The Inter-American Defense Board, in compliance with its 2024 Work Plan and in accordance with the mandates of the OAS, held the “II Conference on Environmental Protection” on Wednesday, September 18, from the historic Casa del Soldado in Washington, DC
Held in a hybrid format, the Conference was organized with the objective of presenting important, transcendental or relevant information from different perspectives, on how the defense and security forces have been contributing to the protection of the environment and with this, the projection for the coming years, which will allow the participating public to become aware of current challenges, good practices and lessons learned in this fundamental area of life, as well as underlining the urgency and importance of joint action to take care of our home, our planet.
The event was attended by the President of the Council of Delegates of the IADB, the Director General of the Secretariat of the IADB, the Director of the Inter-American Defense College, and the Vice President of the Council of Delegates of the IADB. The event also included special guest Ambassador Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, who said in his opening speech: “I applaud the initiative of the Inter-American Defense Board in convening this seminar, since environmental problems are closely linked to national and regional security. As our communities face increasingly frequent natural disasters and the effects of climate change intensify, we see how these phenomena profoundly affect the behavior of millions of women, men, girls, and boys. Droughts disrupt agricultural systems, causing a rural exodus that can trigger uncontrolled urban growth. At the same time, floods and hurricanes displace hundreds of thousands of people, worsening poverty and deepening the migration crisis. In this scenario, security forces play a fundamental role in responding to disasters, protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining order.”
The Delegates from Honduras, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Brazil, among others, also participated in person, contributing to the highlights of this important event. It is worth mentioning that the number of registered participants was 9,395 people from 54 countries, demonstrating that these transcendental events are increasingly attracting the interest of nations beyond the American Hemisphere.
The exhibitors represented their respective international organizations and discussed issues that are currently very relevant to the environment, such as:
- Mexican Navy Lieutenant, Dr. Alfonso Flores Rojas, representing the Inter-American Defense College (IDC), with the topic: “Integration of Environmental Security into the Hemispheric Defense and Security Agenda.”
- Environmental Officer, Magister Gerardo Arroyo, representing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on the topic: “The importance of environmental protection to advance human development and reduce risks to the most vulnerable populations.”
- the Pilot Colonel of the Dominican Republic Air Force, Magister Rubén Guillermo Mejía del Carmen, representing the System of Cooperation of the American Air Forces (SICOFAA) with the theme: “The environment as a factor in the operational safety of aviation.”
- the Director of the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS-DDs), Dr. Mark Lambrides, with the topic: “Support to OAS Member States to achieve sustainable development through climate action and environmental protection.”
- Captain of the Frigate (ret.), Associate Dean, Dr. Patrick Paterson, representing the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Studies, with the topic: “Analysis of the new humanitarian and environmental protection roles of the Armed Forces in Latin America”;
and Brigadier General (r) of the National Army, Minister Counselor César Augusto Parra León with the theme: “Multidimensional Security, a fundamental pillar for global stability and sustainable development at COP16 in Colombia.”
It is worth mentioning that the Conference was organized by the Division of Cooperation in Disasters, Environment and Climate Change of the Undersecretary of Advisory Services of the IADB with the General Coordination of Colonel of the Peruvian Air Force Luis Alberto Arrascue Avellaneda, head of the Division, who took into consideration addressing key issues to raise awareness, promote responsible actions and motivate people and governments to implement policies that guarantee sustainability and global well-being.
This important event was moderated by Dominican Air Force Colonel Adamilca Rodríguez Martínez, a teacher and advisor at the Inter-American Defense College, who concluded the conference with the following reflection by Martin Luther King: “If I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today.” She asked the in-person and virtual audience: “What would you do?”
The full content of the Conference is available on the IADB's YouTube page, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XriHVCQXurc
