Today, 20 November, is World Children’s Day. World Children’s Day commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) on 20 November. As the UN emphasises, ‘from the moment the sun rises, children wake up to a world shaped by choices they didn’t make. But every child, everywhere, also wakes with
Event on three years of the government of change in Colombia
Below the statement made by OIDHACO during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in the interactive dialogue with the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.
We are delighted to share this news about the National Human Rights Award in Colombia, which is presented by our member Diakonia Sweden and Act Swedish Church with the support of the Swedish Embassy in Colombia. Category: “Defender of the Year” A person whose work over the past year has been a significant testimony to
Below is the statement made by OIDHACO during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence.
This report, ‘The Challenge of Change: Contention Remains,’ encompasses the third year of the Gustavo Petro administration. Nevertheless, as it has been pertinent in these Reports, it does not aim at an overall balance of the government; it strictly focuseson analysing the Human Rights situation and the responsibility the Colombian State has regarding it. Assessing
On September 9, within the framework of the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the side event “From Transition to Transformation: Ensuring ESCR for a Sustainable Peace in Colombia” will take place in Room Concordia 5 at the Palais des Nations (2:00 – 3:00 p.m.). This dialogue space seeks to
We would like to thank MEP Leire Pajín for her commitment to human rights and peace in Colombia. It is important that Colombian civil society can know more in detail what the EU’s support for peace in Colombia means in order to be able to contribute their view and evaluation of it. Here is the
Brussels, 15 May 2025 – A delegation of Colombian women human rights defenders and representatives of Colombian feminist organisations has successfully completed an advocacy tour of Brussels. The visit aimed to strengthen the ties of cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Colombia, with a focus on implementing the Peace Agreement, adopting a gender-based approach,
The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, visited Colombia between 26 August and 4 September 2024. Its report reflects the country’s complex situation, progress and challenges. According to the report, “the rate of income poverty decreased from 36.6 per cent of the population in 2022 to 33 per cent in
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.