A/HRC/10/82
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often are not held. Denmark asked what the Government intends to do to ensure that
consultations take place. It asked what the Government intends to do to ensure that the
continuing and widespread use of torture by security forces is effectively eradicated. It asked if
the establishment of an independent national preventive human rights mechanism could play a
pivotal role. Regarding increased judicial actions on human rights violations in relation to trade
unionists, Denmark noted that, despite the efforts of the Government, information seems to show
that killings of trade unionists have increased in recent years, and asked whether the Government
plans to take further measures to prevent them. Denmark recommended that Colombia (a) step
up efforts to protect its indigenous peoples and install an effective system of consultations with
indigenous peoples; (b) increase efforts to fight torture; (c) ratify the Optional Protocol to the
Convention against Torture and establish a national preventive mechanism; and (d) step up
efforts to protect trade unionists.
36.
Peru congratulated Colombia on its cooperation with special procedures, having extended
them an open invitation and received visits by several mandate-holders. It acknowledged recent
achievements, such as the freeing of hostages and the decisive fight against impunity, hoping
these efforts will not only be maintained but strengthened in coming months so that Colombia
may consolidate these successes in the short term. It requested information on recent efforts,
including legislative measures, to implement a system of compensation and reparations for
victims of violence.
37.
Slovenia commended the State’s ratification of the most important human rights
instruments and for having adopted laws to implement its international obligations, but expressed
concern at the gap between legislation and its implementation. Following the concern expressed
by the Human Rights Committee in 2004 that Colombia does not allow conscientious objection
to military service, Slovenia recommended that Colombia (a) recognize this right in law and
practice and ensure that recruitment methods allow it. The State should guarantee that
conscientious objectors are able to opt for alternative service, the duration of which would not
have punitive effects. It expressed concern about the recruitment of children, with the forced
recruitment of minors by the guerrilla and the paramilitaries estimated at 14,000 minors, citing
the worrying situation in Medellin. It asked the delegation for an update on a request for
transitional measures made in 2005 to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. It
expressed concern that the demobilization process of the paramilitaries had reportedly failed to
hand over a large number of children for their reintegration into society, and recommended that
the Government (b) address the issue of unaccounted for children and guarantee free primary
education as a preventive measure against such recruitments. Concerned also about the alleged
use of children by State security forces in military intelligence activities and through
programmes such as “Soldiers for a day”, it recommended (c) its cessation, in compliance with a
recommendation by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2006. It expressed concern at
the extent of impunity, particularly for those responsible for child recruitment. It hoped to see the
new draft legislation on reparations for victims of the armed conflict as fully comprehensive and
non-discriminatory between victims of State agents and non-State actors, in line with the United
Nations Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation and the
recommendations made by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Colombia. It
congratulated Colombia on having being reviewed on the historic day of the sixtieth anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
38.
Germany asked about plans to ensure the prohibition of extrajudicial killings and
executions is enforced at the operational level. It also asked about specific measures to prevent
public forces from using sexual violence in the context of armed conflicts. Germany asked about
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