2 […] 3. The State’s reports of October 20, 2006, January 4th, July 24th, August 16th, September 4th, and September 24, 2007. 4. The briefs of the representative of the beneficiaries of the provisional measures (hereinafter “the representative”) of December 12, 2006, March 30th, April 27th, July 5th, October 5th, and December 7, 2007, and January 29, 2008. 5. The observations of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the Inter-American Commission”) of December 8, 2006, February 21st and August 23, 2007. CONSIDERING: 1. That Colombia has been a State Party to the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention”) since July 31, 1973, and that it accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court on June 21, 1985. 2. That Article 63(2) of the Convention establishes 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 regard to a case not yet submitted to the Court, it may act at the request of the Commission.” 3. That, in this regard, Article 25 of the Rules of Procedure establishes that: […] 2. With regard to matters not yet submitted to it, the Court 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 InterAmerican Commission of Human Rights shall present observations to the State’s report and to the observations of the beneficiaries or their representatives. 4. That the States must offer effective and adequate guarantees to the defenders of human rights so that they may carry out their activities freely and that it is convenient to pay special attention to actions that limit or hinder their work, since the work they perform is a positive contribution, which complements the efforts made by the State, the guarantor of the rights of the people under its jurisdiction.1 * Cfr. Case of Gloria Giralt de García Prieto et al. Provisional Measures. Order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of September 26, 2006, considering paragraph number eight; Matter of Mery Naranjo et al. Provisional Measures. Order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of July 5, 2006, considering paragraph number eight; Matter of the Forensic Anthropology Foundation regarding Guatemala. Provisional Measures. Order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of April 21, 2006, considering paragraph number nine. 1