A/HRC/31/3/Add.2
undermines the State’s ability to measure the impact of public policy and investment on the
progressive realization of rights.
38.
The presidential office for human rights has a system for managing civil and
political rights information; OHCHR-Colombia has advised the office on the system, but it
requires improvement. No such system exists for information relating to economic, social
and cultural rights. OHCHR-Colombia reiterates that it is available to provide technical
support in constructing and updating basic human rights indicators. The Havana agreements
and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasize the centrality of economic,
social and cultural rights for sustainable development, which obligates the State to maintain
detailed data on the enjoyment of rights, disaggregated by location, age, gender, ethnicity,
disability and other criteria, in order to develop, implement and evaluate public policy.
39.
In 2015, the National Planning Department promoted a public discussion of the
peace process and its potential dividends based on international experiences. In addition to
scarce State presence in various areas, the double challenge of weak institutional capacity,
corruption and illicit co-optation of local State authorities on the one hand, and the poor
quality of results, the lack of oversight and clientelism in policy implementation from
Bogotá on the other, were emphasized. Ensuring gender equity, particularly in conflictaffected areas, was an additional challenge.
2.
Participation and social dialogue
40.
As requested by the negotiating parties, OHCHR-Colombia continued to act as
guarantor/facilitator in social dialogue processes between the Government and social
sectors claiming their rights, including the agrarian negotiating platform, regional platforms
in Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Catatumbo, Sur de Bolívar and central Cesar, and processes
of dialogue with indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombians.
41.
Social protest is a means to demand respect for and fulfilment of human rights and
an opportunity to reorient State policies. The High Commissioner salutes the Government’s
open and positive response to social demands, comprising processes for national, regional
and local dialogue with diverse sectors, including rural and marginalized groups. Dialogue
with conflict-affected rural populations represents a complementary form of participation
towards peace.
42.
OHCHR-Colombia identified various causes of a lack of compliance by
Government with the commitments it acquired through social dialogue. The lack of
appropriate and responsive institutions, institutional readjustment and budgetary restrictions
affected project-implementation commitments negotiated with the agrarian negotiating
platform, for example those made by the Ministry of Agriculture. Flexible, agile
administrative procedures responsive to beneficiary rural organizations were lacking. In
processes such as the Catatumbo regional platform, lack of coordination between national
and local levels affected project sustainability. The Cauca and Antioquia dialogue platforms
relied on local institutions but, despite efforts by the Ministry of the Interior, participation
by other national institutions was inadequate.
43.
Successful social dialogue requires clear agendas, procedures and indicators for
follow-up, and consequences for non-implementation. All affected communities must be
empowered to participate. Strengthened government implementation capacity is necessary,
as are creative alliances with the private sector, civil society and faith-based entities.
3.
Non-recurrence and security sector reform
44.
In 2015, OHCHR-Colombia observed that processes to reform the intelligence
sector lacked high-level civilian leadership. Human rights were not adequately integrated
into intelligence manuals and procedures. In December, journalists investigating alleged
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