A/HRC/31/3/Add.2 32. The High Commissioner supports the premises of the peace agreement on solving the problem of illegal drugs, which highlight the human rights impact of producing crops for illicit use and its relationship with poverty, marginalization, weak State presence and criminal activity. He also values the decision to develop a participatory human rights-based response, with a localized focus, recognizing the ancestral uses of coca and differentiating between consumption, coca growing and organized crime. A public health approach to address consumption, and the promotion of alternative, dignified livelihoods, together with the dismantling of criminal networks, represent an appropriate strategy to improve living conditions throughout the country. 33. In the context of the health effects of the use of glyphosate in coca crop eradication, confirmed by the World Health Organization, and the agreement on illegal drugs concluded in Havana, the national council on narcotics took the precautionary measure of suspending glyphosate use from October, and offered incentives for campesinos to cease coca cultivation. 34. OHCHR-Colombia continued to advise the Government on action to confront illegal mining and its social and human rights effects. A major expansion of such mining on the Pacific coast was especially detrimental. The situation of the Renacer Negro Community Council in Cauca exemplifies how gold extraction opportunities and State abandonment attract armed actors and outsiders, weakening community organization and control and affecting the environment. The comprehensive measures agreed to by the Government and the Afro-Colombian women of northern Cauca affected by illegal mining were partially implemented but the dialogue was suspended. Illegal mining presents complex challenges that require an integrated response similar to that proposed for addressing illicit crops. Differentiating between organized crime and other actors, fulfilling human rights and ensuring participation are essential, as is addressing the relationship between corruption and omission by certain authorities. C. Institutional architecture 35. OHCHR-Colombia observed that State institutions faced ongoing difficulties in effectively implementing their legal mandates and ensuring that their action closes the gap between law and public policy and the genuine enjoyment of rights, especially in conflictaffected zones. Those difficulties are especially pronounced when interinstitutional coordination is required. OHCHR-Colombia provides advisory support for the nearly 50 State entities that comprise the National System for Victim Support and Reparation. Differences in the vision and interests of these institutions block implementation and dilute both responsibility and accountability, generating frustration and disempowerment among victims. 36. Institutional effectiveness, efficiency and credibility are also undermined by the perception of corruption, a lack of transparency and the impact of 50 years of conflict on institutional culture, which contributes to the stigmatization of human rights defenders and social, ethnic and political actors. The lack of transparency, including in the security sector, is disproportionate, undermining accountability and the right to participate in public affairs. Proposals for overcoming those challenges are listed below. 1. Human rights indicators 37. The High Commissioner welcomes the inclusion of references to the rights-based approach in the National Development Plan 2014-2018 and the instruction to apply the approach to all public policy. Nonetheless, development plans and budgets continue to have a sectoral focus oriented more towards implementing budgets than guaranteeing rights. This 8

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