In 2007, with the support of the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development, CITpax set up an office in Bogota, with three initial branches and a team composed of 10 persons. In order to carry out its activities, each branch has developed several tools for the follow up of the DDR process, the judicial proceedings and the public policies and measures within this process. The Observatory aims at elaborating periodical reports that besides presenting a diagnosis of the achievements and obstacles, include technical and policy-oriented recommendations, in order to promote compliance with international standards on human rights and transitional justice.
The Justice branch observes and analyses, from a qualitative perspective, the judicial proceedings, with the aim of identifying and drawing best practices to strengthen compliance with international standards. At the same time, experts work on the systematisation of the inputs delivered by the Colombian process so that they constitute a contribution to the global debate on transitional justice. After drawing a map with the different stages of the Justice and Peace process, including international standards and main obstacles, experts, in close coordination with the National Prosecutor’s Office, attend the so-called “open confessions” and the other judicial proceedings in Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla. Finally, a database with case-law and specialised working documents has been set up, and the Director organises workshops on key issues regarding international and national criminal law, human rights and transitional justice.
The DDR branch monitors the design and implementation of public policies at both the national and regional levels, as well as the inter-institutional coordination and the degree of participation of other actors in the definition of policies. It aims at providing an integral overview of the social impact of the reintegration process, and to determine to what extent the process is sustainable, as a crucial element of reconciliation. The analysis is regional-based, and takes into account the regions that host the largest number of demobilised. The branch has geo-positioned information regarding the relevant elements in the reintegration process of the demobilised, the impact of the benefits granted through the programme of the High Council for Social and Economic Reintegration, cases of re-armament and the perception of reception communities. Besides collaboration with key institutions, experts carry out field missions to further understand and study the dynamics and context of the regions under consideration.
The Public Policies branch compiles legal instruments and governmental actions regarding the Justice and Peace process, and examines the impact of these decisions on victims, the demobilised, society, and public institutions. Among other topics, the branch focuses on the land issue, protection, the so-called “parapolítica”, policies regarding truth, restitution, individual and collective reparation, rehabilitation and guarantees of non repetition. With this aim, experts are systematising information on protection, reparation, the land issues and vulnerable groups and they have designed a map of institutions and legal instruments, and other decisions on the Justice and Peace process. The work is being carried out in collaboration with the Procuraduría General de la Nación.
In order to exchange information on the process, the Observatory has adopted collaboration agreements with the National Prosecutor’s Office and the Procuraduría General de la Nación, seeking to foster, at the same time, agreements with other institutions, international organisations and civil society organisations involved in the process, in order to obtain accurate and up-to-date information.
With the support of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development, CITpax set up an office in Bogota by the end of 2007, with three areas of work and a team composed of 10 persons.
Activities include
