A/HRC/40/78 civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights in a very effective manner. The approach taken in Colombia, as the Board has been able to observe before in other OHCHR country presences should be more widely known, as it may encourage other States to approach OHCHR to support their efforts in regard to human rights. The lessons learned should be applied in the establishment and strengthening of the work of all human rights presences around the world and the Human Rights Council should serve as a channel to recognize and draw attention to the constructive impact of the support received by States. 15. OHCHR in Colombia has been physically present and covered key areas of the country in a sustained manner for many years, even at very difficult moments. It has built trust through continuous provision of support and by being strategic (for example through its work in focused communities). All this has enabled it to enhance the value of its unique mandate and to engage actively with all partners in the country. The Board sees this as a good example of what the principle of “leaving no one behind” represents in practical programming terms on the ground. All the partners the Board met recognized the critical role that OHCHR plays as a main partner in supporting the State with its obligations for the promotion and protection of human rights. That was particularly evident in the space OHCHR provides for dialogue, cooperation and the search for durable solutions for longstanding human rights challenges. The Board was particularly impressed by the public recognition by all institutions of the role of OHCHR, particularly in assisting the victims of human rights violations. The Board met with representatives of many groups, including indigenous peoples, people of African descent, peasants, human rights defenders, journalists and representatives of key State institutions, all of whom expressed their deep appreciation for the role and support that OHCHR has provided through very difficult and challenging times. The role of OHCHR in the current peace process was consistently highlighted. 16. The Board was particularly impressed with the vision and foresight of the OHCHR office in Colombia, working in close cooperation with institutions across the country to redeploy human resources and technical capacity to areas where the situation might deteriorate. That has enabled it to obtain first-hand information, analyse it through its independent and professional lens for early warning of potential problems and provide key advice in a number of policy development processes. That means, as noted by one of the State representatives, that it is able to speak and provide advice with an authoritative voice. OHCHR has managed skilfully and effectively to maintain a delicate balance between advocacy on sensitive human rights issues and good, influential relations with the authorities at all levels. The cooperation and trust that it has managed to nurture have played and continue to play a key role in ensuring, in difficult times, the persistence and coherence of messages, in full conformity with the international obligations of the State. 17. The capacity of OHCHR to understand the situation, challenges and opportunities on the ground was recognized by all interlocutors of the Board as very important. Monitoring and reporting, combined with real-time information-sharing, provide national and departmental authorities with unfiltered information that they can use to intervene in moments of crisis and evaluate the impact of their policies on the ground. OHCHR reports and recommendations, including those from the international human rights mechanisms, are used as a diagnostic tool for advisory and cooperation activities. Its victim-centred approach and continuous support provided to the three mechanisms of the comprehensive transitional justice system is vital. For example, it has provided direct support to the regional liaison officers of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, thus improving the access and participation of victims in rural areas. 18. One of the many positive effects of the final peace accord has been the downscaling of fighting between the armed forces and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC) and Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) groups. During the Board visits however, there were a number of new outbreaks of violence representing a huge challenge to the success of the peace process, a question that was stressed by all actors with whom the Board met. The peace process offers an important opportunity to implement international human rights standards in practice and it is critical that actions are in line with those standards, ensuring that the levels of impunity are substantially reduced and not reinforced. It is critical that all State institutions and actors are 4