the “representatives") filed the observations to the reports of the State of August 3, 2009; January 8 and 12, 2010;, October 6, 2010 and April 7, 2011 (supra Having Seen clause 2), as well as the slides presented by the representatives at the public hearing held in this matter (infra Having Seen clause 5). The representatives did not present observations to the State’s report of October 19, 2011 (supra Having Seen clause 2). 4. The briefs of December 3, 2009; May 13, 2010; April 13 and November 18, 2011, whereby the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter, the "InterAmerican Commission” or the “Commission") submitted its observations to the reports of the State (supra Having Seen clause 2) and the briefs presented by the representatives (supra Having Seen clause 3). Moreover, the brief of July 15, 2011, by means of which the Inter-American Commission presented the information requested by the Court at the public hearing held in this matter (infra Having Seen clause 5). 5. The private hearing held at the Court’s seat in San José, Costa Rica, on June 27, 2 2011 . CONSIDERING THAT: 1. Colombia has been a State Party to the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter, the “American Convention”) since July 31, 1973, and it accepted the binding jurisdiction of the Court on June 21, 1985. 2. Article 63.2 of the American Convention provides that: [i]n cases of extreme gravity and urgency and when necessary to avoid irreparable damage to persons the Court may, with respect to a case not yet submitted to the Court, adopt such provisional measures as it deems pertinent. With respect to a case not yet submitted to the Court, it may act at the request of the Commission. 3. In this regard, article 27 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court (hereinafter, the “Rules of Procedure”)3 establishes, in its relevant part, that: 1. At any stage of the proceedings involving cases of extreme gravity and urgency, and when necessary to avoid irreparable damage to persons, the Court may, on its own motion, order such provisional measures as it deems pertinent, pursuant to Article 63(2) of the Convention. 2 To this hearing, there appeared: a) on behalf of the Inter-American Commission: Advisors Karla Quintana Osuna and Silvia Serrano Guzmán; b) on behalf of the beneficiaries’ representatives: Luis Fernando Arias Arias, OIK, and Rafael Barrios Mendivil y Jomary Ortegón Osorio, of Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo, and c) on behalf of the State of Colombia: Hernando Herrera Vergara, Ambassador of Colombia to Costa Rica; Hernán Ulloa Venegas, Director of the Presidential Program on Human Rights; Juan Carlos Forero, Deputy Attorney General; Néstor Armando Novoa, National Director of Public Prosecutors’ Offices, Solicitor General; Marlene Barbosa Sedano, Human Rights Coordinator of the Solicitor General’s Office; Francisco Javier Echeverri Lara, Human Rights Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs; María Paulina Riveros Dueñas, Human Rights Director of the Ministry of Interior and Justice; Pedro Santiago Posada Arango, Aboriginal Affairs Director of the Ministry of Interior and Justice; Elena Ambrosi Turbay, Human Rights Director of the Ministry of National Defense; Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Arango Alzate, Head of the Human Rights Department of the National Police; Tomás Concha, Coordinator of the Presidential Program on Human Rights; Diana Patricia Ávila Rubiano, Coordinator of the Group of Protection and Information on Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Luz Stella Bejarano, Defense Coordinator before International Fora of the Ministry of National Defense; César Augusto Vergara, Coordinator of the Human Rights Group of Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional; Juan Manuel Bravo Coral, Leader of Public Policy on Human Rights of the Ministry of Interior and Justice; Diana Izquierdo, Advisor to the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Interior and Justice; Alejandra Poveda Torres, Advisor to the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and María Paula Ordóñez and Jennifer Mojica, Advisors to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 3 Rules of Procedure of the Court approved during its LXXXV Period of Ordinary Sessions, held from November 16 to 28, 2009. 2