There were five issues most mentioned by the 83 States who participated this week in the exam universal newspaper of Colombia: the murders of social leaders, human rights defenders and ex-combatants, the incomplete implementation of the Peace Agreement, he forced recruitment of minors, the gender violence and the situation of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples.
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In Colombia’s fourth appearance at this exam that takes place in Geneva, States such as Argentina and the United States, along with European countries such as Germany, Iceland, Italy and Switzerland; In addition, Japan and New Zealand emphasized the need to protect the integrity of social leaders, human rights defenders and ex-combatants.
In addition, to improve their protection, using individual and collective measures, some States recommended independently and expeditiously investigating all cases and compensating victims. Denmark, for its part, recommended reforming the Protection Unit.
The country must materialize the key points of the peace agreement
Regarding the peace agreement, Chile and France They recognized that Colombia has made progress in implementation, but asked it to work to fully materialize it. Belgium maintained that implementation “must be the country’s priority.”
Another point on which States from multiple latitudes agreed was the forced recruitment of minors by illegal armed groups. For example, Ecuador recommended “applying additional measures to prevent child labor and prevent the recruitment and use of children and adolescents by armed groups.”
Women in Colombia must have access to justice and health services
Regarding gender violence, Cyprus asked Colombia “intensify its efforts to ensure that victims of gender violence have access to justice and health and psychosocial services.” Many other States spoke in this regard, including members of the European Unionwhich called for fighting impunity in these cases, or Indonesia and Ghana, which emphasized guaranteeing justice for victims of femicides.
The access of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples to basic services such as health, education or justice was the issue of concern in another large number of countries, including Bolivia, Canada, China, Iraq, Honduras and Mexico.
In particular, they recommended that Colombia guarantee that this access is effective, especially in rural or remote areas. Several African countries also made recommendations to prevent racial discrimination.
Need to reform the police?
Other topics addressed were the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth Commission, the protection of freedom of expression and of journalists, the decriminalization of abortion and the excessive use of police force. Precisely, regarding the Police, Spain recommended reforming it and considering transferring it to the Ministry of the Interior.
The Colombian ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Gustavo Gallonsaid that, by attending this examination, the State is not only complying with an international obligation, but also receiving recommendations that can benefit the situation in the country.
At the end of the meeting, Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Taylor Jay, head of the Colombian delegation, told EL TIEMPO exclusively that her assessment of the exam is good.
We are very pleased because we can make a positive reading of the reactions of more than 80 countries in their support of the efforts we are making to implement the Peace Agreement
“We are very pleased because we can make a positive reading of the reactions of more than 80 countries in their support of the efforts we are making to implement the Peace Agreement and the recommendations received to strengthen the protection of social leaders, human rights defenders, indigenous and Afro communities. “It is a persistent work of our Government that we are reinforcing with the public policies that are being implemented,” he assured.
Likewise, he said that none of the topics addressed have taken them by surprise: “Some of the recommendations have to do with the previous examination, and we have shown how we strengthened, for example, the transitional justice system and dialogues with criminal organizations, that not only have a political nature, but also legal components.”
Regarding the insistence of several States on gender violence, the vice chancellor told this newspaper: “Some talked about preventing it and others about reducing impunity. It is a commitment that the different powers of the State take from here.”
Other members of the Colombian delegation, who spoke on behalf of the State, were representatives of the
Most delegations celebrated Colombia’s commitment to peace
The above concerns are only part of the exam. It is noteworthy that the UN countries congratulated Colombia’s efforts to implement the Agreement and to try to extend it towards a more widespread peace through the ongoing negotiations.
Estonia and Georgia, for example, highlighted the extension of the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia. Luxembourg, for its part, said that Colombia’s relationship with the UN is exemplary.
Other positive aspects that stood out were the Government’s desire for peace, the intention to implement the recommendations of the Truth Commission, the creation of the Ministry of Equality and the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.
All of the above is the subject of positive evaluations by the UN Member States because, in 2018, when it presented its previous review, Colombia accepted recommendations related to these matters and, by highlighting this, the international delegates recognize that the State has made progress in this area. of human rights.
What is the UN universal periodic review?
This exam is a mechanism of UN Human Rights Council which consists of reviewing, every five years, the situation in this matter of each of the 193 member states of the United Nations.
Its objective is for all States to receive recommendations from their peers, accept those they consider relevant and commit to implementing them and then report to them what they have done to materialize them.
Thus, for example, Colombia accepted 183 of the 211 recommendations made to it in the last cycle, in 2018, and presented this Tuesday the progress it made in that regard.
The inputs that States have to evaluate the situation and formulate these recommendations are three: a report presented by the country in question; another produced by the UN and its agencies, and a third that contains information provided by civil society organizations.
On November 10, Colombia will announce which of the recommendations it will accept, which constitutes a commitment to the other UN member states, and what it will have to account for in 2028, when it will be its turn to attend the exam again.
CARMEN LUCÍA CASTAÑO
FOR THE TIME
GENEVA
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