USAID Says NGOs Need Enhanced Ability to Investigate Colombian Security Forces

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday shed some light on how it anticipates strengthening the ability of civil-society groups -- who would be hired to work in consultation with the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) -- to investigate human rights violations in Colombia. USAID earlier this year began soliciting outside input (Narcosphere, Feb. 6, 2006) on the crafting of future U.S-supported human-rights policy in Colombia, and since that time has held several meetings with NGOs from the U.S. and Colombia.
USAID in its response has expressed an interest in enhancing the capacity of NGOs and the Colombian government to investigate and prosecute “priority cases involving violation of human rights (assassinations, massacres, threats to HR defenders, etc).” This would include, USAID asserted, human rights abuses allegedly committed by Colombian security forces.

According to the transcript of a recent USAID Q&A, one unidentified NGO representative asked:  

Could you please give us more details about the specific activities to be developed by the DOJ and by the justice contractor – specifically regarding the Office of Human Rights of the Attorney General’s Office as well as the support to the victims and witnesses program of the Attorney General’s office? We need this information in order to determine the possible coordination areas.

The agency on Friday (May 5) posted this response, which was located through a routine search of the FedBizOpps contracting database:  

ANSWER: US Department of Justice (DOJ) provides technical assistance, training and logistical support to 15 Human Rights Units of the Attorney general’s office around the country.  In addition, DOJ and other international donors provide assistance to strengthen investigative capacity of these human rights prosecution units in priority cases involving violation of human rights (assassinations, massacres, threats to HR defenders, etc).  We anticipate that DOJ and the USAID justice reform and modernization program and Human Rights program will work in coordination to enhance human rights related justice sector processes; including improved administration, HR related information systems, investigation, prosecution, public defense, and adjudication. Coordinated efforts are expected as well to specifically strengthen the Attorney General’s Human Rights Unit as a mean to combat impunity.  

In addition, civil society organizations (CSOs) that develop human rights violation data bases and document specific information on human rights violations are viewed as an important resource to the Attorney General HR office efforts to combat impunity of human rights offenders. Therefore, to complement the work of the DOJ and USAID justice programs; the human rights program contractor is expected to provide assistance to independent State organizations and  CSOs, empowering them to fulfill their respective roles in areas such as HR system monitoring, oversight, formulating and advocating policy recommendations, public information and education, and CSO collaboration in other human rights strengthening initiatives. Key State partners with CSOs (especially victims groups and associations) are expected to include the national Inspector General (Procuraduria) human rights office, Ombudsman (Defensoria del Pueblo) victims unit, and National Police Human Rights offices(s) charged with investigation of allegations of security force HR abuses.