On May 17, President Iván Duque launched the Observa platform to follow up and monitor the human rights situation in the country. Observa relies on a database and automated processes that are responsible for collecting information from different sources, processing the data, structuring it, analyzing it and reproducing it in different statistical models, for use in the design of public policies. It is structured in three modules: prevention of child and adolescent recruitment; risk of violation of the rights to life, liberty, integrity and security in the regions; and homicides of leaders and human rights defenders.

The purpose of this tool is to take an important step forward in terms of transparency and accountability, as it would serve as a single platform for accessing all human rights information generated by public entities and agencies. In addition, it reduces the time and margin of error in the data collection and management process. The approach to the protection of human rights is not only the defense of personal integrity, but includes many other aspects such as the defense of minorities, freedom of expression, press, and association, among others. 

The launch of the portal takes place in a context of increasing violence against human rights defenders in Colombia, only in 2021 the platform recorded a total of 145 murders. According to the most recent data, between the months of January and April 2022 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights counted a total of 71 homicide reports, 11 of which were confirmed, 52 are under investigation and 8 are inconclusive. Likewise, of the 11 verified homicides, 5 occurred in the Cauca region, 2 in Chocó, 2 in Cesar, 1 in Antioquia and another one in Nariño, while there are others under investigation in the regions of Arauca, Boyacá, Meta, La Guajira.