The goal of granting a country's inhabitants full force in exercising their Human Rights, which is a fundamental part of Colombia's historic project, is currently confronting very serious obstacles. To the diffuse violence of social turmoil we must add the element of powerful criminal violence as well as the factor of complex polarized political violence. The boundaries between one type and the others and the linkages among them are not totally clear. Bellicose hostilities develop perverse dynamics in which alleged antagonists are eliminated from the very scene where such hostilities take place. As a whole, they sponsor conditions of intolerance, negativism and a saturation of the judicial apparatus, which in turn promotes the commission of crimes constituting violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

The Colombian National Government has conferred the Vice President of the Republic, as its High Counselor on Human Rights, with the responsibility of coordinating the multiple efforts and initiatives currently pursued by several State entities, in an endeavor to guarantee, protect and defend fundamental rights. A broad process of institutional coordination is currently underway to allow the preparation of a State Policy on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, one which will ensure unified criteria for and extensive commitment by all of the institutions with jurisdiction in this topic and which will also be integrated with efforts undertaken by civilian society.

This policy is finding its place within this context of violence and the unpostponable demands for Peace, since reconciliation can only be achieved through an approach of respect for Human Rights. At the same time, the untiring struggle for the effective force and applicability of those rights shall lead us to peace.
This policy, then, is inspired by the need to deal with problems which, due to their humanitarian importance, require preferential attention and an integral focus regarding civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Consequently, its basic guidelines contemplate strengthening the struggle against impunity through the investigative impulse of the most relevant cases, the protection of those working to defend and promote those rights, combating paramilitary self-defense groups, the battle against kidnapping, integral care for displaced persons, strengthening the government's capacity and making any necessary institutional adjustments, especially through the modernization of the Armed Forces.

The initiative itself is framed within a spirit of constructive cooperation with the international community, whose qualified assistance and impartial follow-up of the internal situation is valued by the Colombian National Government. Therefore, a policy which allows the international community's scrutiny with total transparency has been maintained in order to obtain a realistic and external view of serious problems that we are now facing and the institutional performance.

In all fairness, the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Observatory which has been put into operation is the result of international cooperation in Human Rights. It is an instrument which shall contribute to our own scrutiny, internally and internationally of the problems, factors and trends which have configured the scenario of Human Rights violations, promote its analytical understanding and make known the set of state performance. In sum, it will endeavor to generate knowledge to be used in the definition of policies and to provide input for its evaluation. This Newsletter is one means for spreading the word on this mission. The information contained will allow the examination and facilitate communication of the transparency of the work that the Government is carrying out in this area.