Opening remarks by UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri at a press conference during her mission to Colombia

I'm very happy to have undertaken this visit to Colombia, a country that I have visited several times in different capacities in the past. This time, as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, I not only stayed in Bogotá but also had the opportunity to visit the departments of Putumayo and Cauca. I met with civilian and military authorities, several ministers, the High Counsellor for Human Rights, the Deputy Attorney General, the Public Defender, and other authorities.

I also met with representatives of civil society and members of human rights organizations, including some who fought so hard for an office of the High Commissioner in Colombia, as well as members of the Agrarian, Ethnic and Popular Summit, women's organizations, indigenous, afro-descendants and peasant organizations.

To all my interlocutors, I want to express my gratitude.

Several members of the Government informed me on progress made in the protection and respect for human rights in the country. In this regard, I want to acknowledge the Government's efforts, in particular in their pursuit of a peace agreement that will end the armed conflict.

The road to peace is a complex and winding one. It may move very fast at times and then stall. It is a road full of obstacles. However, despite setbacks, it is important to keep the ultimate objective in mind and not deviate from it.

I am aware that not everyone is convinced that peace is the best option for Colombia. But it is clear that peace is the best – the only – option. Today, Colombia has a unique opportunity to evolve into a society where everyone enjoys their rights equally and without discrimination and where everyone enjoys the benefit of economic development. This is why I urge all parties to continue moving undeterred towards an end to this conflict and to set up the conditions for this transformation. I am conscious of the enormous challenges that exist. But I am convinced that with the participation of all sectors of society, a better future is guaranteed for Colombia for this generation and the next.

In Bogotá, Putumayo and Cauca, I heard the testimony of numerous people from different walks of life claiming their rights, and I was able, in particular, to acquaint myself with the situation in "the Other Colombia", the one that is rarely seen in the big cities, the one where indigenous, Afro-descendants and peasants live, the one in which war, dispossession and forced displacement take place.

In Putumayo and Cauca, I heard women, indigenous, peasants and Afro-descendants asking for their rights to be respected and protected, for the State to listen to them and to ensure that they are included in discussions on the development path the country will choose and on the use of their lands. I heard people talking about their fears for their lands and environment in the face of the unbridled advance of the extractive sector - both legal and illegal. I heard victims of the conflict telling us what their needs are, but also sharing with us impressive stories of courage, resilience and survival. Let me be clear: I also heard State representatives willing to listen and to find joint solutions in a very complex and difficult situation, despite few means and resources - which I urge the central Government to increase. The Regional Round Tables, in which we are guarantors together with the People's Defender and the Church, should be the forums where peace is jointly built and we will continue to support this effort.

Women are a fundamental pillar of peace, and they have been most affected by the armed conflict. In view of this, but also because they constitute half of the population, it is of the utmost priority to include them in decision making and to listen and adopt their positions on peace, the country's development and public policy on human rights.

Three other groups have been disproportionately affected by the conflict: indigenous people, peasant communities and Afro-descendants. They tell us stories of suffering and abuses they have suffered, not just because of the conflict, but because of a system that has historically discriminated and dispossessed them. I would like to call on the State to pay increased attention to the rights of these groups - including basic rights, which are enjoyed in the richer parts of this country, such as water, education and health. In a modern Colombia there cannot be indigenous or Afro-descendant children who die of easily preventable illnesses, or because the water they drink is polluted with toxic waste produced by uncontrolled mining. These communities and peoples are the cultural wealth of Colombia. They are the ones preserving the environment - and this is why they must be consulted about the use of the land. Both the State and the business sector have the duty to ensure that they are consulted with the aim of obtaining their prior, free and informed consent, over every project planned in their territories and likely to affect them.

It is precisely the use of the land and the lack of consultation which have led to several social conflicts in recent years, most of which took a violent turn. I therefore praise the dialogue initiatives which are taking place throughout the country. OHCHR is participating in 46 of these dialogues, in which it is lending its good offices as guarantor and facilitator of the negotiations between the State and civil society. I want to emphasize the importance of this unique consultation mechanism, which allows all parties to understand each other’s needs and perspectives. But I also want to highlight that this has created strong expectations of the civil society. Implementing these agreements is paramount to achieve social peace.

In both places, I saw first-hand how highly vulnerable human rights defenders are. Many keep receiving death threats and being attacked throughout Colombia. People have the right to defend human rights and I want to stress the direct responsibility of the State in creating a climate of protection, in which these terrible acts become unacceptable. The best way to ensure this is through the investigation, prosecution and punishment of those who threaten and attack human rights defenders. This will send an unequivocal message that such conduct will not be tolerated by any Colombian.

I also had the opportunity to discuss with different authorities the progress made in prosecutions for extrajudicial executions that were carried out to inflate statistics indicating combat killings - what became known as “false positives”. Once again, I urge the Ministry of Defence to support the investigation, prosecution and sanction of these crimes which claimed the lives of thousands of people in the past decade. While noting the progress made, I also want to urge the Attorney General's Office to redouble efforts in the investigation of these crimes and to ensure that those responsible - directly and those who gave the orders – are also taken to court. Ending impunity for “false positives” will ensure that victims’ rights are recognized and that these crimes will not be repeated anywhere in Colombia.

With regard to the proposals to reform military jurisdiction currently being discussed in Congress, I would like to insist on the need for Colombia to act in line with human rights standards, which ensure respect for human rights and legitimacy in the use of force.

During the armed conflict, over seven million victims suffered large-scale violations of human rights and humanitarian law. This is why, as I salute the decision by both sides to include victims in the peace process and to invite them to the negotiation table, I must insist that these violations must be prosecuted and sanctioned, irrespective of who committed them.

At the same time, and taking into account the magnitude of the conflict, I want to stress the importance of special mechanisms of transitional justice. These mechanisms can help ensure, in a comprehensive manner, not only justice but also truth, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition. There is an imperative need for Colombia to develop judicial and non-judicial measures to help society deal with the human rights and international humanitarian law violations of the past. Everybody must acknowledge what happened in Colombia and ensure that these horrible violations do not happen ever again.

I salute this Government's efforts with regard to truth, justice and reparation for victims. At the same time, I wish to insist on the need for more and better coordination and cooperation mechanisms between State institutions. Non-repetition, in particular, implies effective plans to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate combatants. I also call on the Government to pay special attention to the demobilization and reintegration of girls and boys, preferably through a plan of action that will address the grave violations committed against them.

As I am leaving Colombia, I am very encouraged by the fact that the government, as well as all my interlocutors, have highlighted the good offices and the cooperation, both at national and regional level, offered by the OHCHR office. And I want to reiterate and emphasize our commitment to continue supporting Colombia in this important road towards peace building and sustainable development based on the enjoyment of human rights.

Indeed, the international community as a whole has a major responsibility to accompany this process, and I am very pleased to note the commitment of many parties to do so. I therefore invite the international community to continue assisting the country in the promotion and protection of human rights, with the aim of achieving sustainable and lasting peace.

I leave with a strong sense of optimism that the country will indeed seize this opportunity to embark on the path to peace and build together a brighter future for the generations to come.

Thank you.

ENDS

For more information on the work of OHCHR in Colombia, see OHCHR-Colombia website http://www.hchr.org.co/

Learn more about the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/DeputyHighCommissioner.aspx

For more information and media enquiries, please contact:
In Colombia:
Diana Losada: (+57 1) 658 3300 Ext. 1109 / dlosada@hchr.org.co
In Geneva:
Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org) or Cécile Pouilly (+41 22 917 9310 / cpouilly@ohchr.org).

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