On November 30, the Inter-American Defense Board held a seminar on "Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Military Operations" at the Soldier's House in Washington (USA), in person and virtually.
The objective of the event was to contribute to promoting and strengthening respect for human rights and international humanitarian law in the armed and security forces of the Western Hemisphere, promoting dialogue and exchange on common challenges to improve cooperation mechanisms between countries. in this matter.
The seminar was inaugurated by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Benoni Belli, who referred to the value of instruments such as International Humanitarian Law, the "Right to War", for the protection of people who are not directly involved in armed conflicts. «Regardless of the scope of application, International Humanitarian Law is a simple metric: intentional harm to civilians is prohibited. "War must be limited at a minimum to the fighting forces and must not cause disproportionate and unjustified harm to the civilian population," he said.
The 2023 edition of the Seminar on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Military Operations was transversal to the important areas that are currently on the global agenda, and provided new features such as the panels "Human Rights of Women in Vulnerable Situations", taught by Jesús Ignacio Gil, member of the United Nations and expert in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; and "Application of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Cyberspace", taught by Dr. Romina Morello, of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
At the closing of the seminar, the Director General of the Inter-American Defense Board, Brigadier Major Flávio Luiz de Oliveira Pinto, of the Brazilian Air Force, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and highlighted the organization's commitment to this important legal instrument: «We must highlight that this historical milestone has contributed greatly to the recognition and respect of human rights around the world, with notable progress since its adoption. However, it is essential to recognize that the journey is far from over, and this seminar was a testament to our continued commitment to this journey.”
With a total of 13,911 registered, members from 51 countries attended the Seminar.
The complete recording of the Seminar can be seen on the IADB YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRkuMfAZS8M
