A/HRC/16/22 General’s Office assumes the investigation of this type of cases, only rarely are proceedings completed or those responsible punished.27 Similar flaws are observed in the investigations of the Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney General initiated 32 investigations of torture between August 2009 and May 2010.28 In November, it was reported that the confession process had been initiated with respect to 543 crimes of torture, out of a total of 51,616 crimes under Act 975. There have been no convictions in these cases yet. 93. In order to ensure greater citizen protection, and prevent vulnerability and helplessness of victims, OHCHR-Colombia encourages the State to classify, investigate, and punish acts of torture with appropriate sentences. Moreover, it insists on the need to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. N. Forced displacement 94. In 2010, OHCHR-Colombia continued to receive information on collective and individual displacement caused by all armed actors. Although displacement increased at a lower rate than in past years, the high level of underreporting is a matter of concern, in some cases as a consequence of resistance by public officials to record displacement, such as in Arauca. 95. OHCHR-Colombia expresses serious concern about the high rate of murders of displaced persons. According to the National System for Integral Assistance to the Displaced Population (SNAIPD), 1,499 homicides of displaced persons were committed between 2007 and March 2010.29 The Government is urged to design and implement preventive mechanisms to protect the life and personal integrity of displaced people. 96. Although forced displacement occurs primarily in rural areas with the presence of illegal armed groups, during 2010 OHCHR-Colombia observed an increase in intra-urban displacement. Of particular concern is the situation in Medellín and Córdoba, where various mass displacements have been caused by disputes among post-demobilization groups. O. Poverty and economic, social and cultural rights 97. Colombia has made progress in terms of human development despite the prolonged internal armed conflict and high levels of inequality.30 The Human Development Report 2010 ranks Colombia as one of the Latin American countries with high human development.31 This ranking is lower when adjusted for inequality, which reaches extremely high levels in the country. The Gini coefficient for 2010 was 0.585, and places Colombia as one of the seven most unequal countries in the world. 98. Extreme poverty is 16 per cent, the highest among the group of high human development countries, but it is even higher in some departments.32 Despite progress in 27 28 29 30 31 32 16 The Procurator General’s Office issued 15 rulings related to acts of torture; in six cases, the public officers were dismissed. 2009-2010 Informe (note 17). “Informe del Gobierno a la Corte Constitucional en seguimiento a la Sentencia T-025 (2004)”, July 2010. Colombia has a high human development index (0.689) and is ranked 79 of 169 countries. United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2010 (New York, 2010). Ibid. Ibid.