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Colombia - Governmental Organizations Flags

Administrative Departments

Last modified: 2025-06-27 by daniel rentería
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Overview

The full list of the current six Departamentos Administrativos (Administrative Departments) is as follows, in order of precedence:
- DAPRE (Departamento Administrativo de la Presidencia de la República) (established by Law 3 of August 24, 1898 ) originally denominated as the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, adopting its current denomination through Law 61 of September 30, 1910. (Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic; Source: funcionpublica.gov.co, official website at <www.presidencia.gov.co>)
- DNP (Departamento Nacional de Planeación) which has its origins in the establishment of the Administrative Department of Planning and Technical Services via Law 19 of November 18, 1958 and [2]. (National Planning Department, official website <www.dnp.gov.co>).
- DAFP - Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública (Public Service Administrative Department, official website at <www.dafp.gov.co>)
- DAFP - Departamento Administrativo para la Prosperidad Social (Administrative Department for Social Prosperity)
- DNI - Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia (Administrative Department for Social Prosperity)
- DANE - Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (National Statistics Administrative Department, official website at <www.dane.gov.co>)

There are additional Administrative Departments but not of national scope of operations, labeled as such due to their size and focus, which serve exclusively the city of Bogotá due to its status as a District and they are:

- "Departamento Administrativo de la Defensor"a del Espacio Público, Dadep" (Administrative Department of Defense of Public Space; official website: https://dadep.gov.co/; established in 1965)

- "Departamento Administrativo del Servicio Civil Distrital, DASCD)" (Administrative Department of the District Civil Service) (official website: serviciocivil.gov.co; established in 1974)
Source: alcaldiabogota.gov.co
The Social Prosperity and National Intelligence departments have taken the places of the following, today not having the same status:
- Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación International (Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation)
- DANSOCIAL - Departamento Administrativo de Economía Solidaria (Solidarian Economy Administrative Department, official website at <www.dansocial.gov.co>)
- DAS - Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (Security Administrative Department)

Being totally supressed, in chronological order, are:
- Departamento Administrativo de Higiene y Salud Pública ( Administrative Department of Hygiene and Public Health; established
by Law 1 of January 5, 1931).
- Departamento Administrativo de Comunicaciones eléctricas y postales (Administrative Department of Electrical and Postal Communications)
- Departamento Administrativo de Asuntos seccionales y municipales (Administrative Department of Sectional and Municipal Affairs)
- Departamento Administrativo de Agricultura y ganadería (Administrative Department of Agriculture and Livestock)
- Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (Administrative Department of Security)

Sources: Colombian Presidency official web site, Ministry of Interior and Justice official web site, funcionpublica.gov.co and repositorio.unal.edu.co.
E. R., 3 August 2008 and 5 May 2025

There is one more Administrative Department:
- DPS (Departamento para la Prosperidad Social, Social Prosperity Department) ( official website) (formerly "Acción Social" (Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación International).
This new Administrative Department encompasses the following institutions:
- ICBF;
- ANSPE (Agencia Nacional para la Superación de la Pobreza Extrema - National Agency for the Overcome of Extreme Poverty) ( official website);
- Centro de Memoria Histórica (Historical Memory Center) ( official website);
- Unidad (Especial Administrativa) para la Consolidación Territorial (Special Administrative Unit for Territorial Consolidation) ( official website) (similar status to UAEAC);
- Unidad (Especial Administrativa) para la Atención y Reparación Integral a las Víctimas (Special Administrative Unit for Attention and Full Reparation of Victims) ( official website) (similar status to UAEAC);
Sources: http://www.dps.gov.co/contenido/contenido.aspx?catID=3&conID=544&pagID=820
http://www.icbf.gov.co/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/274095.PNG
Esteban Rivera, 04 April 2015

The "Departamentos Administrativos" or Administrative
Departments were first established by the National Constitution of 1886 in Article 132. They were later amended through Constitutional Reform enacted via
the Legislative Act 1 of June 18, 1945. It modified the 1886 Constitution in its Article 120 adding the category of (national) government entities and de jure becoming part of the Executive Power together with the President and its Cabinet of Ministers.


Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación International

There's a new Bill recently approved by Congress that creates another Administrative Department. The Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación International (commonly known as "Acción Social") (Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation) will be established as an Administrative Department and will be in charge of taking care of the victims of the Colombian Armed conflict from 1985 onwards. Victims from previous years (1984 and backwards will only be compensated simbolically).
Source: http://www.cmi.com.co/?nt=61683
Acción Social was established through Decree No. 2467 of July 2005. Source: http://www.accionsocial.gov.co/contenido/contenido.aspx?catID=3&conID=544&pagID=821
In this new reorganization, Acción Social will be merged with the CNRR (Comisión Nacional de Reparación y Reconciliación) (National Reparation and Reconciliation Commission), in order to provide victims of the armed conflict with integral social and economic support. The CNRR emerged from Law Ley 975 of 2005 dubbed "Justicia y Paz" (Justice and Peace). The CNRR was established through Decree No. 4760 of 2005.
Source: http://www.cnrr.org.co/contenido/09e/spip.php?article2629
Esteban Rivera, 13 April 2011


Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica (National Center for Historical Memory)

CNMH flag   CNMH flag
images located by Esteban Rivera, 1 August 2023

The "Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica" (English: National Center for Historical Memory) is a government agency attached to the Administrative Department for Social Prosperity. It is in charge of preserving the memory of the internal armed conflict in Colombia.

It was created by the "Ley de Víctimas y Restitución de Tierras" (English: Victims and Land Restitution Law) 1448 of 2011 (http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1448_2011.html) (although there were previous written reports as early as 2008) and is in charge of contributing to the duty of memory of the State on the occasion of the violations that occurred in the framework of the Colombian armed conflict. It also helps in comprehensive reparation and the right to the truth of which the victims and all of society as a whole are holders.
Source: https://centrodememoriahistorica.gov.co/contexto/

The flag is a white horizontal background with the logo in the middle.

Logo


image located by Esteban Rivera, 1 August 2023


DANE - Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (National Administrative Statistics Department)

Inscribed Version


flag photo from Twitter, logo from Facebook

No Full Inscription


flag photo from LinkedIn, logo from geoportal.dane.gov.co

(1970–2023) version


flag photo from sitios.dane.gov.co, logo from YouTube at 0:17

The "Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, DANE" or National Administrative Department of Statistics is a government organization in charge of planning, collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of official statistics of the country.

It traces its origins to the National Statistics Office established in 1923 within the General Comptroller of the Republic, to be renamed "Dirección Nacional de Estadística" (National Statistics Directorate) by Decree 2240 of October 25, 1951 to later adopt its current denomination and status by Decree 2666 of October 14, 1953.
Sources: [1], , [2], , [3], [4], [5], and [6].

The flag is a white horizontal background with the logo in the middle, the logo being a punch card used to register data.
Esteban Rivera, 20 April 2025

IGAC - Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi


flag photo from elafrobogotano.com/co; logo from antiguo.igac.gov.co

Variant 1 (Seal format)


from Twitter

Variant 2 (Text above and under)


from miputumayo.com.co

The IGAC traces its historical background dates as far back as the work of the "Comisión Corográfica" (Chorographic Commission) in 1850. Later it was followed by the establishment of the Office of Longitudes and Borders in 1902 (operational only since 1910) dependant on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current organization was first established as "Instituto Geográfico Militar" (Military Geographic Institute) through Decree 1440 of August 13, 1945) formally the "Departamento de Levantamiento del Estado Mayor General del Ejército" (Department of Survey of the General Staff of the Army). In 1940 it is transferred to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. In 1950 it adopts its current denomination in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Chorographic Commission and in 1957 it is formally designated the Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (Agustín Codazzi Geographical Institute) through) Decree 290 of November 8, 1957 and established as a decentralized government organization. Later through Decree 1174 of June 29, 1999 it is transferred to the DANE. Its main functions are:
Produce the official map and basic cartography of Colombia.
Prepare the national real estate cadastre.
Conduct an inventory of soil characteristics.
Conduct geographic research to support territorial development.
Train and educate professionals in geographic information technologies.
Coordinate the Colombian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ICDE).
Sources: igac.gov.co antiguo.igac.gov.co, antiguo.igac.gov.co, igac.gov.co, YouTube and wikipedia.org

The logo was established in the 1990's, its flag being white with the logo placed upon it.
Source: Corporate Identity Manual
Esteban Rivera, 29 May 2025


DAS - Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (Administrative Security Department)


image by Eugene Ipavec, 9 November 2005


image by Eugene Ipavec, 9 November 2005


reverse
image by Eugene Ipavec, 2 March 2006


Coat of Arms
image contributed by E. R., 12 June 2005

Translated from <www.das.gov.co> (located by Dov Gutterman): "On rectangular shape, is formed by sky blue and white colors in two equal horizontal bands, with sky blue on top and white on bottom, the national tricolor will appear in circular 'cucarda' shape in the center of the flag."  
Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (Administrative Security Department), is Colombia's secret police, in charge of home land security, immigration, emigration, bodyguards for public servants, criminal investigations, etc.
Carlos Thompson, 5 November 2004

Coat of Arms of DAS (Security, Intelligence and Secret Service) is taken from the book "Himnos y Símbolos de Nuestra Colombia" , page 278. Written in 2000 by Julio Cesar García, edited by Camer Editores. ISBN 958-33-1489-7.
E. R., 12 June 2005

There is an additional flag which has the same color pattern, only with the DAS Coat of Arms in the middle.
E. R., 9 November 2005


Unidad Administrativa Especial (UAE) - Migración Colombia


image by Zoltan Horvath, 18 March 2015

On March 11 on the online version of local newspaper "El Mundo" (The World), I found this article regarding the new appointmen of former Dirección Nacional de Migración (National Director of Migration,a ctually a wrong comment by the newspaper, since the official name of his post is Director General de Migración, Migration Director General) to a new post, I came across a new government agency flag. In the article, one can see a picture showing the flag of the UAE (Unidad Administrativa Especial) - Migración Colombia (Special Administrative Unit - Migration Colombia), like Aerocivil for instance. When looking through other sources (including official websites) I found that the picture on the newspaper is actually an official photo (as seen here:
Source: http://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/index.php/prensa/comunicados/comunicados-2014/diciembre-2013/1749-christian-krueger-es-el-nuevo-encargado-de-la-direccion-general-de-migracion-colombia
The flag is a green/white/green horizontal flag, with the logo in the middle.
Migration duties (immigration and emmigration) where once carried out by DAS but since January 1, 2012 they are carried out by this new gonvernment agency.
Sources: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/content/ya-est%C3%A1-en-operaci%C3%B3n-la-unidad-administrativa-especial-de-migraci%C3%B3n-colombia
http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/colombia/migration
For additional information go to: Migración Colombia (official website) http://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/
Esteban Rivera, 16 March 2015


Unidad Nacional de Protección (UNP)


image by Zoltan Horvath, 22 March 2015

The UNP (Unidad Nacional de Protección, Protection National Unit) is an entity created to supress the DAS (regarding the tasks of protecting VIP personalities). It was created by Decree No. 4065 of 2011 and regulated by the Decree No. 4912 of 2011. It is in charge of articulating, coordinating and executing the protection service to VIP's according to the Government's designation.
The flag is a grey horizontal flag with the logo in the middle, as seen in this picture (the UNP flag is on the right, and the logo is on the middle). The logo resembles a police badge with a stylized (an Andean) Condor (Vultur gryphus) on top. On top it reads in latin capital letters "PER VITAM HOMINUM TUENDAM"
Source: http://www.unp.gov.co/organigrama.html
Another image can be seen here
Source: http://www.eluniversal.com.co/politica/ministro-del-interior-reafirmo-proteccion-candidatos-presidenciales-154369
For additional information go to: UNP (official website)
Esteban Rivera, 22 March 2015

I think the UNP flag is not only simple grey, but it is divided diagonally into grey and blue triangles, and logo is placed in the middle of the flag as seen here and here.
Zoltan Horvath, 22 March 2015