On August 1, 2006 78 Members of the United States Congress sent a strong letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging the full renewal of the UNHCHR’s Office in Colombia.
The bipartisan letter was circulated by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Jim Leach (R-IA). Among the signers were the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Ranking Members of the Subcommittees on Western Hemisphere Affairs and Foreign Operations Appropriations, and representatives who hold leadership positions within the Democratic Party. Independent and objective reporting on human rights issues, the kind the UNHCHR in Colombia has been providing for years, remains critical as violence by all armed actors continues unabated. As a result of this letter from Congress, the Colombian government has decided to extend the UNHCHR’s mandate one more year, during which time it will be evaluated.
