In August and September, the Inter-American Group of Monitors for Humanitarian Demining in Colombia (GMI-CO), a mission of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) in support of the Comprehensive Action Program against Antipersonnel Mines of the Organization of American States (AICMA-OAS), was able to contribute with lectures to an International Congress and a Course organized by the Colombian Military Forces.
On September 6, the Head of GMI-CO, Captain (Brazilian Marine) Leonel Mariano da Silva Júnior, gave a presentation at the 5th International Congress on Operational Law, which took place at the José María Córdova Military Cadet School in the capital Bogotá, on the topic of “International Law and Humanitarian Demining,” a presentation that included quality management activities and the support of the IADB and the OAS in this activity in Colombia. The audience involved in this Congress was made up of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Armed Forces, Judges, Prosecutors and other authorities of the Judicial Branch, teachers and students from various universities in the country, as well as cadets and second lieutenants from the Faculty of Law of the Military School.
On August 15, the GMI-CO Chief had already taught a class at the country's Army Combined Arms School for the High-Level Non-Commissioned Officers Course on the topic of "Humanitarian Response Operations," including the role of the OAS and the IADB in supporting demining in Latin America.
Since 2006, GMI-CO has supported the efforts of the OAS and the Colombian authorities to reduce the effects of explosive devices and antipersonnel mines, which have plagued the population of that country for six decades. Currently, the Group is composed of officers from the Brazilian Navy, the Brazilian Army and the Mexican Army.
