2 3. The public hearing held on February 5, 2008, where the State, the InterAmerican Commission and the representative of the beneficiaries were present1. WHEREAS: 1. Colombia ratified the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter, "the American Convention”) on July 31, 1973, and recognized the contentious 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 shall adopt such provisional measures as it deems pertinent in matters it has under consideration. With respect to a case not yet submitted to the Court, it may act at the request of the Commission”. 3. On this matter, Article 25 of the Rules provide that: [...] 2. With respect to a case not yet submitted to the Court, it may act at the request of the Commission”. [...] 6. The beneficiaries of provisional measures or urgent measures ordered by the President may address their comments on the report made by the State directly to the Court. The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights shall present observations to the State’s report and to the observations of the beneficiaries or their representatives. 4. In accordance with the Orders of the Inter-American Court of March 6, 2003, November 17, 2004, March 15, 2005 and February 7, 2006 (supra Having Seen clauses No. 1 and 2), the State shall, inter alia, a) adopt, without delay, any measures necessary to protect the life and personal integrity of all members of the Community Council of Jiguamiandó and Curbaradó families; b) adopt any measures necessary to guarantee that the individual beneficiaries of these measures may 1 The following individuals attended the public hearing: a) for the Inter-American Commission: Víctor Abramovich and Santiago Canton, delegates, and Juan Pablo Albán, Karen Mansel and Lilly Ching, advisors; b) for the beneficiaries of the provisional measures: Ligia María Chaverra, legal representative of the High Council of Curvaradó river basin (Consejo Mayor de la Cuenca del Río Curvaradó); Efrén Romaña, legal representative of the Council of Jiguamandó river basin (Consejo de la Cuenca del Río Jiguamandó); Germán Ivan Romero, and Danilo Rueda, representatives of the Inter-ecclesiastical Justice and Peace Commission (Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz) and c) for the State: Carlos Franco Echevarría, Director of the Presidential Human Rights Program (Programa Presidencial para los Derechos Humanos); Clara Inés Vargas Silva, Director of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Lieutenant Juan Carlos Gómez-Ramírez, Director of Human Rights at the National Ministry of Defense; Eduth Claudia Hernández-Aguilar, Coordinator of Defense before international organizations for the National Ministry of Defense; Francisco Javier Echeverri-Lara, Director of the Office of International Affairs, General Prosecutor’s Office; Liliana Romero, Advisor for the Office of International Affairs, General Prosecutor’s Office, Janneth Mabel Lozano-Olave, Coordinator of Protection and Information for International Organizations, Board of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jorge Rodríguez, Ministry of Defense, and Sandra Jeannette Castro-Ospina, Head of the National International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Unit of the General Prosecutor’s Office.