Blog Post
Colombia: ICITAP Helps Strengthen Pre-Accord Human Rights Investigations
From February 4 to 6, ICITAP-Colombia advisors accompanied U.S. cold-case experts and representatives from the Colombian Attorney General's Office (AGO), who participated in a technical working group in Bogotá to develop a base-line evaluation for the “Strengthening the Colombian AGO Pre-Accord Human Rights Investigations” project. With the purpose of carrying out the baseline evaluation of existing protocols in the investigation of cold cases of the AGO and other human rights violations, ICITAP brought together two US experts in the investigation of cold cases, experienced ICITAP advisors, and delegates of the Colombian AGO Vice Ministry, the Criminalistics Department, Public Policies and Strategy Directorate, Human Rights office, and the Directorate of Public Safety. These subject matter experts (SME) shared best practices to implement and maintain a cold cases unit, based on a study funded by the Department of Justice National Institute of Justice (NIJ). An analysis of cold cases investigations conducted by the Boston Police Department Cold Case Squad was also presented. The knowledge and experience shared by the SMEs and dialogue between participants of the technical working group have contributed towards the shaping of a methodology, which will be used in the analysis process of 43,959 cases that the AGO has classified as cold cases. In Colombia, ICITAP works with the support of and in coordination with the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
Updated August 11, 2023