Trócaire, the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, has urged the Government to make human rights in Colombia a priority during Ireland's European presidency next year.
In a report to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs at Leinster House yesterday, Trócaire called on the Government to "remind the Government of Colombia of its obligation to dismantle paramilitary groups, penalise those responsible for committing crimes and sever the links between these groups and civil servants".
The Government should also urge its Colombian counterpart to "respect and support human rights defenders, investigating and penalising those responsible - including civil servants - for threats and attacks against Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)". Trócaire said it should also call on Colombian guerrilla organisations "to immediately and unconditionally free all hostages as a demonstration of goodwill towards a search for a negotiated solution to the conflict".
In addition, it said the Government should emphatically condemn the murder on October 16th of Esperanza Amaris Miranda, of the Organizacion Femenina Popular (Popular Women's Organisation).