Summary:
The law allocates responsibilities for the provision of health and education services, including food catering services in Colombia.
Description:
The law establishes comprehensive rules regarding resources and competencies in alignment with Articles 151, 288, 356, and 357 of the Constitution. It includes regulations to organize the provision of essential services such as health and education in Colombia. Moreover, it states the nature of the General Participation System [Sistema General de Participaciones] through which the national government transfers resources to territorial entities to fund the services specifically assigned to them by law.
Among its provisions, the law mandates that 0.5% of the total resources comprising the General Participation System must be allocated to districts and municipalities for school meal programs (Article 2). This allocation underscores the commitment of both, the national and local governments to addressing student nutrition as a matter of public interest. Article 76 explicitly recognizes school restaurants constitute projects of municipal interest, emphasizing the municipalities’ responsibility to promote, finance, or co-finance these initiatives.
Notably, paragraph 76.17 establishes a clear obligation for districts and municipalities to ensure the provision of school meal services to students within their jurisdictions. the implementation and management of school meal programs funded by resources specifically earmarked for this purpose. By formalizing these responsibilities, the law seeks to strengthen capacities to address food insecurity among students and enhance the education service by ensuring that children and adolescents attending school have access to adequate nutrition throughout their school day.