest cocoa producer of the world. In ten years the increase was
from 9,000 to 160,000 hectares increase in production.
Paramilitaries grew exponentially in the 1990s and Colombia was
isolated internationally; it became a centre for international
concern. The main points on the international agenda are: trade,
terrorism, human rights and the environment. Colombia is making an effort to face these challenges.
Half of Colombia is rainforests and there is a widespread concern for
the environment and preservation of the ozone layer. Pollution is one of the major negative side effects of the drug trade. There is a
'shared responsibility' campaign against the destruction of the environment.
Human rights is a major and delicate issue. Colombia has been
democratic for many years and there is a vibrant Opposition: not
authoritarian. The Government does not have a monopoly over all
influences. Organised crime is very unfortunate but is not aided and
abetted by the Colombian Government.
Colombia follows a high principled foreign policy and there is a need
for the international community to co-operate.