United Nations General Assembly A/HRC/16/45/Add.1 Distr.: General 25 January 2011 Original: English Human Rights Council Sixteenth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the independent expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall Addendum Mission to Colombia* ** Summary The Constitution and legislation of Colombia prohibit racial discrimination, protect and promote equality as a matter of law and recognize the country’s ethnic diversity. Numerous Government policies aim to address inequalities. Nevertheless, the legacy of slavery is still manifest in the social and economic marginalization of members of the AfroColombian, Black, Raizal and Palenquero communities. While the country as a whole may be enjoying a reduction in hostilities and armed conflict, many Afro-Colombian communities and their leaders, particularly along the Pacific coast, still suffer violent attacks. Victims believe that there is impunity for those who commit crimes against them. Violence and intimidation is now aimed at dispossessing Black communities of their lands, including for illegal coca cultivation and trafficking. New macro-economic development plans and commercial interests seeking to acquire land and exploit natural resources have also created incentives for dispossession. Displaced persons who return to their lands find that others have claimed ownership or rights of usage in their absence. Despite a plethora of Government legislation, policy and programme initiatives, the reality is poor implementation, inadequate resources and outputs which fall far short of the needs of Afro-Colombians. * ** GE.11-10418 The summary of this mission report is being circulated in all official languages. The report itself is contained in the annex to the summary and is being circulated in the language of submission and in Spanish only. Late submission.