IPU Logo-top>>> VERSION FRANÇAISE  
 IPU Logo-middleInter-Parliamentary Union  
IPU Logo-bottomChemin du Pommier 5, C.P. 330, CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex/Geneva, Switzerland  

COLOMBIA
CASE No. CO/121 - PIEDAD CÓRDOBA
Resolution adopted by consensus by the IPU Governing Council at its 178th session
(Nairobi, 12 May 2006)


The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Ms. Piedad Córdoba of Colombia, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/178/12(b)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 177th session (October 2005),

Taking account of the communication of 16 March 2006 from the Director of the Presidential Programme on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law forwarding a copy of a report from the Attorney General's Office,

Recalling that Ms. Córdoba, was kidnapped and held by the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) paramilitary group between 21 May and 4 June 1999, that its then leader, Mr. Carlos Castaño Gil, who disappeared in April 2004, was formally indicted as the instigator of the kidnapping on 9 November 2004, and that on 26 June 2002 an arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Iván Roberto Duque Gaviria, who was declared absent by the Court on 27 August 2002,

Recalling that Ms. Córdoba was the target of an attempt on her life in January 2003, and that a preliminary investigation on 18 September 2003 found four detained persons to be involved in the attack; considering nevertheless that, according to the latest report of the Attorney General's Office, on 14 March 2005 the Third Criminal Court of the Medellín Circuit acquitted three of the accused, while the fourth one, the same Mr. Ivan Roberto Duque who is allegedly involved in the above-mentioned kidnapping, was declared absent,

Considering that congressional elections were held in March 2006, in which Ms. Córdoba was re-elected to the Senate,

Noting that Mr. Jaime Gomez, a close adviser to Senator Córdoba, recently disappeared and that his completely decomposed body was found at the end of April 2006 in the vicinity of the National Park in Bogotá,

  1. Thanks the Director of the Presidential Programme on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law for the information provided;

  2. Is shocked at the killing of Ms. Córdoba's close adviser, which goes to show that, without rigorous action to prevent and punish human rights violations, the lives of Ms. Córdoba and her entourage will continue to be at great risk;

  3. Expresses deep concern that, after almost seven years since Ms. Córdoba was kidnapped and more than three years since she faced an attempt on her life, the culprits have yet to be brought to trial; regrets in this regard that no information has been forthcoming about efforts made to shed light on the fate of Mr. Castaño and Mr. Duque;

  4. Recalls that, under its international law obligations, the Colombian State is obliged to combat impunity effectively by apprehending and punishing human rights offenders, providing effective redress to their victims, and taking effective action to ensure that such offences do not recur;

  5. Calls on the authorities to take all possible steps to ensure that the crimes against Ms. Córdoba's life and the murder of her adviser do not go unpunished, including by establishing the whereabouts of Mr. Castaño and Mr. Duque and, if they are still alive, to apprehend them and bring them to trial;

  6. Calls in particular on the newly elected Congress to carry out its oversight function in order to ensure that justice is done and that Senator Córdoba and her staff enjoy the necessary protection; would greatly appreciate hearing about any action taken in this regard;

  7. Requests the Secretary General to convey this resolution and its requests for information to the competent authorities and to the source;

  8. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held during the 115th IPU Assembly (October 2006).
Note: you can download a complete electronic version of the brochure "Results of the 114th IPU Assembly and related meetings in PDF format (file size 503K approximately ). This version requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download free of charge.Get Acrobat Reader

HOME PAGEred cubeHUMAN RIGHTSred cubeMAIN AREAS OF ACTIVITYred cubeIPU STRUCTURE AND DOCUMENTS