Whole‑of‑Government Approaches to Development Co‑operation: Colombia
Table of contents
This country note provides an overview of key characteristics of whole-of-government co-ordination in development co-operation in Colombia based on desk research and interviews held with relevant stakeholders. This note complements the OECD DAC peer-learning exercise, Whole‑of‑Government Approaches to Development Co-operation (OECD, 2026[1]). The note highlights institutional arrangements, co-ordination mechanisms and quality assurance processes in place to support a whole-of-government approach to development co-operation. Data in this note reflect the latest available year.
Whole-of-government and whole-of-society co-ordination are central pillars of Colombia’s development co-operation, rooted in a maturing co-ordination system. Colombia seeks to align national priorities, foreign policy objectives and cross-government technical expertise, while engaging co-operation partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector “to transform challenges into opportunities for sustainable development” (APC-Colombia, 2024[2]).
Colombia’s dual role as both provider and beneficiary of development co-operation makes effective co-ordination particularly important. Although it is an upper-middle-income country and an OECD Member, Colombia relies on official development assistance (ODA) to address persistent challenges related to poverty and inequalities,1 and broader economic and social vulnerabilities. As a provider, Colombia prioritises technical assistance through capacity strengthening and knowledge sharing. This combination creates a unique context to explore whole-of-government approaches to development co-operation. This country note focuses on Colombia’s role as a provider of development co-operation.
Colombia is playing a leading role in South-South (SSC) and triangular co-operation (TrC) in international and regional fora. Colombia promotes SSC and TrC in regional and multilateral settings, including the Pacific Alliance, the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB in Spanish), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (OECD/IsDB, 2025[3]). In 2025-26, Colombia holds the presidency of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean States, and hosted the first High-Level Forum with Africa in Bogota (MFA, 2026[4]). As Vice-Chair of the UN High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, Colombia represents the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean countries.
Co-ordination is at the core of Colombia’s strategy for international co-operation, aligned with its national development plan and global goals. The 2023-26 National Strategy of International Co‑operation (ENCI in Spanish) commits to inter-institutional co-ordination and intersectoral approaches, a priority outlined in the 2023-26 National Development Plan (NDP). The NDP, approved every four years, defines national objectives and priorities. The ENCI strategy is anchored in the national plan, reflecting the country’s development co-operation priorities and international commitments. Colombia has pioneered the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into both national and co-operation strategies since the SDGs were adopted (OECD, 2023[5]).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) holds the political mandate for development co-operation offered and received, while the development agency ensures technical intra-policy co-ordination2 and the planning entity oversees inter-policy alignment3(Infographic 1). The MFA defines foreign policy guidelines for international co-operation and manages relations with partner countries through its embassies abroad. Its International Co-operation Directorate oversees South-South and Triangular co‑operation relations with bilateral partners. The Presidential Agency for Development Co-operation (APC-Colombia in Spanish) co-ordinates the technical and financial co-operation that Colombia provides and receives (Colombian Presidency, 2011[6]). The Offer and Inter-institutional Directorates liaise with national public entities to co-ordinate expertise and needs, ensuring alignment with foreign policy, development objectives and national priorities. The National Planning Department4 (DNP in Spanish) co‑ordinates across the government at all levels the formulation of national development priorities set out in the NDP, monitors its implementation and inter-policy alignment (MFA, 2022[7]). While both MFA and DNP sit on APC's Governing Board at the ministry/director level, APC-Colombia functions as an independent development agency reporting directly to the President, by whom its Director General is directly appointed.
Several ministries and local governments have their own co-operation offices and action plans, requiring major efforts to ensure policy coherence and inter-institutional co-ordination. Although all national entities are expected to align their action plans with Colombia’s national development plan, the efforts to integrate with the ENCI vary, leading to potential sectoral clashes and differing priorities (Gamba, unpublished[8]). Ministries such as health, environment and education, to mention a few, have their own foreign affairs and co-operation offices. The focal points at APC-Colombia’s Directorate for Interinstitutional Co-ordination, are responsible for liaising with sectoral ministries and territories, and help promote coherence and co-ordination.
Note: National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES)
Source: Author’s adaptation based on APC (2023[9]), ENCI 2023-2026. Colombia's Naitonal Strategy for International Cooperation (ENCI) 2023-2026, https://www.apccolombia.gov.co/comunicaciones/publicaciones/enci-2023-2026.
Colombia’s South-South co-operation functions through two-track co-ordination – diplomatic stewardship by the MFA and institutional mobilisation by the APC – aiming to deliver political legitimacy and operational efficacity across government. The MFA channels co-operation demands from partner countries received by its embassies to APC-Colombia, and provides foreign policy endorsement for accepted projects. APC-Colombia, in turn, serves as the technical co-ordinator, translating the demands into concrete project partnerships by engaging ministries, and other public and private entities through a public call for proposals led by the Directorate for Interinstitutional Co-ordination (APC-Colombia, 2026[10]). This division of labour helps ensure that South-South co-operation is simultaneously aligned with Colombia's foreign policy priorities and grounded in the technical capacity of Colombian institutions.
Through the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES), APC-Colombia provides technical and financial co-operation, as well as humanitarian assistance. APC-Colombia’s Directorate for International Co-operation Offer proposes programmes and projects to be financed and co-ordinates financial execution and mobilisation of additional resources, including in-kind contributions. According to OECD estimates, Colombia’s international development co-operation amounted to USD 6.9 million in 20255 (OECD, 2026[11]). According to SEGIB, between 2022 and 2023 Colombia implemented 311 South-South and triangular co-operation initiatives: 63% through bilateral SSC, 22% regional SSC, and 15% TrC. In bilateral and regional projects, Colombia mainly acted as both provider and beneficiary, while it was mostly a beneficiary in triangular co-operation6 (SEGIB, 2024[12]).
The National System for International Co-operation of Colombia (SNCIC in Spanish) is the governance instrument for ensuring co-ordination and strategic complementarity. Established by the presidential Decree 603 in 2022, the SNCIC serves as a platform to articulate national and subnational entities, as well as the private sector and non-governmental actors, aiming at enhancing effectiveness and alignment of Colombia’s international co-operation, both offered and received (MFA, 2022[7]). The ENCI 2023-26 and the national plan 2022-26 emphasise strengthening co-ordination and strategic complementarity across the actors within the system to effectively address territorial and sectoral priorities (DNP, 2023[13]).
While the SNCIC has formalised mechanisms for co-ordination, the SNCIC is not the first attempt at system-wide co-ordination. Its predecessor, the SNCI (Sistema Nacional de Cooperación Internacional in Spanish) was created in 2003 and first mentioned in the 2007-10 ENCI strategy but lacked clear structure and defined roles. It gradually disappeared from subsequent national strategies, only reappearing formally in the ENCI 2019-22 (Gamba, unpublished[8]). It was not until ENCI 2023-26 that a governance structure for co-ordination was established.
The SNCIC operates through three governance levels: strategic (policy guidance), programmatic (technical co-ordination), and operational (implementation and monitoring) (see Infographic 1). The Strategic Committee defines foreign policy guidelines, development priorities, and technical standards outlined in the national development strategy. It is led by the Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs of the MFA, the Director General of APC-Colombia, and the Director General of the DNP. The Programme Committee guides co-ordination between national and territorial entities and monitors co-operation programmes with bilateral and multilateral partners. It involves the Director of International Co-operation of the MFA, the Deputy Director of Credit of the DNP, and the Director of Inter-institutional Co-ordination of APC-Colombia. This programmatic body can also invite other national and subnational entities managing international co-operation, as well as representatives from civil society, academia, the private sector, philanthropy, and bilateral and multilateral partners. The Operational Committee brings together sectoral and territorial working groups to frame and co-ordinate international co-operation projects (MFA, 2022[7]).
Decree 603 further defined the roles within the SNCIC for entities operating at both the strategic and programmatic levels. The MFA oversees policy coherence within the system and monitors initiatives and commitments set out in Joint Commissions (Comisiones Mixtas in Spanish)7 with partner countries. APC-Colombia articulates implementation through Colombian multi-stakeholder working groups, fostering dialogue, co-creation, knowledge sharing and promoting the use of the SNCIC for better co-ordination among actors. The DNP provides technical support to the MFA and the agency in securing external or internal funding for co-operation programmes, and co-ordinates the issuance of technical opinions on access to non-reimbursable development co-operation. Sectoral ministries are expected to contribute by sharing information and participating in capacity-building initiatives (MFA, 2022[7]).
The multi-stakeholder working groups support strategic planning and help co-ordinate actions, yet challenges persist in navigating complexity and ensuring policy coherence. Under the Directorate of Inter-institutional co-ordination of APC-Colombia, the working groups establish action plans, guide joint initiatives, and foster dialogue among national entities, local authorities, the private sector, academia and civil society. In 2024, five sectoral and five territorial working groups were formed to co-ordinate all stakeholders involved in the SNCIC system. By 2025, there were 11 sectoral and intersectoral working groups, including those on peace, social progress and equality, migration, justice, and energy transition (APC-Colombia, 2026[14]).8 Of 285 initiatives in 2024, 71% involved international co-operation via cross-sector initiatives (APC-Colombia, 2025[15]). There are also 24 territorial working groups, covering 73% of the country (El Espectador, 2025[16]). In 2025, 53 South–South co-operation projects were approved and co-ordinated through SNCIC’s sectoral and territorial working groups (DNP, 2025[17]). Existing sectoral and territorial working groups have successfully broadened stakeholder co-ordination, but their increasing number has also added complexity and risk of inter-sectoral duplications. There is also a risk that Colombia’s role as a provider of international co-operation may be overlooked and not fully integrated across the SNCIC system.
DNP plays a key role through the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) in Colombia’s cross-government co-ordination mechanisms. The CONPES convenes all ministries to guide the country's economic and social development priorities, with the DNP serving as its Secretariat (DNP, 2025[18]). The DNP oversees the monitoring and evaluation of the national plan, which CONPES approves and submits to Parliament for ratification. DNP monitors the implementation of the national plan, the peace agreement, and the National System for Evaluation and Results on climate action (SINERGIA in Spanish). It also tracks Colombia’s progress towards the SDGs and produces the voluntary national review for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (DNP, 2024[19]). Since 2022, the DNP has led a Multi-Actor Platform for the SDGs, to promote knowledge exchange, intersectoral co-ordination, and strategic partnerships among national and local government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and international co-operation partners around the 2030 Agenda (DNP, 2022[20]). This platform operates in parallel to the SNCIC and can overlap with sectoral and territorial working groups.
Monitoring and evaluation are fundamental to Colombia’s ENCI strategy with transparency and effectiveness as central objectives. This approach aligns with the National Development Plan, which sets out targets and indicators, including SDG indicators for all public entities. APC-Colombia publishes annual results reports containing both quantitative and qualitative data on non-reimbursable development co-operation received and offered by Colombia, based on information reported across government. It also tracks progress of sectoral and territorial actions plans developed by the multi-stakeholder working groups under the SNCIC (MFA, 2022[7]).
APC-Colombia hosts CICLOPE, a reporting system for non-reimbursable development co-operation received. Through CICLOPE, the agency records details about programmes, projects, activities, and commitments involving non-reimbursable international co-operation, categorised by national, departmental and municipal levels (APC-Colombia, 2020[12]). While public entities are encouraged to report the co-operation they manage to APC-Colombia and participate in evaluation sessions, reporting remains voluntary. Other public entities also have their own systems and/or repositories to report on their results (Gamba, unpublished[8]). As information related to other co-operation financing and instruments, such as loans, is currently split between APC-Colombia, DNP and the Ministry of Finance, CICLOPE maintains incomplete and less granular information. CICLOPE’s data supports accountability and oversight, being periodically required by the Attorney General’s Office, the National Office of the Comptroller General, and Congress (Gualberti et al., 2022[21]). APC-Colombia’s 2026 Action Plan commits to improving CICLOPE data quality, with dedicated resources (APC-Colombia, 2026[22]).
Further integration of Colombia’s co-operation offer into reporting practices and systems can enhance quality assurance, while addressing the challenges of measuring SSC and triangular co-operation. CICLOPE does not systematically cover the international co-operation Colombia offers, which mainly involves technical co-operation. As outlined in the UN Framework for Measuring SSC, in which Colombia served as a pilot country, 90% of South-South co-operation flows are delivered through non-financial modalities, underlining the importance of a tailored, detailed approach for reporting quantitative and qualitative information about SSC (OECD/IsDB, 2025[3]). Through its participation in the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) Learning and Acceleration Programme in 2025, Colombia is leading a Framework for Assessing the Effectiveness of SSC, based on it’s a multidimensional index developed between 2020 and 2022, which was piloted in seven countries (Bangladesh, Cabo Verde, Colombia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Kenya and Mexico). This initiative will involve a pilot implementation in 2026, through a voluntary, country-led self-assessment aligned with shared principles and global development commitments (GPEDC, 2025[23]), aiming at facilitating measurement of SSC. Colombia also contributes to SEGIB data collection efforts and has engaged in the Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) dialogues.
FOCAI's quality assurance framework assesses the viability of SSC and TrC before funds are committed, based on institutional agreement of members of the directive level. Proposals for SSC and TrC must promote capacity building and technical, scientific or technological exchange, be primarily oriented towards knowledge generation and technical assistance, and involve institutions – whether national or foreign – with proven technical, financial, and operational capacity to execute and institutionally absorb the results. At the directive level, the MFA or APC-Colombia can authorise funding for technical co-operation and operational expenses for SSC activities.9 At the methodological level, the proposals must be submitted to APC-Colombia, which ensures national and foreign policy alignment and coherence. At the partnership viability level, proposals must be directly tied to the requesting country's development plan or co-operation strategy, set achievable results within the execution timeframe, include a clear budget, and explicitly demonstrate the potential for replication and institutional sustainability of the experience transferred (APC-Colombia, 2012[24]). The National Office of the Comptroller General exercises external fiscal control over FOCAI.
Knowledge management and innovation are at the core of Colombia’s co-operation strategy ENCI 2023-26. Colombia commits to improve its institutional and management process to enable effective knowledge management and innovation, which are considered “not as a complement to management, but as strategic tools to be used for any action that is planned, implemented, and evaluated” (APC-Colombia, 2023[9]). At the systemic level, the sectoral and territorial working groups of the SNCIC serve to share knowledge and good practices. In the Action Plan 2026, the APC’s Directorate for International Co-operation Offer has been tasked with establishing a roadmap for knowledge management and innovation, with an assigned team and resources (APC-Colombia, 2026[22]). A toolkit and knowledge hub on SSC were also created and made available to all national and sub-national entities, as well as academia, civil society and the private sector, to support the development and implementation of SSC initiatives. These resources include training sessions, communities of practice, and templates for designing, monitoring, and evaluating both SSC and triangular projects (APC-Colombia, 2026[25]).
APC-Colombia has been identifying, documenting, and systematising successful experiences of collaboration between national, territorial and non-governmental entities to be used for South-South co-operation. Compiled by the Directorate for International Co-operation Offer, the Portfolio of Best Practices of South-South Co-operation consists of 31 practices involving national, local and non-governmental entities (APC-Colombia, 2025[26]). Each practice presents the project, the institutions involved, the allocated resources, and the monitoring and evaluation measures. It also presents their respective alignment with the 2030 Agenda and the national development plan. For instance, the practice on improving the quality of maternal and child health involves the Ministry of Health, Sinergias nonprofit organisation, and local authorities. The youth programme “Work Experience in the Public Sector”, targeting young people from vulnerable territories, involves the Ministry of Labour, the National Learning Service (SENA in Spanish) and the Civil Service Administrative Department (APC-Colombia, 2025[26]).
APC-Colombia has set a plan for strategic communications (2024-26) to strengthen the visibility of the SNCIC system. The strategy includes targeted events such as the annual SNCIC event, the South-South Co-operation Day, and the Partnerships for Results awards, all jointly co-ordinated between the agency, the foreign ministry and the DNP. The objective is to consolidate the use of the SNCIC and foster collaboration among actors in the system, particularly through multi-stakeholder working groups, highlighting the opportunities for development co-operation offered by Colombia. In its 2026 Action Plan, APC-Colombia allocates resources to managing and disseminating information about Colombia’s SSC and triangular co-operation (APC-Colombia, 2026[22]).
Colombia is strengthening institutional capacity for international co-operation across the system, although staff turnover remains a challenge. Strengthening the management and co-ordination of international development co-operation across the SNCIC system is one of the objectives set out in the ENCI 2023-2026, in line with the National Strategy 2023-26. APC-Colombia leads this effort through a structured capacity building programme with three interconnected components – training and upskilling, technical assistance, and knowledge exchange – delivered through partnerships with institutions such as the Public Administration School (ESAP) and the Inter-American Development Bank, the latter reaching over 1 000 participants across all 32 departments, national entities, and civil society organisations (APC-Colombia, 2026[14]). Beyond formal training, the agency developed an APC-Colombia Model – a simulation and co-creation space engaging national and local actors. These initiatives foster capacity building not just within APC-Colombia, but across national, subnational, academic, and civil society actors that constitute SNCIC system. However, frequent staff turnover in Colombia’s public entities poses a significant challenge to sustaining these capacity gains and ensuring continuity.
Colombia’s South-South Co-operation on Peace programme uses whole-of-government co-ordination to leverage horizontal partnerships and co-creation of strategies. Part of the “From Colombia to the World” initiative, the programme is demand-driven and locally led10, aiming “to turn Colombia's trajectory to peace into a global public good” (Espectador, 2026[27]) by fostering horizontal dialogue, co-creation, capacity strengthening and action on the root causes of violence (APC-Colombia, 2026[28]). The 2024-2025 programme had a COP 2.6 billion (USD 650,000) budget from FOCAI and is implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and PROCASUR (APC-Colombia, 2024[29]). Through the Peace Working Group of the SNCIC, APC-Colombia co-ordinates more than 13 ministries, specialised agencies, 11 subnational governments, civil society academia and multilaterals, offering partner countries a cross-government, multi-level experience for managing complex transitions to peace. The SSC programme operates through three workstreams: Learning Pathways, Global Network of Talents for Peace, and International Co-operation Management for Peace. Colombia has shared its peace expertise with Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria and the Philippines (OECD, 2026[11]).
We do not export models; we share lessons learnt in the midst of adversity and put them at the service of other countries to strengthen their institutional and community capacities.
Eleonora Betancur González, former APC-Director (Espectador, 2026[27]).
Colombia’s whole-of-government approach provides a solid foundation for co-ordination, with the potential to ensure integration and sustainability. Colombia has established an institutional set up and co-ordination mechanisms with defined roles that enable cross-government co-ordination and support policy coherence. Alongside presidential decrees that frame whole-of-government co-ordination, legislation could further strengthen the SNCIC by clarifying mandates and ensuring political continuity of the system.
Operationalising the SNCIC in the context of Colombia’s dual provider-recipient role will require sustained effort, simpler processes and adequate resources. Streamlining co-ordination between the MFA, APC-Colombia, and DNP, while ensuring sufficient institutional capacity and multiannual resources, is essential amid political changes and staff turnover. Colombia’s provider role can also be further integrated across the SNCIC system. Strong strategic direction and co-ordination will help Colombia navigate changing development co-operation landscape, including declining ODA receipts and the changing nature of support, while positioning itself as a South-South and triangular co-operation provider.
Strategic complementarity and clear accountability mechanisms are essential to preserve coherence across government. Further integration of sectoral ministries, clearer accountability arrangements and stronger use of APC‑Colombia’s focal points can help strengthen coherence. As highlighted in APC‑Colombia’s 2025 results report, the SNCIC’s challenge is to ensure active engagement of actors across the full co‑operation value chain, from articulation to monitoring and evaluation (APC-Colombia, 2026[14]). Clearer links with DNP’s multistakeholder SDG platform, which involves many of the same actors and channels of the SNCIC, can further reduce overlaps.
Stronger, more integrated monitoring and evaluation systems offer a concrete lever to improve co-ordination. Making systematic reporting to CICLOPE mandatory, including for non-reimbursable co-operation Colombia receives and provides, can enhance both the availability and completeness of data. Broader reporting of development co-operation instruments would require closer collaboration between APC-Colombia, line ministries, the National Statistics Department (DANE), and the Ministry of Finance, as demonstrated in the successful 2022 TOSSD data pilot (Gualberti et al., 2022[21]). Participation in international reporting, such as TOSSD, could also strengthen capacity for data collection on Colombia’s co-operation, in line with Colombia’s long-standing advocacy for open data on international co-operation. Joint evaluations across the system, currently lacking, could also enhance monitoring and evaluation (GPEDC Country Profile 2026). Given the partnership-based nature of SSC and TrC co-operation, capturing both development and partnership results is essential (OECD, 2019[30]).
Knowledge management and learning are core elements of Colombia’s whole‑of‑government approach. By bringing together government institutions, academia, researchers, and civil society, APC-Colombia is capturing knowledge and learning from practice and sharing it across the SNCIC and beyond. Complementary communication strategies, including publications and social media campaigns, further support shared narratives and cross‑institutional awareness and collaboration.
System‑wide capacity building is a key enabler of effective co‑operation, particularly for South‑South and triangular partnerships. Through targeted training and knowledge exchange, Colombia is strengthening the capacity of national and subnational authorities, academia and civil society to manage and co‑ordinate development co‑operation in line with national priorities. Institutional capacity is a critical enabler of effective South‑South co‑operation, particularly where Colombia has established comparative advantages in areas such as peace, migration and agriculture. Both formal and informal mechanisms for institutional capacity are essential to sustain and scale Colombia’s co‑operation offer.
Colombia’s whole-of-government, whole-of-society and locally led approach to SSC and triangular co-operation demonstrates the value of clear principles and effective institutional arrangements. By aligning co-operation initiatives with national development priorities, leveraging diplomatic and technical co-ordination, Colombia enhances the credibility and sustainability of its co-operation. Its experience highlights the importance of targeted capacity strengthening and knowledge exchange, offering transferable lessons for other development partners seeking to enhance the effectiveness, replicability and long-term benefits of their SSC and triangular co-operation strategies.
References
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[1] OECD (2026), Whole‑of‑Government Approaches to Development Co‑operation: Insights and Lessons from Practice, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/05846ace-en.
[5] OECD (2023), “In focus: Colombia’s approach to targeted development co-operation through national planning”, Development Co-operation Report 2023: Debating the Aid System, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/development-co-operation-report-2023_f6edc3c2-en/full-report/component-33.html#chapter-d1e23410-8483ddc38f.
[30] OECD (2019), Enabling Effective Triangular Co-Operation, OECD Development Policy Papers, No. 23, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5fc4501e-en.
[3] OECD/IsDB (2025), Global Perspectives on Triangular Co-operation 2025, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/f713f2ce-en.
[12] SEGIB (2024), Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Ibero-America 2024, https://informesursur.org/es/report/work-in-progress-report-on-south-south-and-triangular-cooperation-in-ibero-america-2024/.
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← 1. According to the World Bank’s indicators, Colombia’s national poverty rate in 2023 was 34.6%, with a GINI index of 0.53, placing the country among the most inequal of the world. More information about the World Bank’s indicators can be found here: https://pip.worldbank.org/country-profiles/COL.
← 2. Intra-policy co-ordination refers to vertical linkages and alignment of multiple actors across government and at different levels within a single policy area.
← 3. Inter-policy co-ordination entails bringing together multiple ministries, departments or agencies, across different policy sectors.
← 4. The National Planning Department (DNP) reports directly to the Colombian Presidency. As an administrative and technical department, the DNP provides a strategic vision for the formulation of the National Development Plan. It also co-ordinates, designs and supports public policy formulation and manages public resources and policy implementation. More information here: https://www.dnp.gov.co/la-entidad/informacion-general.
← 5. The total figure covers spending on technical co-operation (flights, hotels, logistics), strategic partnerships, and humanitarian assistance. Assessed contributions to the multilateral system are not included.
← 6. According to the 2024 SEGIB report, between 2022-23, Colombia participated in bilateral South-South co-operation, as both provider and beneficiary, in 78 initiatives, served exclusively as provider in 63 initiatives, and as beneficiary in 55 initiatives. Regarding regional South-South co-operation, Colombia engaged as both provider and beneficiary in 54 initiatives, participated as beneficiary in 11, and as provider in 4. Within triangular co-operation, Colombia was the beneficiary in 30 initiatives, acted as the primary provider in 15, and was the secondary provider in 1. Major partners were Peru, Mexico and Chile.
← 7. To date, Joint Commissions for South-South bilateral co-operation are established mainly with Latin American partners.
← 8. The initial sectoral working groups concentrated on peace, re-industrialisation, environment, land reform and energy transition. In 2025, new cross-sectoral working groups were established on social progress and equality, migration, justice, youth, culture and health. The following territorial working groups are currently active: Antioquia, Boyacá, Caquetá, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Guaviare, Córdoba, Huila, La Guajira, Nariño, San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca. The following cities also have special working groups: Cartagena, Barranquilla, Bogotá and Manizales.
← 9. APC-Colombia can independently fund technical co-operation, transfer funds to national entities that provide scholarships or cover operational expenses for SSC activities. Contributions to multilateral organisations or humanitarian donations require authorisation from the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
← 10. Locally led development is where diverse local actors exercise agency across development policy and programme dimensions (framing, design, delivery, learning, accountability) in given local operating contexts. More information here: https://doi.org/10.1787/51079bba-en.
← 11. Specialised agencies include the Victims Unit, the Reintegration Agency, and the Land Restitution Unit.