A/HRC/16/45/Add.1 51. Assistance programmes are targeted towards officially registered IDPs. However, several factors impede registration of the entire affected population, excluding some from receiving assistance. Among those factors are lack of awareness of the registration process; fear of coming forward; lack of access to registration locations; administrative barriers; and rejection on the basis of criteria which exclude certain causes of displacement (for example displacement due to aerial fumigations). The Constitutional Court directed the Government to improve registration systems; however, in 2009 Acción Social refused 36 per cent of registration applications, citing fraudulent claims as the main reason for rejection and ineligible claims in a small percentage of cases27. The Government notes that as of 31 October 2010, 4,516,246 people have claimed to be victims of forced displacement. Of these, 3,573,179 (79.1 per cent) were included in the Registry of Displaced Persons and 20.9 per cent of claimants were rejected. NGOs identify a high percentage of arbitrary denials. D. Responses of security forces 52. The Vice Minister of Defence and commanders of operational brigades in AfroColombian regions28 described to the independent expert efforts to integrate into the training of every soldier and police officer respect for the human rights and the needs of Afro-Colombian communities. They emphasize that through supervision, training, outreach and accountability, steps are being taken to break with the pattern of past violations. Directive 07 of 2007 of the Ministry of National Defence is aimed at strengthening the policy for recognition, prevention and protection of the rights of Afro-Colombians. 53. Government initiatives may have improved security in some areas. However AfroColombian community members claim that certain practices, including increased military presence in sensitive areas and the extensive use of civilian informers, may put communities and individuals at heightened risk by feeding the perception by illegal armed groups that they are collaborating with the security forces. Civilian community members have been murdered or subjected to detention when armed groups or security forces accuse them of collaborating with their enemy29. Communities consequently feel threatened by all armed actors. E. The Office of the Ombudsman 54. The Office of the Ombudsman was widely praised for its activities to protect AfroColombian leaders and communities, particularly through an early warning (Sistema de Alerta Temprana – SAT) and risk assessment system coordinated with local government and public security forces. The Ombudsman has local representatives (defensores comunitarios) in highly sensitive areas where the presence of State authorities is weak. They have the trust of communities and often operate under difficult conditions and sometimes death threats from illegal armed groups. 55. Civil society and community groups can submit reports to representatives of the Ombudsman, who act as a link to regional authorities. While the Ombudsman’s office identifies credible threats on the ground, their alerts are assessed by a senior national-level committee, the Comité Interinstitucional de Alertas Tempranas (CIAT), of the security forces and civil institutions, which has frequently discounted the credibility of those alerts. 27 28 29 Idem. Including XVII Brigade and District Police in Chocó and 2nd Marine Brigade in Buenaventura. See A/HRC/4/48, para. 64. 13