ID: 1653
Presenting Author: NATALIA CUARTAS
Session: 558 - Justice in the Chain: Human Rights and Engagement in Energy Transition
Status: pending
Lessons learned and preliminary results of a HRIA of the wind sector in La Guajira, Colombia. Intersectionality, participation gaps, consultation flaws and community impacts
To address this challenge, DIHR and CREER conducted a Sector-Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA) of wind energy projects in La Guajira. Combining legal analysis, intercultural dialogues, and multi-stakeholder consultations, the SWIA identified 16 human rights risk situations, grouped into four key areas. First, access to information and participation: communities face misinformation, cultural and accessibility barriers, lack of mechanisms for non-ethnic and Afro-descendant groups, and absence of gender and intersectional approaches in decision-making. Second, prior consultation (CP) processes affecting Wayuu communities: CP is often misunderstood as procedural rather than a fundamental right. Traditional Wayuu governance systems are overlooked, regulatory gaps persist, and unclear rules for CP advisors fuel distrust and conflict. Third, regulatory gaps and limited state capacity: weak institutional coordination, insufficient dialogue mechanisms, and lack of participatory territorial and marine planning compromise governance and rights. Fourth, health, safety, and well-being concerns for communities and vulnerable groups.
These findings reveal an urgent need for inclusive governance, stronger regulations, and culturally appropriate participation. Only by embedding human rights at the heart can Colombia build an energy future that is fair, sustainable, and truly transformative.
Natalia Cuartas is an international human rights expert. She works at the Danish Institute for Human Rights on human rights in business, development and energy transition.
Coauthor 1: VIVIANA ARANGO