IACHR Sets Up Joint Mechanism to Monitor Recommendations Made to Colombia

June 9, 2023

Bogotá, Colombia / Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has set up a joint mechanism to monitor the recommendations it made to Colombia in the wake of its visit to the country in June 2021. This mechanism will be effective from today, following the formal adoption of the relevant work plan by the IACHR and the State of Colombia.

This mechanism seeks to foster compliance with recommendations linked to social protests and violence based on ethnic-racial discrimination, freedom of expression, and the protection of journalists; to optimize monitoring processes; and to consolidate talks with various social groups to guide implementation.

"The joint monitoring mechanism for Colombia will help to consolidate an innovative model for work in the region. Besides promoting concrete State action to ensure compliance, it seeks to develop a process to monitor recommendations that is both participatory and collaborative with regard to social actors," said Commissioner Joel Hernández, the IACHR's Rapporteur for Colombia.

The IACHR will coordinate this mechanism with the support of the State of Colombia, civil society organizations, and victims. This mechanism also seeks to coordinate its actions with other autonomous international organizations, in order to optimize the exchange of information that helps to effectively monitor compliance with recommendations.

Background

The IACHR conducted a working visit to Colombia over the period June 8–10, 2021, with the aim of observing social protests in the country, and particularly of assessing the human rights violations that had already taken place in the context of the demonstrations that had started in April 2021.

On July 7, 2021, the IACHR presented its observations and recommendations based on that working visit. Based on its findings, the Commission identified that the protests of 2021 had been linked to structural and historical demands of Colombian society, mainly concerning the State's obligation to enforce the principles of equality and non-discrimination. The IACHR also presented its observations about records of serious human rights violations, particularly regarding demonstrators' rights to life, personal integrity, and freedom, as well as other risks affecting social protests in Colombia. Based on these observations, the Commission made 41 recommendations to the State of Colombia, concerning different aspects.

In the context of efforts to monitor these recommendations, the IACHR presented on January 27, 2023, in Bogotá, its first monitoring report concerning 28 recommendations made in June 2021. The Commission also launched talks with the State of Colombia, and these ongoing talks led to the creation of the joint mechanism to monitor the recommendations made in the wake of the June 2021 visit to the country.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 115/23

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