UNHCHR PROPOSES PURGING INTELLIGENCE FILES, MONITORING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 003231

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/10/19
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PGOV CO
SUBJECT: UNHCHR PROPOSES PURGING INTELLIGENCE FILES, MONITORING
MILITARY

REF: REF A: 08BOGOTA4305; REF B: 09BOGOTA0998; REF C: 09BOGOTA2836
REF D: 09BOGOTA3075; REF E: 09BOGOTA3185

CLASSIFIED BY: William R. Brownfield, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),
(C),(D)

SUMMARY

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1. (C) United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
Chief of Mission Christian Salazar requested on October 8 that the
Ambassador support two UNHCHR proposals: a multi-year purging of
intelligence files and a two-year monitoring of the military's
implementation of its human rights policies. Salazar estimated the
annual cost for each project would be around $400,000, and noted
UNHCHR was seeking multi-lateral financial support. Still, he
emphasized the importance of USG political and financial assistance
to assure GOC buy-in. The Ambassador expressed support for the two
projects and requested proposals from UNHCHR to evaluate funding
opportunities. End Summary



UNHCHR OPTIMISTIC ABOUT PURGING INTELLIGENCE FILES

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2. (SBU) In a private lunch in the Ambassador's office on October
8, UNHCHR Chief of Mission Christian Salazar described his office's
progress in achieving its decade-long recommendation to purge
Colombian intelligence files of politically-motivated intelligence
on human rights defenders (REFS A, D). Salazar said a combination
of events had opened the door for an intelligence purge, including
the scandal surrounding the Administrative Department of Security's
(DAS) illegal surveillance (REF E) and the September 23 signing of
Decree 3600--which outlined the application of the new intelligence
law and called for an evaluation of intelligence files. Salazar
has received positive signals from government officials regarding
UNHCHR participation in a purge of DAS, Colombian National Police
(CNP),and military intelligence files.




3. (C) Salazar outlined UNHCHR's proposal to begin with a pilot
project to purge DAS files of information on United Nations
officials. The pilot project's technical mechanism would then be
implemented in a broader, multi-agency intelligence review--a
review that Salazar opined would take five to seven years. Salazar
suggested a potential sticking point for the GOC would be the
inclusion of the Inspector General's office (Procuradoria)--an
agency, according to Salazar, that lacks both competency and the
GOC's confidence. Still, Salazar said UNHCHR would insist that the
Inspector General--the formal state control agency--be involved in
order to build that agency's capacity.




4. (C) The Ambassador outlined the USG's efforts to confront the
GOC over the recent wiretapping scandals and said he had told the
highest levels of government the USG expects to see transparent and
thorough investigations. Ambassador Brownfield accepted Salazar's
tactical approach to focus solely on UN personnel, noting that
while it initially might appear self-serving for the UN, such an
approach would be the least likely to create a polarizing political
debate. He underscored the necessity of identifying appropriate
personnel and suggested seeking assistance from the International
Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).


MONITORING THE MILITARY'S APPLICATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS POLICIES

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5. (C) Salazar outlined a separate UNHCHR proposal to monitor the
military's application of its human rights policies, called the "15
measures" (REF B). Salazar acknowledged improvements in human
rights by the military, particularly the significant decline in
extrajudicial killings since the GOC publicly dismissed 27 members
of the military in October 2008. Still, he expressed concern that
counter-reform elements in the military would prevent the
institutionalization of the 15 measures. For that reason, he said,
the UNHCHR has proposed this two-year project. Salazar emphasized
the monitoring group's findings--with the exception of human rights
violations--would be shared only with the Ministry. He reported
both Defense Minister Gabriel Silva Lujan and Vice Minister Sergio
Jaramillo have expressed support for the project. Salazar
suggested the informal multi-lateral consultation mechanism between
the MOD, several governments, and international organizations could
be revitalized as part of the monitoring project (REF C).



USG FUNDING REQUESTED

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6. (C) While the projects must be multi-lateral to be credible,
Salazar emphasized they could not succeed without USG political and
financial support. He requested "synchronized messaging" on the
importance of the projects to ensure GOC buy-in. He estimated the
total annual cost of each project would be approximately $400,000.
The Ambassador expressed support in principle for both concepts and
promised to consider available funding options once he received a
written proposal.
BROWNFIELD