The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) held the Humanitarian Demining Seminar 2026 in Bogotá, Colombia, on March 3, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Inter-American Monitors Group in Colombia (GMI-CO).
The event brought together civil and military authorities, mine action experts and representatives of international organizations, who exchanged experiences and best practices aimed at strengthening regional capacities in humanitarian demining and international cooperation.
During the seminar, the following participated as speakers: Major General Reinaldo Salgado Beato, Director General of the IADB Secretariat; Major General Cesar Macedo, President of the IADB Council of Delegates; Colonel Leonardo Favio Cárdenas, Commander of the Humanitarian Demining Engineer Brigade of the National Army of Colombia; and Ms. Pier Angelli De Luca, Head of the Conventional Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives Section of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Within the framework of this activity, recognitions were also made and the Humanitarian Demining Expert Distinction was awarded, highlighting the commitment and contribution of personalities who have supported the advancement of humanitarian demining in Colombia.
Taking advantage of the occasion, a delegation from the Inter-American Defense Board made a technical visit to the humanitarian demining assistance missions deployed in Colombia, including institutional meetings with the General Command of the Colombian Military Forces, the National Army Engineering Command, as well as visits to the Inter-American Monitors Group (GMI), the Inter-American Technical Advisors Group (GATI) and the AICMA program of the Organization of American States (OAS).
These activities strengthened regional cooperation, provided firsthand knowledge of operational progress, and reaffirmed the IADB's commitment to multilateral efforts aimed at clearing lands affected by mines and improving the safety of communities.
For more than three decades, the Inter-American Defense Board has continued to support the efforts of Member States in humanitarian demining, contributing to capacity building, international cooperation and the construction of a safer hemisphere.
