NCHR Occasional Paper Series #14 2020

This paper: Human Rights Defenders in Colombia, is written by María Paola Quintero Gómez. She holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B.) from Universidad Eafit, Medellín, Colombia and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Public International Law with a specialisation in International Criminal and Humanitarian Law from the University of Oslo, Norway. 

In the introduction the author writes:  To defend human rights is a right itself. To fully enjoy this right, a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders (HRDs) must be created. To achieve this, Colombia has been implementing a protection programme for HRDs since 1997, making the Colombian State a pioneer in the region.

This is not only the first programme one in the Americas but is also the largest programme with the biggest budget. It has evolved over the years, incorporating protection and preventive measures for both individuals and collectives. However, despite the state’s efforts and regulations, Colombia remains the most dangerous country in the world for HRDs. In 2019, 35% of defenders killed worldwide were in Colombia. The situation appears to be worsening in 2020 because, by 24 January, 23 HRDs had been killed.