Connection e.V. reports on Colombia at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council
27th August 2025
Civil society organizations, with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) consultative status, are entitled to submit to the UN Human Rights Council a written statement to detail specific issues which will be addressed during the upcoming session and which cannot be fully presented in a 90 seconds oral statement during the session.
«Connection e.V.» has prepared one on Colombia for the 60th session of the Council which will take place from Septeber 8th to October 3rd 2025; it did it together with «Peace Community of San José de Apartadó» (Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó; Colombia), «Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Presence» (FOR Peace Presence; Colombia), «International Fellowship of Reconciliation ⸻ Austria» (IFOR Austria; Internationaler Versöhnungsbund ⸻ Österreich) and in partnership with «War Resisters’ International» (WRI).
The document, titled «Justice, Truth and Reparation: Reconciliation Process Underway in Colombia» is part of the ongoing collaboration with a local community who refuses and resists the war system and militarization in the region and is living by an alternative approach which fosters peace process and offers a model which overcomes the militaristic way of life.
The document has been submitted under item 3 of the Agenda of the Council: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. In particular, during the 60th session, under that item, there will be the interactive dialogue of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non—recurrence, Mr. Bernard Duhaime.
The statement includes references to the ongoing peace process in Colombia and presents the «Peace Community of San José de Apartadó», which declared its neutrality in the Colombian armed conflict on March 23rd 1997. Until now, 312 Peace Community members have been assassinated by the Colombian Public Forces, paramilitary groups and the FARC—EP (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia ⸻ Ejército del Pueblo, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ⸻ People’s Army). These crimes have been defined as crimes against humanity by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.
The statement mentions also President Gustavo Petro’s Act of Acknowledgement of International Responsibility of redress and public apology to the Peace Community which he issued on June 5th 2025.
The statement refers as well to justice and collective reparations, a principle that the Peace Community stresses and which is not yet fully acknowledged.
The statement concludes with a list of recommendations jointly supported by the co—sponsoring organizations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to:
⸻ closely monitor the implementation of the recommendations by the Colombian Truth Commission and provide assistance to the ongoing reconciliation processes based on justice, non—repetition and reparation;
⸻ urge the international community to fully support reconciliation processes in Colombia and in particular to avoid any act which may interfere with the full implementation of the non—repetition and reparation principle and the dismantling of illegal armed groups;
⸻ support and promote the implementation of collective reparations in communities such as the «Peace Community of San José de Apartadó».
Colombia to:
⸻ fully implement protection mechanisms for the «Peace Community of San Josè de Apartadó» with concrete guarantees for non—repetition;
⸻ fully comply with the friendly settlement agreement of December 2024, which represents a crucial step towards the collective reparation of damage suffered by the Peace Community;
⸻ urge the Attorney General’s Office to advance investigations into each of the crimes and massacres committed over the last 28 years in the Peace Community, including the murders of Nalleli Sepúlveda and Edison David on March 19, 2024;
⸻ implement collective reparations that strengthen the Peace Community historical memory through memorials, places where their children can learn the truth of what they lived through, remember those who were murdered, and work for a future without repetition;
⸻ fully ensure the independent judiciary of Colombia, as is enshrined in the Colombian constitution and guaranteed by UN General Assembly resolutions 40/32 of 29 November 1985 and 40/146 of 13 December 1985;
⸻ ensure the full dismantlement of illegal armed groups in Colombia, especially paramilitary groups.
Special Rapporteur to:
⸻ support collective reparations aimed to preserve historical memory to prevent repetition of violations and violence.
Peace Community of San José de Apartadó ↷
Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Presence ↷
60th regular session of the Human Rights Council: Documentation ↷
Keywords: ⇒ Colombia ⇒ Human Rights ⇒ United Nations