A/HRC/7/39
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IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
92. The office in Colombia of OHCHR has continued to support and follow up the
implementation of the recommendations made to all relevant institutions in previous
reports. The results have been of a varied nature. Noteworthy achievements include the
strengthening of the mechanisms for working with the Government, particularly with the
Ministry of Defence and the armed forces, and the progress made in judicial investigations
of the links of political leaders with paramilitary groups. There is however a need for
further progress in the fight against impunity. The economic and political structures of the
demobilized paramilitary groups need to be dismantled. The illegal armed groups continue
to disregard the recommendations.
93. The office in Colombia intends to take advantage of the extension of its mandate to
undertake a review of all the recommendations made during the past 10 years. This
exercise will attempt to assess progress, identifying pitfalls and updating pending
recommendations where necessary. The follow-up of the recommendations will be
re-evaluated in order to promote implementation through more effective, permanent,
coordinated and participatory mechanisms.
94. The High Commissioner encourages the authorities to pay special attention to the
following recommendations. She is firmly convinced that their implementation will
contribute to a substantial improvement in the human rights situation and in respect for
international humanitarian law:
(a) The High Commissioner calls on the Government, the illegal armed groups and
civil society to give priority to full respect for international humanitarian law and human
rights, particularly the rights of victims, in their efforts to chart a course for dialogue and
negotiations for the achievement of lasting peace;
(b) The High Commissioner reiterates the importance of follow-up and
implementation of previous recommendations pending. She invites the Government and
civil society to continue to progress jointly and systematically in their efforts to establish
methodologies to improve implementation of those recommendations. She hopes that the
mechanisms set up for this purpose in 2006 will be maintained, and thanks the
international community for its permanent accompaniment, which she urges it to continue.
She trusts that these efforts will enable priority themes of the National Action Plan on
Human Rights and international humanitarian law to be consolidated, and that this Plan
will address the causes of the principal challenges in this area;
(c) The High Commissioner calls on members of illegal armed groups to practice
full respect for the norms of international humanitarian law and to release, immediately
and unconditionally, all those they are holding as hostages;
(d) The High Commissioner urges the Ministry of Defense and the Attorney
General’s Office to implement effective means of dismantling all forms of illegal armed
groups that have emerged after the demobilization process began, and to take all measures
required to dismantle the political and economic structures of the demobilized paramilitary
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