During the Second International Forum on Migration and Peace, held
this week in Bogota with support from IOM, Colombia's Vice
President Angelino Garzón expressed his government's
commitment to the internally displaced population and reiterated
their intention to work on the restitution of lands, in partnership
with IOM Colombia.

An estimated three million hectares of farm land has been
abandoned by persons fleeing the violence.

The two-day Forum, attended by government officials,
international and nongovernmental organizations and organized by
the Scalabrini International Migration Network with support from
IOM, aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence in the framework of
international migration and encouraging Latin American governments
to implement policies to protect the human rights of migrants.

Regarding internal displacement, the discussions focused on
violence and its direct impact on migration citing the case of
Colombia, where some three million persons are internally displaced
and living in conditions of extreme vulnerability.

Violence and lack of security and opportunities were recognized
as the main reasons why nearly 4.5 million Colombians (10 per
cent of the population) have chosen to leave the country.

Diego Beltrand, IOM Senior Advisor for the Americas, stressed
that IOM's support has been of fundamental importance in
structuring a policy to promote the human rights of migrants. 
"A year ago, a new migration policy for the Colombian State was
approved, which received technical support from IOM in its design
and formulation.  The policy addresses border management,
human trafficking and the diverse dimensions of migration
management in Colombia, which are also key to building
opportunities for peaceful coexistence."

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel: +57 1 639 7777

E-mail: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int