Opening Ceremony for the Implementation of the MoU between The Dallaire Institute and The Colombia Ministry of Defence

September 16:Opening Ceremony for the Implementation of the MoU between The Dallaire Institute and The Colombia Ministry of Defence: Bogotá, Colombia

On May 31, 2024, the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Colombian Minister of Defence to establish a partnership to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed violence, and to strengthen Colombia’s commitment to peace and security through the protection of children. The signing of this MOU represented a significant milestone for the Dallaire Institute’s Latin American Centre of Excellence (LACoE) and our regional approach, which allows us to develop programs that are contextually relevant and culturally sensitive. 

After months of working with the Vice-Ministry of Public Defence and its Office of the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Children, exchanging knowledge about the Colombian context, its robust legislation, and the challenges it faces in preventing the recruitment and use of children in long-armed conflict and facing organized crime operations, a Technical Commission was officially launched on September 16, 2024, in Bogotá. 

“This work that we and the Ministry of Defence in Colombia start today is a clear demonstration of the progressive approaches that must be transmitted to all countries of the world: peace cannot be taken for granted and children must be at the heart of our solutions”, said Shelly Whitman, Executive Director of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace, and Security. 

The Technical Commission was formed to design a pilot course to train security forces in Colombia to prevent the recruitment and use of children in violence. Twenty-one participants, including Dallaire Institute staff, representatives of the Ministry of Defence, military and police academy members, and the human rights office worked for five consecutive days from September 16 – 20, discussing the content of the pilot course using the Dallaire Institute training knowledge and materials, to frame the conversation with in-depth discussions analyses coming from the Colombian perspective, context and realities.  

The meetings produced a framework that integrated the international vision to increase Colombian participation in peacekeeping operations, projecting the international principles in the national context to improve the effectiveness of the security forces in preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed violence, considering the nuances of Colombian territories and armed violence. 

“This joint work has been a great opportunity to share knowledge and find common ground for the capacity-building process, where we integrate the Colombian reality and identify the training needs of the security sector to increase its capacity to protect children and adolescents in armed violence.” Col. Carlos Lasprilla 

As a result of this process, the Dallaire Institute and the Colombian government have initiated a significant partnership that respects history and culture, and values local knowledge to increase the operational effectiveness of the security forces in preventing the recruitment and use of children as a fundamental part of the solution to breaking the cycle of violence. It is our hope that this process will not only contribute to a greater understanding of the causes, but also of effective methods to prevent this grave violation of children’s rights. 

With this first phase, we are laying the groundwork for a two-year project to introduce and integrate the prevention of the recruitment and use of children as a fundamental aspect of the operation and training of the security forces in Colombia. The next phases will see the implementation of the curriculum and training in the country territories, with specific regard to the context and needs of the territory.  

Through this approach, the Dallaire Institute is simultaneously deepening the understanding of the continuum crisis where children experience violations and violence in contexts where the distinctions between armed conflict and armed violence are blurred, and the mandates and responses to prevent and protect children’s rights fall short.  

Our goal is to then disseminate this program internationally, allowing us to achieve our vision of a world where children are at the heart of peace and security.