A/HRC/39/6
2017, women occupied 43 per cent of management positions in State entities. Some 8.6 per
cent of the armed forces were women.
89.
The human rights policy had been developed with the participation of some 9,000
organizations in 2013. Local governments had incorporated actions in their development
plans and more than 50 per cent of those plans had been developed using a human rightsbased approach.
90.
Colombia had a National Plan on Business and Human Rights, which was in line
with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United
Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework. Progress was currently made in the
design of the second phase of the National Plan.
91.
Based on the peace agreement and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of
Action, Colombia was working on the formulation of the National Human Rights Action
Plan, together with civil society. One of the aspects that had yet to be addressed was
follow-up to international human rights recommendations. The national information system
for monitoring human rights situations had been strengthened with the addition of 40 social,
government and academic observatories.
92.
A policy had been adopted on the implementation of the Sustainable Development
Goals. The Government had managed to reduce multidimensional poverty by 13.4 per cent
between 2010 and 2017 and the number of Colombians living in extreme poverty had been
halved over seven years. In 2017, some 49 per cent of total budget spending had been
aimed at reducing poverty.
93.
Since 2015, the education sector had ranked first in terms of national budget
allocation. As at March 2018, some 95 per cent of the population was covered by health
system affiliation. Although achievements had been made in terms of reducing maternal
mortality, there was a disparity between urban and rural areas, which mostly affected
indigenous and Afrodescendent communities. In order to improve quality of life,
1.5 million homes had been built, half of which had been provided free of charge or
subsidized.
94.
Regulation for environmental protection had been made more rigorous. The current
Government had delimited 30 of the country’s 37 highland areas; 10 ecosystems had been
included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance and almost
300,000 km² of land had been declared protected areas (more than 20 per cent of the
national territory). The Government was in the process of ratifying the Paris Agreement on
Climate Change and progress was being made on the adoption of regional instruments, such
as the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in
Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean.
95.
Peru highlighted the efforts made by Colombia to address organized crime in rural
areas where the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia used to exert its
influence. Peru also noted the measures being taken to uphold the rule of law, ensure
respect for human rights and promote access to land in rural areas.
96.
The Philippines congratulated Colombia on its historic achievement in forging the
peace agreement and on its successful integration of human rights in its National
Development Plan 2014–2018.
97.
Poland acknowledged the efforts of Colombia to comply with the recommendations
it had accepted in 2013, particularly those concerning the protection of women and
children.
98.
Portugal commended the Government for its efforts to advance the peace process
and its positive impact on the enjoyment of human rights in the country.
99.
Qatar commended the implementation of structural changes and legal reforms in
Colombia in the field of human rights, such as the National Strategy for Guaranteeing
Human Rights 2014–2034.
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