A/HRC/10/32
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94. OHCHR Colombia continued to support the drafting of the National Action Plan on
Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law until it became stalled, as well as the
production of the National Human Rights Education Plan. As part of a project co-financed by the
European Union, OHCHR Colombia organized a series of workshops, training and negotiation
sessions to ensure that municipal development plans incorporate the human rights perspective. In
this project, competent authorities were provided with methodological tools for developing such
plans. OHCHR Colombia also provided human rights training tools to the School of Public
Administration.
95. OHCHR Colombia trained 180 military judges on human rights and produced a guide and
a leaflet for victims of enforced disappearance. It also helped organize an international seminar
on enforced disappearance, entitled “Without Trace”, in June 2008.
96. At the request of the Office for Ethnic Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior and Justice,
OHCHR Colombia organized a seminar and produced a publication on the right of indigenous
communities to prior consultation on decisions affecting these communities. OHCHR Colombia
further supported the Ministry by strengthening “reconciliation centres”46 and providing training
to the officials in charge of the centres.
97. OHCHR Colombia issued 26 statements on a variety of matters of concern and
distributed 98,675 copies of 81 different human rights publications, reports and compact disks
to public officials, representatives of civil society and the general public. In the context of the
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in addition to the
commemorative celebration, OHCHR Colombia published a large number of teaching materials
to explain the content and spirit of the Declaration.
V. RECOMMENDATIONS
98. The High Commissioner repeats all her previous recommendations that have not
been implemented, or have been only partially implemented, 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.
99. The High Commissioner calls for dialogue and negotiations to achieve lasting peace
and encourages all actors to consider, in particular, the following recommendations:
(a) The High Commissioner calls on all parties to the conflict to fully accept and
abide by international humanitarian law, respecting the life, integrity and property of the
civilian population, without exception. The High Commissioner further requires that
members of illegal armed groups should immediately and unconditionally release all
kidnapped persons, including those who are being held as a result of the hostilities and are
subject to prolonged periods of deprivation of liberty with total disregard for the minimum
standards of decent and humane treatment required by international humanitarian law;
46
This is a Government-led initiative aiming at promoting values such as solidarity, respect and
tolerance among communities.
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