The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Senator Piedad Córdoba of Colombia, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/179/11(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 178th session (May 2006),

Recalling that Senator 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 and, according to recent public statements by paramilitary leaders, was murdered, was formally indicted as the instigator of the kidnapping on 9 November 2004; 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; a preliminary investigation on 18 September 2003 found four detainees to be involved in the attack; on 14 March 2005 the Third Criminal Court of the Medellín Circuit acquitted three of the accused, while the fourth one, the same Mr. Iván Roberto Duque who is allegedly involved in the above-mentioned kidnapping, was declared absent,

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

Noting that, in her latest report on the human rights situation in Colombia of May 2006 (E/CN.4/2006/9), the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights "encourages the Government to adopt and implement a public policy to combat impunity ..." and exhorts the judiciary and the Office of the Prosecutor General "to investigate and sanction human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law in an adequate and timely manner",

1. Expresses deep concern that, after more than three and seven years respectively since Ms. Córdoba was the target of an attempt on her life and was kidnapped, 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 whereabouts of Mr. Iván Roberto Duque;

2. Regrets the absence of any information indicating that an effective investigation is under way into the killing of Ms. Córdoba's close adviser, failing which the lives of Ms. Córdoba and her entourage will continue to be at great risk;

3. Recalls in this regard 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;

4. Calls therefore on the authorities to take all possible steps to ensure that the crimes against Ms. Córdoba and the murder of her adviser do not go unpunished, in particular by locating Mr. Duque to apprehend him and to bring him to trial;

5. Calls in particular on the 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;

6. Requests the Secretary General to convey this resolution to the competent authorities and to the source;

7. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held during the 116th IPU Assembly (April-May 2007).

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