The Ministry of Defense (MIDE) of the Dominican Republic, through the Universidad Nacional para la Defensa “General Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez” (Unade), signed an understanding agreement with the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Guatemala (Mindef), for the benefit of higher education in human rights and international humanitarian law.
The agreement will expand opportunities for academic exchanges, degree homologation and teaching mobility. The agreements include visits, exchange of experiences between instructors and students, as well as the organization of academic activities of common interest.
By committing to mutual cooperation to strengthen academic training programs at the undergraduate, graduate, scientific research, extension and innovation and teacher training levels, they will also join efforts to achieve common goals and take advantage of accumulated experiences in scientific research.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa, ERD; the rector of Unade, Major General Francisco A. Ovalle Pichardo, ERD; Major General Henry David Sáenz Ramos, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Guatemala and President of the Superior Council of the Central American Armed Forces Conference (CFAC), and Infantry Colonel (DEM) Juan Carlos Nájera Valle, Commander of the Superior Command of Education of the Guatemalan Army, within the framework of the Fiftieth Ordinary Meeting of the CFAC Superior Council, held in Guatemala.
During the signing, the Dominican Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa, ERD, said that the National Defense University “General Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez” (Unade) has been a fundamental pillar in the training of military and civilian leaders throughout the region, as well as in the promotion of academic and professional excellence in the field of defense.
“With this agreement, we not only strengthen our educational and operational capabilities, but also open new opportunities for knowledge exchange, best practices and academic mobility. A considerable number of our members have been trained in both countries through CFAC, an international military institution that has united us for more than 16 years,” he said.
He also highlighted the role that CFAC has played in our relations, thanks to which today we can show great achievements, including the training recently provided to the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic by the Military Police and the Artillery School of the Guatemalan Army. Likewise, through the Exchange Program in the area of Education of the CFAC, the classrooms of the schools and academies of the Dominican Armed Forces proudly welcome honorable officers and cadets of the Guatemalan Army, who are part of the various training programs developed by Unade.
Meanwhile, Major General Henry David Saenz Ramos, Minister of National Defense of Guatemala, thanked the unconditional support of the Dominican Ministry of Defense and its university in the decision they have taken to support the construction of the School of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law of the Army of Guatemala, to advance in the study, analysis and research also of Women’s Rights, aimed at civilians and military.
“The expertise that you already have in the areas of study will contrast perfectly with ours, because we have a history dedicated to the education and defense of Human Rights and IHL, especially after the signing of the Firm and Lasting Peace Agreements in 1996, and today, those experiences lived for 36 years can be transversalized in the academic activities that we are developing,” said the Guatemalan Minister of Defense.
It is recalled that last April, on the occasion of a visit to the country by trainees from the Command and General Staff of the Higher Command of Education of the Guatemalan Army (Cosede), educational authorities of that country learned details about the organization and operation of the Dominican military education system at the higher level, as well as their experiences in the training of civilian and military capabilities in the field of Human Rights.
Source:presidencia.gob.do
