1019 OF 2006

(February 28)

Official Journal No. 46.196 of 28 February 2006

CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC

By means of which the "memorandum of understanding between the government of Australia and the government of Colombia on cooperation in the field of education and training" is approved, signed on 6 August 2002.

THE CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC

Having regard to the text of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Australia and the Government of Colombia on cooperation in the field of education and training ", signed on six (6) August 2002, says:

(To be transcribed: photocopy of the full text of the international instrument mentioned).

BILL NUMBER 203 OF 2004 SENATE

by means of which the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Australia and the Government of Colombia on cooperation in the field of education and training "is approved, signed on six (6) August of 2002.

The Congress of the Republic

Having regard to the text of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Australia and the Government of Colombia on cooperation in the field of education and training ", signed on 6 August 2002.

(To be transcribed: photocopy of the full text of the international instrument mentioned).

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD
OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Guided by the desire to enhance the friendly bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of education and training, and considering the importance of education as a factor of economic development, as well as a means to Closer links between their peoples, the Government of Australia and the Government of Colombia (referred to as the 'Parties') subscribe to the following understandings:

PARAGRAFO 1

This Memorandum of Understanding lays the groundwork for the framework within which the Parties should jointly consider cooperation programs in education and training on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit.

PARAGRAFO 2

The Parties shall do everything in their power to promote and facilitate, as appropriate and in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of both Parties, the development of contacts and cooperation between government agencies, educational institutions, organisations and other entities of Australia and Colombia and the improvement of other conventions between those bodies to carry out the cooperation activities.

For this purpose, each Party may:

a) Facilitate the exchange of academic staff and students between colleges and recognized institutions of higher education and vocational education;

b) Encourage mutual assistance and exchange of information in areas of interest in higher education and vocational colleges;

c) Facilitate the organization of specialized exhibitions and seminars;

d) Support the development of cooperative training, joint research, technology transfer and consortia between the respective authorities and institutions;

e) Promote the development of joint activities aimed at the exploitation of information technology, in particular the Internet, in the field of education;

f) Support the creation of scholarships especially for graduate studies, master's and PhD's in those areas of mutual interest that lead to the formation of human talent;

g) Encourage language exchange between the two countries and language improvement, so that Australia supports the development of training programs in English and Colombia in Spanish;

h) To exchange information on institutions that encourage and regulate education between their countries, higher education academies, universities and other educational institutions;

i) Dispose other forms of cooperation in education and training to be mutually determined.

PARAGRAFO 3

The costs of cooperation activities education in accordance with this Memorandum of Understanding will be funded and determined by each other and subject to the availability of resources.

PARAGRAFO 4

(a) This Memorandum of Understanding shall enter into force on the basis that the Parties are notified by diplomatic notes of compliance with the internal legal requirements necessary for the entry into force of this Memorandum;

(b) This Memorandum of Understanding may be terminated at any time by either Party by written notice of its intention to the other Party. The termination shall be effective one month after the notice;

c) In the event of termination of this Memorandum of Understanding and unless otherwise agreed, the provisions under it shall remain in force until completion, implementation of the procedures, plans and cooperation programs to be done in accordance with this Memorandum;

d) This Memorandum of Understanding may be reviewed or modified by mutual consent. Any change or amendment to this Memorandum of Understanding may be made by written agreement between the Parties;

e) This Memorandum of Understanding shall be valid for five years after which it shall be renewed for a further period of five years, unless otherwise agreed between the Parties.

PARAGRAFO 5

Both Parties will arrange, amicably and without delay, through consultations, any discrepancies arising from this Memorandum.

PARAGRAFO 6

This Memorandum of Understanding is signed in English and Spanish, both texts equally authentic on 6 August 2002.

By the Australian Government,

(Unreadable Signature)

By the Colombian Government,

(Unreadable Signature)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF PUBLIC POWER

PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC

Bogotá, D. C., 3 September 2003

Approved. Submit to the consideration of the honorable National Congress for the constitutional effects.

(FDO.) ALVARO URIBE VELEZ

The Foreign Minister,

(Fdo.) Carolina Barco Isakson.

DECRETA:

Article 1o. I endorsed the "MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING", signed on 6 August 2002.

Article 2o. In accordance with the provisions of article 1 of the 7th Act of 1944, the "MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING", signed on 6 (6) of August 2002, which is hereby approved by the first article of this law, will force the country from the date on which the international link with respect to it is perfected.

Article 3o. This law governs from the date of its publication.

Dada en Bogotá, D. C., a los ...

Presented to the honorable Congress of the Republic by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Education.

The Foreign Minister,

CAROLINA BOAT ISAKSON

The Minister of National Education,

CECILIA MARIA VELEZ WHITE.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Honorable Senators and Representatives:

On behalf of the National Government and in compliance with articles 189 numeral 2, 150 numeral 16 and 224 of the Political Constitution, we present to the Honorable Congress of the Republic the Bill of Law through which the " MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, " Six (6) August 2002.

PREVIOUS CONSIDERATIONS

Diplomatic relations with Australia were established on September 9, 1975. The point of greater rapprochement and political contact between Colombia and Australia is to remain in the "Cairns Group" within the World Trade Organization, the WTO, which together with 15 other countries seek to encourage development and the export of production from the agricultural sector.

In the multilateral arena, Australia is part of important regional Asia-Pacific forums to which Colombia has expressed its repeated interest in joining: APEC, PECC and PBEC. economic cooperation with the Asia Pacific region. However, the refusal of some Member States to admit new countries has affected the progress of Colombia's candidacy to become a member of these Forums; therefore, the subscription and approval of a Memorandum of Understanding of this nature, will be seen by Australia, as a clear testimony that Colombia assumes its international commitments with respect and responsibility.

The tradition of immigrants remains in force in Australia over its 100 years of founding (1901-2001) and the Latin American population has a strong colony after Asian and European in the Australian territory, its permanence has strengthened and enriched the cultural diversity that consolidates Australia's national identity.

The existence in Australia of diverse indigenous peoples who speak more than a hundred different languages, the presence of European colonizers, the influence of the British Commonwealth, coupled with the different migratory currents, made it possible for the validity of the principle of cultural tolerance and community harmony would prevail in a diverse community like the Australian one.

recent years, the Colombian Government has observed the increase of Australia's relations with Latin America, taking into account the relevance acquired by the countries of the Asia-Pacific and the dynamics of the exchange of goods, services and people. The solidarity of the Australian people for the Colombian people has been reflected in the granting of scholarships, in the offer of university quotas for students and in the possibility of employment links for hundreds of compatriots.

Australia is today one of the fastest growing countries within the developing country group, its economy took off thanks to the agricultural, livestock, mining and commercial sectors, just in stages in which they are located. countries like Colombia.

One of the most important channels of rapprochement between Colombia and Australia is the area of education, clearly seen in the large influx of Colombian students to the universities of that country, with the aim of advancing studies both in English learning as for higher education programs. In August 2002, the approximate estimates are 1,432 students in Colombia, the highest number in Latin America after Brazil.

Recent data offered by the Colombian Consulate in Sydney show that the figures are increasing every year; that is, in 2001, 204 Colombian students performed, postgraduate in different areas, excluding students from programs for In 2002, the number of registered post-graduate students rose to 331. These statistics were officially obtained by the institution in charge of international education in Australia-IDP- based on information provided by 39 Australian universities. The report also indicates that the programs of greater acceptance for Colombians after English are those related to business, business administration, economics and finance.

For the purpose of finding formulas so that these opportunities can be given to a greater number of students and also in order to attract Australian students, train Colombian teachers, establish alliances among educational centers This bilateral instrument will facilitate the establishment of higher education, promote the establishment of technical careers, and encourage the exchange of literature, technology transfer and joint research. those objectives. It is to note that this is the first agreement that Colombia subscribes with Australia.

the Colombian Institute of Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad, Icetex, told the Foreign Ministry that the behavior of scholarships with Australia has been fruitful since 1998 when an agreement was reached. inter-agency with the University of Wollongong that has allowed the process of internalization of Colombian education on the continent of Oceania.

For its part, the Ministry of Education of Colombia, MEN, is convinced that with the approval of this Memorandum of Understanding will take advantage of the knowledge and the high technology of Australia in the promotion and export of services educational, virtual and distance education programs, accreditation of virtual programs and quality indicators in the management of the institutions of higher education in Colombia.

Likewise, other entities attached to the Ministry of Education, such as the National Institute for the Blind, Inci, and the National Institute for the Deaf, Insor, find in this agreement, a useful tool for improving and strengthening programs in benefit of the disabled population in Colombia. Thanks to the quality, experience and achievements made by Australia in the language of the signs and its advances in the training of professionals who attend to people with low vision, an academic exchange can be initiated, such as is established by the Memorandum of Understanding, in programs related to visual and auditory limitation between the two countries.

STRUCTURE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE MEMO

The Memorandum consists of a preamble and six paragraphs.

In the preamble, the reasons or reasons that gave rise to the subscription of the memorandum, such as the desire to enhance the bilateral relations in the field of education and training, the importance of education as a factor of economic development and the purpose of having an instrument to strengthen the links between their peoples.

Substantive clauses or clauses constitute the basis of the framework within which the parties will jointly consider the cooperation programs in education and training on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit.

Within the context of the Memorandum is the desire of the Parties to strengthen the bonds of friendship between their respective peoples through knowledge and exchange of their educational values.

The most relevant aspects of this Memorandum to be considered by the Honorable Senators and Representatives are as follows:

1. Facilitate the exchange of students among recognized higher education institutions.

2. Encourage mutual assistance and exchange of information in areas of interest to institutions in higher education.

3. Facilitate the organization of specialized exhibitions and seminars.

4. Support mutual collaboration for training, research, technology transfer, and risk-sharing companies among the respective institutions and authorities of each country.

5. To promote the development of common activities that lead to the exploitation of information technology, especially the Internet, in the field of education.

6. Provide assistance to students, especially for postgraduate and master's studies, in areas of mutual interest, in order to contribute to the development of the human and social resource of both countries.

7. Promote language exchanges in order to develop programs for Colombian English in Australia and Spanish programs for Australians in Colombia.

8. Exchange information on institutions that promote and regulate education between countries, higher education institutions, and other educational institutions.

On the other hand, the instrument clearly states that the costs of cooperation and education activities will be financed and determined by each other and subject to the availability of resources.

the national interest, the clauses of this international instrument, aimed at making effective, in the field of education, the development of the Colombian people and the good relations between the two countries, are of particular importance.

For the above considerations, the National Government, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Education, requests the Honorable National Congress to approve the " Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING ", signed on 6 August 2002.

Honorable Senators and Representatives

The Foreign Minister,

SHIP CAROLINA.

The Minister of National Education,

CECILIA MARIA VELEZ WHITE.

ACT 424 OF 1998

(January 13)

by which follow up on the international
conventions signed by Colombia.

The Congress of Colombia

DECRETA:

Article 1o. The National Government through the Foreign Ministry will submit annually to the Senate and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, and within the first thirty days of the legislative period, which begins every 20 years. July, a detailed report on how the existing International Conventions signed by Colombia with other States are being complied with and developed.

Article 2o. Each dependency of the national government charged with the task of the international treaties of its competence and requiring reciprocity in them, will transfer the relevant information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the latter, to the Commissions Second.

Article 3o. The full text of this law will be incorporated as an annex to each and every International Convention that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents to the Congress.

Article 4o. This law governs from its promulgation.

The President of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

AMYLKAR ACOSTA MEDINA

The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

PEDRO PUMAREJO VEGA

The President of the honorable House of Representatives,

CARLOS SQUIRLA BALLESTEROS

The Secretary-General of the honourable House of Represenants,

DIEGO VIVAS TAFUR

COLOMBIA-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Publish and execute.

Dada en Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C., on January 13, 1998.

ERNESTO SAMPER PIZANO

The Foreign Minister,

MARIA EMMA MEJIA VELEZ.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF PUBLIC POWER

PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC

Bogotá, D. C., 3 September 2003.

Approved. Submit to the consideration of the honorable National Congress for the constitutional effects,

(FDO.) ALVARO URIBE VELEZ

The Foreign Minister,

(FDO.) CAROLINA BOAT ISAKSON.

DECRETA:

ARTICLE 1o. Approve the "MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING", signed on August 6 (6) 2002.

ARTICLE 2o. In accordance with the provisions of Article 1 of the 7th Act of 1944, the " MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF COLOMBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING ", signed on six (6) August 2002, which is approved by Article 1 of this Law, will force the country from the date on which the international link with respect to it is perfected.

ARTICLE 3o. This law governs from the date of its publication.

The President of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

BARBERI ' S CLAUDIA BLUM.

The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

EMILIO RAMON OTERO DAJUD.

The President of the honorable House of Representatives,

JULY E. GALLARDO ARCHBOLD.

The Secretary General of the honorable House of Representatives,

ANGELINO LIZANO RIVERA.

COLOMBIA-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Communicate and comply.

Execute, upon revision of the Constitutional Court, pursuant to article 241-10 of the Political Constitution.

Dada en Bogotá, D. C., at 28 February 2006.

ALVARO URIBE VELEZ

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of the office of the Foreign Minister,

CAMILO REYES RODRIGUEZ.

REPUBLIC OF THE REPUBLIC

General Secretariat (Art. 139 and ss. Law 5th of 1992)

On the 25th of the month of March 2004, the number 203 Bill, with each and every constitutional and legal requirement, was filed in this Issue by Dr. Camilo Reyes, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Exteriors. (E.)

The Secretary General,

EMILIO OTERO DAJUD.

REPUBLIC OF THE REPUBLIC

GENERAL SECRETARY

Processing of Laws

Bogotá, D. C., March 25, 2004

Mr. President:

In order to proceed with the distribution of Bill No. 203 of 2004 Senate, by means of which the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Australia and the Government of Colombia on Cooperation in the Field of Education and Training " signed on six (6) August 2002, I allow me to pass on to your office the file of the mentioned initiative that was presented today to the General Secretariat. The subject matter of the aforementioned bill falls within the competence of the Second Permanent Constitutional Commission in accordance with the laws and regulations.

The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

EMILIO OTERO DAJUD.

PRESIDENCY OF THE HONOURABLE SENATE
OF THE REPUBLIC

Bogotá, D. C., March 25, 2004

In accordance with the report of the General Secretariat, please give the draft of the reference to the Second Constitutional Commission by party and send a copy of it to the National Press in order to be published in the i_aj">Congress Gazette.

Meet.

The President of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

GERMAN VARGAS LLERAS.

The Secretary General of the honorable Senate of the Republic,

EMILIO OTERO DAJUD.