A/HRC/13/72
102. In November, OHCHR-Colombia and the Government exchanged letters on the
cooperation to be provided for the 2010/2011 biennium and made a commitment to monitor
measures adopted by the Ministry of Defense to overcome extrajudicial executions.
103. OHCHR-Colombia provided logistical support for the visits of four special
rapporteurs and the Deputy High Commissioner, and expresses its thanks for the full
cooperation received from the Colombian State and civil society organizations in this
endeavour.
104. During 2009, OHCHR-Colombia printed and distributed 103,179 copies of various
publications, of which 18 were new and 10 reprinted; 1,008 press notes appeared in mass
media about OHCHR-Colombia; 31 press releases were issued; and, for the first time, a 24hour Internet concert was organized to celebrate International Human Rights Day.
OHCHR-Colombia has opened Facebook and Twitter accounts, where news, issues and
human rights promotion tools are publicly discussed and disseminated.
V.
Recommendations
105. The High Commissioner reiterates her previous recommendations and again
urges the Government, illegal armed groups, and civil society at large to give priority
to full respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. Further, the
High Commissioner, with a view to contributing to achieve lasting peace through
dialogue and negotiations:
(a)
Reiterates the call on all parties to the conflict to fully accept and abide
by international humanitarian law, respecting the life, integrity, property and
autonomy of the civilian population, without exception, in particular the most
vulnerable, and insists that illegal armed groups release all kidnapped persons
immediately and unconditionally, immediately stop child recruitment and release all
children recruited;
(b)
Urges the Government to implement the 15 measures established by the
Ministry of Defense in an effective manner, and to protect victims, witnesses and
judicial officials involved in the prosecution of extrajudicial executions, and requests
strict adherence to the limitations of military jurisdiction;
(c)
Also urges the Government to guarantee the protection of the civilian
population from the organized violence perpetuated by illegal armed groups that
emerged after the demobilization of paramilitary organizations, by implementing
appropriate strategies to combat them; and recommends increased efforts to prevent,
investigate, prosecute and punish, firmly and without ambiguity, any links, tolerance
or acquiescence by security forces towards these groups;
(d)
Encourages the Attorney General to create a system of reliable
information collection on the occurrence of acts of sexual violence and gender-based
crimes and calls on the Ministry of Defense to undertake a “zero tolerance” policy for
these violations, including the separation from service of those responsible;
(e)
Encourages the relevant authorities to strengthen the work of the Early
Warning System to effectively respond to the alerts issued and to provide adequate
protection to its members;
(f)
Invites the Government to form an inter-institutional working group to
consider, in a concerted, transparent and participatory manner, thorough structural
and procedural reforms to Law 975 (2005), as well as the establishment of non-judicial
transitional justice mechanisms;
20
GE.10-11819
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