WE FULLY SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR) IN COLOMBIA AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, ALBERTO BRUNORI.

Bogota, 2 March 2020

Since the arrival in 1997, of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Colombia, social and human rights movements have supported their work, and the annual report that summerises the key facts related to the socio-political violence in the context of the armed conflict, humanitarian issues, the situation of human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in general. These recommendations have been a valuable and permanent tool for national and international advocacy, as well as a useful document within the international arena for creating a better understanding of [Colombia’s] reality.

This week, the UN Representative of the OHCHR in Colombia, Alberto Brunori published the 2019 Annual Report, which we support and consider appropriate, serious, rigorous and which accurately reflects the reality of Colombia’s human rights situation. The Annual Report reflects the daily reality seen in the media, social networks and in the denouncements made by social organisations in different parts of the country. The quantitative and qualitative description of human rights contained in the Annual Report gives an account of the exponential deterioration that the country is suffering in terms of human rights.

We consider the reaction from the Government of President Ivan Duque to the Annual Report, and the work of the UN Office headed by the UN representative Alberto Brunori, inappropriate and unjustified. This disproportionate reaction demonstrates the Government’s lack of commitment to human rights at an international level, to bodies that, like the UN Office, constructively contribute to the monitoring of human rights in our country.

Social and human rights networks and organisations support the judicious work of, and documentation by, Alberto Brunori and his national and regional teams, and welcome their stay in Colombia until 2022. We urge the National Government to address the recommendations included in the Annual Report, as they will help to, confront the increasing violence in the country, and to adopt truly effective measures to guarantee human rights. This will also ensure the success of the Peace Agreement, which is considered by the international community itself to be unprecedented and of global interest.  

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia will continue to have our support in making a significant contribution to the prevalence of coexistence and the search for peace in Colombia through their mandate of observation, technical assistance and verification of the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

Signed by,

3 National Platforms for Human Rights

407 National Organisations

37 International Organisations

1,168 Individuals

[See PRONUNCIAMIENTO ESPAÑOL for names of individuals and organisations]