BOGOTA -- The Colombian Ministry of National Defense has sent a bill to Congress to establish a legal framework to regulate the deployment of the armed forces.

The bill was sent to Congress in response to the military's role in combatting organized armed groups and organized criminal groups. The fight against these groups often requires lethal force and the high degree of training and operational proficiency that the military provides.

The Ministry of National Defense hopes that the bill will unify international humanitarian law and the International Law of Human Rights with the laws of the Colombian republic. Specifically, the bill will establish a legal framework that will govern different intervention scenarios for the armed forces - including during times of peace, during non-international conflicts, during international conflicts, and during other international scenarios.

The bill will help to provide legal clarity to judges when assessing the actions of the armed forces. Essentially, it is expected to provide legal security for armed forces when they are fighting criminal and terrorist groups, ELN and remnants of FARC in particular.

While Colombia signed a peace deal with FARC, conflicts remain within the country. The ELN has yet to sign a peace deal with the government, and remnants of FARC continue to fight. New president Iván Duque Márquez is determined to take a hardline against these groups. Therefore, protections are needed for Colombian soldiers combatting these groups. At the same time, Colombia needs to meet international human rights standards as it moves to increase its role internationally, including increased peace keeping operations and an increased role in NATO.

Source: Colombian Ministry of National Defense
Associated URL: https://www.mindefensa.gov.co/irj/portal/Mindefensa/contenido?NavigationTarget=navurl://c7184d723ed004e4976303504322a23c
Author: B. Ostrove, Analyst