UNHCHR RELEASES ITS 2004 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

id: 29070 date: 3/17/2005 19:25 refid: 05BOGOTA2564 origin: Embassy Bogota classification: CONFIDENTIAL destination: header: This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. -------------- header ends -------------- C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 002564 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/3020 TAGS: PHUM PINR PREL PGOV CO SUBJECT: UNHCHR RELEASES ITS 2004 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On March 11, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released its 2004 human rights report on Colombia. The report once again characterized the human rights situation in Colombia as "critical," and noted an increased number of reports of State-sponsored extrajudicial killings and continued links between the security forces and paramilitaries. However, the report recognized an improvement in key violence indicators such as homicides and massacres. The UN proposed another 27 recommendations for 2005, 24 which are carried over from 2004. We will continue to work with the GOC, UNHCHR, and the G-24 to help with GOC compliance in 2005. End Summary. -------------- UN Report Released -------------- ¶2. (U) On March 11, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) released its 2004 human rights report on Colombia. Although it acknowledged that key violence indicators, such as homicides and massacres, continued to improve, the UN once again characterized the human rights situation in Colombia as "critical." The report notes that UNHCHR's Colombia office received more complaints about extrajudicial killings attributed to members of the security forces and other public officials, that there were more allegations of State-sponsored torture and forced disappearance throughout the year, and that links between public officials and illegal armed groups, particularly paramilitaries, continued. Additionally, the report discusses serious breaches of international humanitarian law, such as attacks on the civilian population, homicides, massacres, and hostage-taking, committed by illegal armed groups. ¶3. (U) On the positive side, the report recognizes "an increased openness and intensification of dialogue between the Government and representatives of civil society and the international community." Progress was also recorded in terms of prevention and protection, including the strengthening of the USAID-funded Early Warning System and the destruction of stored anti-personnel mines. However, the report said positive measures were weakened by occasional public statements by high-level government officials that questioned the legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders. -------------- Recommendations -------------- ¶4. (U) Regarding the UNHCHR's specific human rights recommendations, the report acknowledged that various State entities showed greater interest during the second half of 2004 in implementing the recommendations, while noting that implementation was mixed, varied, and less consistent than desired. For example, the report credits the GOC with progress in its program to combat impunity and in carrying out actions aimed at promoting gender equality, but asserts the GOC's policies on the fight against paramilitarism and narrowing the economic inequality gap needed to be strengthened. ¶5. (U) The High Commissioner has proposed another 27 recommendations for 2005. The recommendations again focus on six categories: prevention and protection (6 recommendations); the internal armed conflict (6); the rule of law and impunity (8); economic and social policies (1); promotion of a culture of respect for human rights (3); and advisory services and technical cooperation (3). One of the three new recommendations calls for the development of a system of public statistics that adequately covers human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law, including violations by the security forces. To this end, the High Commissioner proposes that the Office of the Vice-President, the Human Rights Ombudsman ("Defensoria"), the Inspector General's Office ("Procuraduria"),the Prosecutor General's Office ("Fiscalia"),the Ministry of Defense, and other state entities work with NGOs and academic institutions, with the assistance of the UN office. The other two new recommendations relate to the government withdrawing its reservation to the Rome Statute, and the Fiscalia ensuring that the sub-unit in charge of investigating public officials' links to illegal armed groups concentrates on exploring links between paramilitary groups and members of the security forces, civilian functionaries, and private individuals. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) The UN's report was as we expected. Although some progress by the GOC was noted, the UN continues to insist on a strict-constructionist interpretation of what the GOC must do to comply with its recommendations. For example, despite the fact that the GOC took various measures to strengthen its protection program, the UN criticized the Government for failing to resolve a basic dispute over who should serve as State-subsidized bodyguards for threatened individuals. WOOD =======================CABLE ENDS============================