The Agustín Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Land Restitution Unit and the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation of Colombia signed and subscribed an agreement with the Swiss Confederation, on an event that took place this week in the north of Bogotá.
The agreement, whose value adds to entities 6,8 million Swiss francs(15.182 million Colombian pesos), have a great importance because it”s purpose is to strengthen the data management systems and exchange information among the Land Restitution Unit and the Formalization Program with the IGAC.
“IGAC is interested in contributing to facilitate the process of restitution and formalization, from the technical component to immovable property. All of this with the indeclinable purpose, made by President Santos, to contribute to the effective enjoyment of land rights for victims of forced displacement and, generally , the most vulnerable of the rural area. With the new support offered in this agreement, we will continue striving to fulfill the constitutional and legal mandate to provide better conditions for our peasants and contribute to the building of a peaceful country”, said Juan Antonio Nieto Escalante, general director of IGAC.
On the other hand, Marie Gabrielle Ineichen, Secretary of State for Economic Affairs of Switzerland, said it”s a pleasure to sign the agreement. “I trust in the commitment and friendship of our countries. Institutional ties are numerous and are getting stronger as the years pass. The signature of the Free Trade Agreement between our countries had already been complemented with the double tax agreement, and now with this one. With this agreement cooperation in ensured through three fronts: human, humanitarian and economic security”, said the Swiss representative.
This agreement is complementary to the one signed for IGAC in 2013 with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, whose purpose is also the exchange of information for the development of the rural property formalization of program.
Source: IGAC
