LAW 679 OF 2001

(August 3) 

by means of which a statute is issued to prevent and counteract exploitation, pornography and sexual tourism with minors,

in development of article 44 of the Constitution. 

 

THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC

DECREE:

 ARTICLE 1o. OBJECT. The purpose of this law is to provide protection measures against exploitation, pornography, sex tourism and other forms of sexual abuse with minors, through the establishment of preventive and sanctioning norms, and the issuance of other provisions in development of the law. Article 44 of the Constitution.

 ARTICLE 2o. DEFINITION. For the purposes of this law, a person who has not reached the age of eighteen years is understood to be a minor.

 ARTICLE 3o. AREA OF APPLICATION. This law will be subject to natural and legal persons of Colombian nationality, or foreigners domiciled in the country, whose activity or social object has a direct or indirect relationship with the commercialization of goods and services through global information networks, providers of tourist services referred to in article 62 of Law 300 of 1996 and other natural or legal persons of Colombian nationality, or foreigners domiciled in the country, who may generate or promote national or international tourism.

Also subject to this law are natural persons who, having their domicile abroad, carry out by themselves or on behalf of a company the activities referred to in the first paragraph of this article, provided they enter Colombian territory.

In the same way, by virtue of the international cooperation provided for in article 13, the National Government will incorporate the contents of this law into international treaties and conventions, so that its application can be extended to natural or legal persons. foreign, domiciled abroad, whose corporate purpose is the same as that referred to in the first paragraph of this article.

CHAPTER II.

THE USE OF GLOBAL INFORMATION NETWORKS IN RELATION TO MINORS.

 ARTICLE 4o. EXPERT COMMITTEE. Within the month following the effective date of this law, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute will form a Commission composed of legal and technical experts, and experts in global information and telecommunications networks, with the purpose of preparing a catalog of abusive acts in the Use and exploitation of such networks in relation to minors. The Commission will propose technical initiatives such as detection, filtering, classification, elimination and blocking of harmful content for minors in global networks, which will be transmitted to the national government with the purpose of dictating measures in development of this law.

The members of the Commission will be employees of the existing personnel plant in public entities whose function is the protection of the minor and the communications area, and their designation will correspond to their legal representative. In any case, the Director of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, the Ombudsman, an expert in computer crimes of the DAS, the Attorney General of the Nation, and to his meetings the delegate for Colombia will be invited. Unicef

The Commission referred to in this article will submit a written report to the National Government within four months of its formation, stating the conclusions of its study, as well as the proposed recommendations.

 

PARAGRAPH. The Committee of Experts referred to in this article will cease to function permanently, once the report for which it will be formed has been submitted. However, the National Government may convene it whenever it deems it necessary for the full fulfillment of the purposes set forth in this law.

 ARTICLE 5o. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION. Regulated by National Decree 1524 of 2002. Based on the report referred to in the previous article, the national Government, with the support of the Telecommunications Regulation Commission, will adopt the administrative and technical measures aimed at preventing the access of minors from age to any form of pornographic information, and to prevent the use of global information networks for the purpose of sexual exploitation of children or offering commercial services that imply sexual abuse with minors.

The regulations on administrative and technical measures will be issued by the National Government within six (6) months following the effective date of this law.

 ARTICLE 6o. SELF-REGULATION SYSTEMS. The national Government, through the Ministry of Communications, will promote and encourage the adoption of self-regulation systems and codes of conduct that are effective in the management and use of global information networks. These systems and codes will be developed with the participation of organizations representative of the providers and users of global information network services.

For these purposes, the Ministry of Communications will summon the subjects referred to in article three of this law, to formulate in writing their proposals for self-regulation and codes of conduct.

The codes of conduct will be agreed within the year following the effective date of this law and a copy will be sent to the General Secretaries of the Senate and the Chamber.

ARTICLE 7o. PROHIBITIONS The providers or servers, administrators and users of global information networks will not be able to:

1. Host images, texts, documents or audiovisual files on their own site that directly or indirectly involve sexual activities with minors.

2. Host pornographic material on your own site, especially in the form of images or videos, when there are indications that the people photographed or filmed are minors.

3. Host links or links on their own site, on telematic sites that contain or distribute pornographic material related to minors.

 

ARTICLE 8o. HOMEWORK. Without prejudice to the obligation of denunciation enshrined in the law for all residents of Colombia, providers, administrators and users of global information networks should:

1. To report to the competent authorities any criminal act against minors of which they are aware, including the dissemination of pornographic material associated with minors.

2. Combat with all the technical means at your disposal the dissemination of pornographic material with minors.

3. Refrain from using global information networks to divulge illegal material with minors.

4. Establish technical blocking mechanisms by means of which users can protect themselves or their children from illegal, offensive or undesirable material in relation to minors.

ARTICLE 9o. INFORMATION POINTS. The Ministry of Communications will create within the month following the issuance of this law, a direct telephone line that will serve as an information point for providers and users of global information networks about the legal implications of its use in relation to this law.

Likewise, within the aforementioned term, it will create an electronic page in the global networks, to which the users can send themselves to make complaints against pornography events with minors and to indicate the electronic pages in which sexual services are offered with minors or pornography with minors, as well as to point out the authors or those responsible for such pages.

In the event that the Ministry of Communications receives by telephone or electronic complaints that may be of a criminal nature, they must be immediately sent to the competent authorities, in order to carry out the corresponding investigation.

ARTICLE 10. ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS. The Ministry of Communications will take measures based on the complaints made, and will sanction the suppliers or servers, administrators and responsible users operating from Colombian territory, successively as follows:

1. Fines of up to 100 legal minimum wages in force.

2. Cancellation or suspension of the corresponding electronic page.

For the imposition of these sanctions, the procedure established in the Contentious Administrative Code will be applied with observance of the due process and criteria of adequacy, proportionality and recidivism.

PARAGRAPH. Added by art. 3, Law 1336 of 2009

 CHAPTER III.

PROCEDURAL PERSONNEL AND SENSITIZATION ACTIONS.

ARTICLE 11. PROCEDURAL PERSONNEL. Any natural or legal person will have the obligation to report to the competent authorities any fact that violates the provisions of this law. The associations of parents of family and other nongovernmental organizations whose object is the protection of the childhood and of the rights of the minors, will have procedural personality to denounce and to act like part in the administrative and judicial procedures directed to the repression of the abuse sexual activity of minors.

The Ombudsman's Office and the municipal offices will provide all the legal advice required by the associations of parents to exercise the procedural rights referred to in this article. Failure to comply with this obligation constitutes a serious disciplinary offense.

 ARTICLE 12. SENSITIZATION MEASURES. The authorities of the different territorial levels and the Colombian Family Welfare Institute will implement public awareness actions on the problem of prostitution, pornography and sexual abuse of minors. The National Government, through the Ministry of Education, will supervise the measures that in this respect are dictated by the departmental, district and municipal authorities.

PARAGRAPH 1o. Public awareness measures means any program, campaign or plan to inform by any means about the problem of prostitution, pornography with minors and sexual abuse of minors; on its causes and physical and psychological effects and on the responsibility of the State and society in its prevention.

PARAGRAPH 2o. The Attorney General's Office, through the Delegate for the Defense of the Family and the Minor and the Judicial Prosecutors, will monitor and control the respective cases.

CHAPTER IV.

INTERNATIONAL SCOPE MEASURES.

 ARTICLE 13. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIONS. The National Government will take the necessary measures to defend the fundamental rights of children and increase the effectiveness of the rules of this law, through international cooperation actions in line with the global nature of the problem of sexual exploitation, pornography and tourism to sexual practices with minors. In this regard, the President of the Republic may adopt the following measures:

1. It will suggest the inclusion of norms to prevent and counteract the sexual abuse of minors in the Tourist Cooperation Agreements that are celebrated with other countries.

2. Take the initiative for the adoption of international agreements that allow the exchange of information about individuals or companies that offer services related to the sexual exploitation of minors, pornography with minors and tourism associated with sexual practices with minors, through the use of global information networks or any other means of communication.

3. Encourage the execution of mutual assistance and judicial cooperation agreements regarding evidence of crimes associated with sexual exploitation, pornography with minors and tourism associated with sexual practices with minors.

4. It will facilitate world meetings of UNICEF in Colombia in order to address the problem of sexual abuse with minors.

5. Encourage the exchange of information, statistics and the unification of the world legislation against the sexual exploitation of minors.

6. Offer or grant the extradition of foreign citizens who are accused of conduct associated with sexual exploitation and pornography with minors and tourism associated with sexual practices with minors. For such purposes, the existence of a public treaty will not be necessary, nor will it be required that the act that motivates it be repressed with a certain minimum sanction of deprivation of liberty, although in the rest the extradition must be implemented in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. .

7. Take concrete and immediate measures tending to the repatriation of minors who have left the country illegally or for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

 

ARTICLE 14. DENIAL AND CANCELLATION OF VISAS. No visa of any kind may be granted to enter into Colombian territory foreigners against whom any preliminary investigation, criminal or police proceeding has been initiated in any State, or fines have been imposed, or an assurance measure has been issued, or a conviction has been issued. Executed for crimes of sexual exploitation or against the liberty, modesty and sexual education of minors.

Likewise, at any time the visa already granted will be canceled, without prejudice to the corresponding criminal action that the Colombian State must advance to ensure the sanction of such punishable acts.

For the same reasons, deportation, expulsion and inadmissibility to Colombian territory will proceed.

These measures will also be adopted in relation to those who have been accused of promoting, facilitating or concealing such crimes, in any State.

ARTICLE 15. INFORMATION SYSTEM ON SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST CHILDREN. For the prevention of sexual crimes against minors and the necessary control over those who commit, promote or facilitate, the Ministry of Justice and Law, the Administrative Department of Security, DAS, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare and the Attorney General de la Nación will develop an information system in which a complete database of crimes against liberty, modesty and sexual training committed on minors, their authors, accomplices, pimps, both convicted and accused is available .

The Administrative Department of Security and the Attorney General of the Nation will promote the formation of an international information service on people who are accused or convicted of crimes against liberty, modesty and sexual training on minors. For this purpose, the competition of the international police agencies will be sought.

 CHAPTER V.

MEASURES TO PREVENT AND CONTRARY TO SEXUAL TOURISM.

 ARTICLE 16. TOURIST PROMOTION PROGRAMS. The providers of tourist services listed in Article 62 of Law 300 of 1996, and other natural or legal persons that may generate national or international tourism, shall refrain from offering tourism promotion programs, expressly or surreptitiously, exploitation plans. sexual activity of minors. Likewise, they will adopt measures to prevent their workers, dependents or intermediaries from offering tourist orientation or sexual contacts with minors.

​

PARAGRAPH. The Ministry of Economic Development will require tourist service providers to accept commitments or codes of conduct, in order to protect minors from all forms of exploitation and sexual violence caused by domestic or foreign tourists.

The Codes or commitments of conduct will be filed in the Ministry of Economic Development in a maximum term of six (6) months counted from the effectiveness of this law, and will be given wide dissemination.

ARTICLE 17. DUTY OF WARNING. The hotel or lodging establishments will include a clause in the lodging contracts that celebrate as of the effectiveness of this law, informing about the legal consequences of the exploitation and sexual abuse of minors in the country.

Travel and tourism agencies will include information in the same sense in their tourist advertising.

Domestic or foreign airlines will inform their users on international trips to Colombia about the existence of legislation against the sexual exploitation of minors.

ARTICLE 18. INSPECTION AND SURVEILLANCE. The Ministry of Development will inspect and control tourist promotion activities with the purpose of preventing and counteracting prostitution and sexual abuse of minors in the sector and will punish the providers of tourism services involved.

ARTICLE 19. INFRACTIONS. In addition to the infractions provided for in article 71 of Law 300 of 1996, the providers of tourist services may be subject to administrative sanctions, without prejudice to criminal penalties, when they incur in any of the following conducts:

1. Use advertising that expressly or surreptitiously suggests the provision of sexual tourist services with minors.

2. Provide information to tourists, directly or through their employees, about places where they are coordinated or where sexual services are provided with minors.

3. Driving tourists to establishments or places where prostitution of minors is practiced.

4. Conduct minors, directly or through their employees, to the places where tourists are staying, even if they are located on the high seas, for the purpose of prostitution of minors.

5. Lease or use vehicles on tourist routes for the purpose of prostitution or sexual abuse with minors.

6. Allow the entry of minors into hotels or places of accommodation and lodging, bars, similar businesses and other tourist establishments for the purpose of prostitution or sexual abuse of minors.

 

ARTICLE 20. SANCTIONS. The Ministry of Economic Development will impose the following sanctions, in accordance with the procedure established for this purpose in Law 300 of 1996:

1. Fines for up to three hundred (300) minimum monthly legal salaries in force, which will be allocated to the Tourism Promotion Fund for the purposes of this law.

2. Suspension for up to ninety (90) calendar days of registration in the National Tourism Registry.

3. Cancellation of the inscription in the National Registry of Tourism that will imply the prohibition to exercise the tourist activity during five (5) years from the sanction.

The Ministry of Economic Development may delegate this monitoring and control function to territorial entities. This delegation, however, does not exclude the responsibility of the delegator for the actions or omissions of the delegates.

 PARAGRAPH. Individuals or legal entities that have been sanctioned for violating the provisions of this law may not be beneficiaries of the Tourism Development Certificate contemplated in article 48 of Law 383 of 1997 and Decree 1053 of 1998.

 ARTICLE 21. TOURIST PROMOTION FUND. Repealed by art. 20, Law 1101 of 2006. In addition to the functions assigned to the Tourist Promotion Fund created by Article 42 of Law 300 of 1996, this will be aimed at financing the implementation of prevention policies and campaigns for the eradication of tourism associated with practices sexual activities with minors, which will be drawn up by the Ministry of Economic Development in coordination with the Colombian Family Welfare Institute.

​

A percentage of the resources of the Tourism Promotion Fund from the budget item that the National Government allocates annually and the total amount of the fines imposed by the Ministry of Development to the providers of tourist services, as established in this law and in the numeral 2o. of article 72 of Law 300 of 1996, will be used for this purpose. The national government will regulate the matter.

The Director of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute will be invited to the meetings of the Fund's Steering Committee, whenever the destination of the resources referred to in the preceding paragraph is discussed.

ARTICLE 22. TAX TO VIDEOS FOR ADULTS. The commercial establishments, when they rent X-rated video films for adults, will pay a tax corresponding to five percent (5%) on the value of each video rented, destined to the financing of the plans and programs of prevention and fight. against sexual exploitation and pornography with minors.

ARTICLE 23. DEPOSIT TAX. The foreigner, at the time of departure from Colombian territory, will cover the value corresponding to one United States dollar, or its equivalent in Colombian pesos, for the financing of plans and programs for the prevention and fight against sexual exploitation. and pornography with minors.

ARTICLE 24. FUND AGAINST THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS. Create the special account called Fund against the sexual exploitation of minors, attached to the Colombian Family Welfare Institute.

The main objective of the Fund is to provide income for social investment in order to guarantee the financing of plans and programs for the prevention and fight against sexual exploitation and pornography with minors and, more precisely, for the following purposes: construction of homes or children's shelters, aid programs, orientation, rehabilitation and physical and psychological recovery of minors who have been subject to sexual exploitation; financing of repatriation programs for Colombians who have been sexually exploited; and financing of dissemination mechanisms for the prevention of criminal actions in the area of ​​trafficking in women and children.

The specific sources of the resources destined to the fund account, will be the following:

1. The items assigned to it in the national budget.

 

1. The resources coming from internal and external credit.

 

1. The donations you receive.

2. Resources of national or international cooperation.

 

1. Others who obtain in any capacity.
   
   PARAGRAPH 1. The Board of Directors of the ICBF will define each year what will be the specific expenses charged to the fund, taking into account the investment conditions established in this law. There will always be an appropriation within the budget assigned to ICBF to promote special education, which will present new vocational alternatives that will guide them towards decent work, for minors who are subject to exploitation or sexual practices. It will also include a specific appropriation to investigate the causes and solutions of the subject matter of this law.
   
   The conclusions of these investigations will serve to define the programs and projects that will be executed in the following fiscal periods.
   
   PARAGRAPH 2. The computer of the expense will be the same computer of the ICBF.
   
   PARAGRAPH 3. Subrogated by art. 21, Law 1336 of 2009. The financial management of the account will be done through a fiduciary entity, supervised by the Banking Superintendency. The ICBF will advance the bidding process and the conclusion of the fiduciary assignment contract.
   
   PARAGRAPH 4. The Government will regulate what is related to the functions and responsibilitie of the Board of Directors of the ICBF and the authorizing officer of the expense in relation to the Fondo account, while the internal and fiscal control must be carried out in accordance with the constitutional and legal norms in force.
   
   PARAGRAPH 5. The collections referred to in articles 22 and 23 of this law will be specifically allocated for the purposes set forth in this statute.

 

CHAPTER VI.

POLICE MEASURES.

ARTICLE 25. SURVEILLANCE AND POLICE CONTROL. The National Police will have, in addition to the functions assigned constitutionally and legally, the following:

1. To carry out surveillance and control of hotel and lodging establishments, tourist attractions and other places that, in the opinion of the ICBF, the Ministry of Economic Development and the National Police itself, warrant special vigilance for signs of sexual exploitation of minors.

2. Support administrative investigations conducted by the Ministry of Economic Development in compliance with this law.

3. Channel complaints filed in violation of the provisions of this law.

4. Inspect and immobilize vehicles in tourist areas when there are serious indications that they are used for the sexual exploitation of minors. These vehicles may be seized and auctioned for the payment of compensation that is caused by the crime whose commission is established within the respective criminal process.

ARTICLE 26. The National Police will periodically inspect the houses of lenocinio, in order to prevent and counteract sexual exploitation, pornography and all kinds of sexual practices with minors. The owner or manager of the establishment who opposes, will be forced to close it for fifteen (15) business days, without prejudice to the inspection being carried out and the criminal action that may arise.

Proceed with the definitive and immediate closure of the establishment, when cases of sexual acts involving minors are discovered or when any type of pornographic material in which minors are involved is found.

The temporary and definitive closing will be of competence of the inspectors in the first instance and the mayors in second, following the procedure of the respective Police Code or, failing that, of the Administrative Contentious Code, without prejudice of the penal and pecuniary sanctions to which there is place.

​

ARTICLE 27. HELP TELEPHONE LINE. The National Police, in a term no longer than fifteen (15) days from the effective date of this law, at all territorial levels, will designate an exclusive line of help for minors who are the object of abuse or abuse Sexual abuse and to receive reports of acts of sexual abuse with minors, or of generation, commercialization or distribution of materials such as texts, documents, files or audiovisuals with pornographic content of minors.

ARTICLE 28. TRAINING OF POLICE STAFF. The National Police will periodically dictate courses and training programs, in order to update the police personnel on the current legislation on the sexual exploitation of minors, sale and trafficking of children, pornography with minors and minor care with basic needs totally unsatisfied. The Inspector General of the National Police and the National Commissioner for the Police will carry out the necessary controls to ensure compliance with this function, without prejudice to the oversight that corresponds to the control agencies.

PARAGRAPH. The Colombian Family Welfare Institute and other public entities, at all territorial levels, whose functions are related to the protection of minors, will contribute to the training of members of the National Police.

ARTICLE 29. REGISTER OF CHILDREN WHO ARE DISAPPEARED. The National Police will keep a registry of missing minors, in relation to which it will establish search and return priorities to their families. Children who have been missing for more than three months must be included in the international communications on missing persons at the Interpol headquarters.

ARTICLE 30. CUSTOMS SURVEILLANCE. The importation of any type of pornographic material in which minors are inv ARTICLE 31. PLANS AND SECURITY STRATEGIES. The governors and mayors will include measures to prevent and eradicate the sexual exploitation of minors, pornography and tourism associated with sexual practices with minors in the plans and comprehensive security strategies that are dealt with in article 20 of the Law 62 of 1993 and norms that modify it. Failure to comply with this duty will be disciplined as a serious offense.

ARTICLE 32. NATIONAL POLICE COMMISSION. Two (2) representatives of Colombian non-governmental organizations, whose corporate purpose includes the protection and defense of minors, will have their seat in the National Commission of Police and Citizen Participation.

CHAPTER VII.

CRIMINAL MEASURES.

ARTICLE 33. ADD ARTICLE 303 OF THE PENAL CODE WITH THE FOLLOWING SUBSECTION. "If the agent performs any of the behaviors described in this article with people under the age of fourteen by virtual means, using global information networks, will incur the corresponding penalties reduced by a third party."

TRANSITORY PARAGRAPH. As soon as Law 599 of 2000 comes into force, this article will have the number 209.

ARTICLE 34. Add a new article to the Penal Code, with the number 312A, of the following tenor:

Article 312A. Use or provision of means of communication to offer sexual services for minors. Anyone who uses or facilitates traditional mail, global information networks, or any other means of communication to obtain sexual contact with minors under the age of eighteen (18), or to offer sexual services with them, shall incur a prison sentence of five ( 5) to ten (10) years, and a fine of fifty (50) to one hundred (100) minimum legal monthly salaries in force.

The penalties indicated in the previous paragraph will be increased up to half (1/2) when the conducts are carried out with children under twelve (12) years old.

TRANSITORY PARAGRAPH. As soon as Law 599 of 2000 enters into force, this article will have the number 219A.

ARTICLE 35. Add a new article to the Penal Code, with the number 312B, of the following tenor:

Article 312B. Denial of complaint. Whoever, because of his office, position, or activity, has knowledge of the use of minors for the performance of any of the conducts provided for in this chapter and omits to inform the competent administrative or judicial authorities about such events, having the legal duty to do so, will incur a fine of ten (10) to fifty (50) minimum legal monthly salaries in force.
 

If the conduct is carried out by a public servant, the loss of employment will also be imposed.

TRANSITORY PARAGRAPH. As soon as Law 599 of 2000 enters into force, this article will have the number 219B.

CHAPTER VIII.

FINAL PROVISIONS.

ARTICLE 36. Modified by art. 13, Law 1336 of 2009. STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION. In order to know the social, individual and family risk factors that favor the sexual exploitation of minors, as well as the consequences of abuse, the National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE, will perform a statistical investigation that will be updated periodically and that will raise at least the following information:

1. Quantification of minors sexually exploited, by sex and age.

2. Places or areas of greatest incidence.

3. Quantification of the clientele by nationality, social class (s).

4. Forms of remuneration.

5. Forms of sexual exploitation.

6. Occurrence of tourism associated with sexual practices with minors.

7. Level of education of minors sexually exploited.

The district and municipal governors and mayors, as well as the indigenous authorities, shall provide the National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE, with all the necessary collaboration, at the departmental, district and municipal levels, to carry out the investigation.

The natural or legal persons, of any order or nature, domiciled or resident in the national territory, are obliged to provide the National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE, with the data requested in the development of their investigation.

The data provided to the National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE, in the development of the investigation may not be disclosed to the public or to entities or official agencies, or public authorities, but only in numerical summaries, which do not make it possible to deduce of them, any information of an individual nature that could be used for purposes of discrimination.

The National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE, may impose fines of between one (1) and fifty (50) minimum legal monthly salaries in force, as a sanction to the natural or legal persons or public entities referred to in this article and that fail to comply with the provisions of this rule or hinder the completion of the investigation, prior to the processing of brief and summary procedure that guarantees the right of defense.

This information will serve as a basis for the authorities to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors, and to protect and assist child victims in order to facilitate their recovery and reintegration within society.

​

ARTICLE 37. SPECIAL COMMISSION. The boards of the Senate of the Republic and of the House of Representatives shall appoint a special commission composed of five (5) senators and five (5) Representatives, including the authors and speakers of this law, in order to advise and collaborate with the National Government in the development of this law, as well as assessing compliance by the authorities. This Commission may recommend to the boards of directors the legal modifications it deems pertinent.

ARTICLE 38. BUDGETARY OPERATIONS. The National Government is authorized to adopt the measures and carry out the budgetary operations necessary for the fulfilled execution of this law.

ARTICLE 39. VALIDITY. This law governs from its publication and repeals all rules that are contrary.

The President of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

MARIO URIBE ESCOBAR.

The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

MANUEL ENRÍQUEZ ROSERO.

The President of the honorable House of Representatives,

BASILIO VILLAMIZAR TRUJILLO.

The Secretary General of the honorable House of Representatives,

ANGELINO LIZCANO RIVERA.

REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA - NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Publish and comply.

Given in Bogotá, D.C., on August 3, 2001.

ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO

The Minister of the Interior, in charge of the functions of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,

ARMANDO ESTRADA VILLA.

The Minister of Justice and Law,

RÓMULO GONZÁLEZ TRUJILLO.

The Minister of Finance and Public Credit,

JUAN MANUEL SANTOS CALDERÓN.

NOTE: Published in the Official Gazette 44.509 of August 4, 2001.