This week, Colombia presented in Genevato its fourth universal periodic review, a mechanism of UN Human Rights Council which allows the organization’s 193 member states to present to their peers every five years the progress they have made to improve their health situation. human rights.
(Read here: How did Colombia do in its human rights review at the UN?)
The States that wish to do so, in turn, can formulate recommendations to concretely advance relevant aspects and the evaluated country can decide to accept or not accept said recommendations.
During the presentation of Colombia’s exam, the country’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Gustavo Gallón, He said that it is the country’s intention to obtain one of the 47 seats of the Human Rights Council, the UN body in charge of monitoring the most worrying human rights situations in the world.
To achieve this, Colombia must obtain enough votes from theGeneral Assembly in New York to opt for one of the three places available for Latin America in the period 2025-2027.
EL TIEMPO spoke with the ambassador Gallon about the exam, Colombia’s candidacy and what the Council can do regarding the very serious situation unleashed after the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, which left at least 1,400 dead and which led to a bloody response from Israeli defense agencies on the Gaza Strip where at least 10,800 Gazans have died since the conflict broke out.
What is your assessment of the Universal Periodic Review that Colombia presented?
Colombia attended its examination with great appreciation for the mechanism and very interested in listening to the recommendations that the countries wanted to make. As is known, this is a peer review, which, by definition, gives rise to a series of criticisms, observations and recommendations formulated in a constructive spirit. Colombia listened to them with that spirit, and they were all very well received, despite the fact that they expressed criticism because, precisely, these are aspects that the Government has recognized and whose policy is aimed at overcoming. The Colombian Government is committed to a search for peace based on human rights.
There were also recognitions…
Exactly. Although the day was characterized by points to work on, it was preceded by recognition of the efforts being made by the Colombian Government. And it was almost unanimous, the participation of the 82 countries that expressed admiration and appreciation for this Government policy and also for the relationship that Colombia currently has with the UN, which is one of collaboration, attention and recognition of the importance and validity of the observations made by United Nations bodies, including this exercise.
What were the topics most covered during the exam?
We received more than 200 recommendations. I would say that there are about seven or eight topics that were mentioned the most. Many States agreed on the need to protect human rights defenders, social leaders, ex-combatants and peace signatories. As well as women, children, Afro-Colombians, indigenous people and the LGBTIQ+ population. These are precisely the concerns of the Colombian authorities and what the Total Peace policy focuses on, which is aimed at overcoming the slaughter that exists in Colombia and that has unfortunately accompanied us for years.
We want to share our experience. That is, the painful experience that we have suffered due to the conflict so that the rest of the countries
Is Colombia in line with being able to find palpable answers to these challenges?
In the resolution that the Council on Colombia approved in July, at the request of the Government, it was requested to strengthen the Office of the High Commissioner in the country to comply with certain recommendations of the Truth Commission and for the protection of human rights defenders. That is to say, it is the Government itself that has requested support and advice. Also, during the exam, the right to abortion and the access of women and girls to the school system in remote areas of the country were mentioned. In addition, Colombia was recommended to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which is already underway, and to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Regarding the latter, we are going to review what state it is in, but of course there will be no objection.
Do you plan to communicate which recommendations you will accept and which ones will not be accepted next Monday or will you wait until the next session of the Human Rights Council in March?
No, we have to work to see it. The Office of the High Commissioner has recommended that we take time to analyze in detail and arrange with the relevant national authorities to accept the recommendations, but it is likely that for the most part we will make that determination. However, I dare to tell you that there is no objection to any of the recommendations. Suddenly, I miss something, but in principle we see no objection. I repeat that these are recommendations that coincide with the Government’s concerns and the policies it is adopting to solve these problems.
During the exam, you said that Colombia wants to be a member of the Human Rights Council for the period 2025-2027. Have you already started the campaign in the General Assembly in New York?
Yes, the campaign has already started and there is already some support offered by various States. We are going to continue looking for the necessary ones to achieve that election and win one of the three places for Latin America, given that there are four candidates: Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and Colombia, so unfortunately one has to leave. It should be noted that we have never joined the Council since its creation in 2006.
Why do they want to enter now?
Because we want to share our experience. That is, the painful experience that we have suffered due to the conflict so that the rest of the countries can use the knowledge of these situations in order to have more awareness about the seriousness of certain human rights violations in difficult moments in our history. , such as false positives and other barbaric practices, for example, the immense number of kidnappings, or sexual violence, that have been perpetrated in Colombia and we want to show that this should not be allowed. Likewise, we want to share the positive experiences consistent with policies aimed at overcoming this situation. Colombia has an important, appreciable institutional framework, although it is still insufficient in results. But, this institutionality did not exist 30 or 35 years ago and has been built, of course, by the public powers, but above all by the work, claims and demands of civil society organizations and the international community.
Likewise, we want to share the positive experiences consistent with policies aimed at overcoming this situation.
Colombia wants to make more use of the UN and the Council as instruments to advance as best and as quickly as possible in human rights operations. These are the two reasons why Colombia wants to be a member of the Council and believes it has the credentials to do so.
Regarding the Council, do you have information that something is being prepared regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip and Israel?
I haven’t seen anything specific yet. There are some countries that have expressed concern privately and I believe that it is very important that there be action on the part of the Council in relation to the situation in Gaza, which is extremely worrying and serious. I think in the next few days we may have some news. Maybe not this week, but maybe next.
What do you think the Council could do?
The desirable thing, although I am not sure that I will achieve it, would be to be able to request a ceasefire and of course respect for international humanitarian law, which is being seriously violated every day. But, the most important thing is that the violence stops and peace is achieved. We know that it is very difficult because the positions are very distant, but that is precisely why these organizations were created: to help us live in peace and with respect for human rights on the planet.
CARMEN LUCÍA CASTAÑO
For the time
GENEVA
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