Documents of analysis of recent reforms which are of concern – Military jurisdiction, Legal framework for Peace, reforms of the justice system and to the ‘Justice and Peace Law’, the Law on intelligence and counterintelligence. In December 2012 the Colombian Congress adopted the constitutional reform to military criminal jurisdiction, driven by the government of President Santos.
Lack of transparency and doubts on the real impacts and benefits of cooperation aid through the private sector are some of the issues that have been discussed today during a conference at the European Parliament. Brussels, 21st March 2013. The civil society networks: ALOP, APRODEV, CIDSE, CIFCA, COUNTER BALANCE, EURODAD, GRUPO SUR and OIDHACO, together
This document presents key data and figures can be found on the situation of women in Colombia as well as specific legislation and mechanisms protecting them. Recommendations are made to the international community. In Colombia, as in other countries, women suffer violence and discrimination in all aspects of their lives. In 2011, 70,134 cases of
The newsletter includes information on the general human rights context in Colombia, as well as information on EU and UN policies on Colombia.
On International Women’s Day, for victims of the Colombian armed conflict “The international community should not accept that in a process like the one taking place in Havana, the perpetrators of crimes are more important than the victims. Sexual violence is a crime against humanity and should not be amnestied. The victims are the key
Oidhaco is deeply concerned by the dramatic situation faced by millions of women victims of armed conflict. Their active participation in the process of building a lasting peace is indispensable. Colombian women, especially human rights defenders, women in situations of forced displacement, indigenous leaders, small-scale producers and afro-descendant women have been the invisible victims of
The scandal of illegal intelligence activities by the DAS lead to its elimination and to the reform of Law on intelligence. This document presents an analysis of the new Law and of the measures adopted. Almost all former DAS employees were transferred to other State institutions – mainly the Attorney General’s Office, the police force
This document offers information and puts forward recommendations about the situation in Colombia, in relation to the Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR).
More than 130 organizations and networks from Europe, the United States, and Latin America express their support to the Inter-Church Commission of Justice and Peace after new attacks against the organization and its members. The signatories to this statement would like to reaffirm our support for the human rights defenders of the Inter-Church Commission of
In the month of January 2013 alone, according to the Institute of Legal Medicine, 474 additional cases of disappearance were reported. Of these, many could be enforced disappearances. Document of analysis and recommendations on this issue. In its November 2012 report, the Office of the ICC Prosecutor determined that “there is a reasonable basis to
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.