The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Day: 31 March 2016

Oidhaco Welcomes the Announcement of the Public Phase of Peace Talks between the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army – ELN

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On 30 March 2016, the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (el Ejército de Liberación Nacional -ELN) jointly announced the beginning of the public phase of peace talks, following more than two years of closed-door negotiations.

The headquarters for these talks will be in Ecuador, however sessions will also be held in Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba and Chile, with the governments of these countries, as well as that of Norway, acting as guarantors in the process. The agenda for discussion will be based on the following points: (1) Participation of society in peace building, (2) Democracy for peace, (3) Transformations for peace, (4) Victims, (5) Ending the armed conflict, and (6) Implementation.

Our solidarity is universal.

We are deeply concerned about all victims of armed conflict, repression and violence around the world — from Sudan to Syria, including the persecution of the Rohingya and so many other crises that often receive less international attention than they deserve. Each of these situations calls for solidarity, remembrance, justice and action.

However, we have decided to specifically highlight the message ‘Stop Genocide in Palestine’ because what is happening in Palestine represents not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude, but also a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and to the rules-based international system itself. The indifference and complicity of much of the international community in the face of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people represent one of the greatest moral and political contradictions of our time.

The persistent violation of essential norms — such as the protection of the civilian population, the prohibition of collective punishment and respect for proportionality in the use of force — not only has devastating consequences for the Palestinian population, but also erodes the global mechanisms designed to limit the power of states and prevent abuses.

When these rules are repeatedly breached without any effective consequences, the framework that protects all populations in conflict situations, anywhere in the world, is weakened. Therefore, speaking out in this case does not mean ignoring other forms of suffering, but rather emphasising the urgency of defending an international order which, if it collapses, leaves everyone in a more vulnerable position.

Drawing attention to this situation is, therefore, an act consistent with the universal values we uphold: the protection of life, human dignity and respect for international law, without exception.

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