memorandum of justification concerning human ... - Just the Facts

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Annex H: Progress on 15 Measures to Improve the Human Rights Performance of
Colombian Armed Forces
Review of Human Rights Training (responds to measures 3, 4, and 5)
Working with the Pontifica Universidad Javeriana, the Armed Forces developed
and implemented a Single Teaching Model (MUP) on human rights and international
humanitarian law, and created a book on the subject, as well as instructor guidelines. The
Inspector General of the Military General Commission, together with representatives
from the Joint Doctrine and Education Directorate, conducted special visits to 11 of the
Armed Force‘s training and instruction schools and 4 Army education and training
centers in order to assess the implementation of the Single Teaching Model (MUP) on
human rights. The Navy also revised its teaching practices, issuing a manual on human
rights, and is in the process of implementing an exam on human rights entitled the
―Periodic Examination of Knowledge‖ (PEK).
On December 15, 2008, General Padilla announced the creation of the Armed
Forces School for Human Rights, which opened in May 2009. The school will not only
provide instruction in human rights to 99,780 soldiers, it will also house a system called
Compartel (communication structure for isolated populations) that civil society can use to
present complaints of alleged violations of human rights.
With the ICRC, in May 2009 the Armed Forces carried out workshops at the
Second and Seventh Divisions on lessons learned from past human rights violations.
Case studies provided the Divisions with models for how to respect human rights and
international humanitarian law when carrying out their duties.
To ensure that commanders know the extent of their responsibility – both in terms
of their actions and omission – and that they take all the proper preventative measures to
prevent human rights violations, the Joint Education and Doctrine Directorate developed
five seminars on the subject, which have been given in Santa Marta, Bogotá, Florencia
and Tolemaida. In addition, the Ministry of Defense has given presentations on the issue
to the commanders of all divisions, brigades, and battalions in Medellín and
Bucaramanaga.
The Army created a new Human Rights Department, under the command of a
Brigadier General and comprised of six directorates that are headed up by Colonels. This
department is in charge of the implementation of the Army‘s Comprehensive Human
Rights and International Humanitarian Law Policy, and serves as the collection point and
clearing house for reports of allegations of human rights violations by military officials.
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