- Defense Institute of International Legal Studies
- SPOTLIGHT ON DIILS ALUMNI: Lt Col Ernesto Govea...
SPOTLIGHT ON DIILS ALUMNI: Lt Col Ernesto Govea Basch, Argentina
Lt Col Ernesto Govea Basch, Legal Adviser from the Argentinean Army (HQ Buenos Aires) was appointed as a lecturer on International Humanitarian Law in Asuncion, Paraguay Republic in 2015. He has also been assigned to lecture on the differences between the Argentinean and the Paraguayan Military Justice system, which was updated in his country in 2008. He refers to teaching as an enlightening experience.
This experience allowed him to develop skills on the subject matter and a great opportunity to teach all that he learnt at DIILS, including topics such as the Tallin Manual on the International Law applicable to Cyber Warfare, the San Remo Manual on Rules of Engagement, or UN Peacekeeping Operations.
As regards to my background, I had served as a Blue Beret in Cyprus three times as a Legal Adviser, and I had attended the Panamax Exercise in Norfolk, Virginia, during 2010, and participated in the International Law of Military Operations (ILOMO) course for 2014, but Paraguay 2015 was my first time as an IHL professor outside my country, and I always kept in mind all that I had learnt and seen during the course in Newport. For instance using up to date relevant information in some aspects of IHL as a discussion topic, and the use of interesting PowerPoint templates combining information and pictures like the ones used by the military professors. I want to point out that all the books I received in Newport traveled with me to Asuncion, because they made me feel confident and reminded me of my days in DIILS. To summarize, I consider that it was a great opportunity to develop skills as a lecturer, so I´m looking forward to having more opportunities like the one I had last year, conveying the knowledge I gathered in my military career and all the international law principles I studied these years.