ESEN
Bogotá · Colombia · Est. 2026

Latin America knows armed conflict from the inside.

An independent think tank dedicated to rigorous analysis of international humanitarian law, new technologies in conflict and the protection of civilians. We bring the Latin American perspective to the global debate.

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Bogotá seen from the eastern hills
International Humanitarian Law
and Contemporary Conflict
Mission

A voice of our own in the global debate.

21st-century armed conflicts are shaped by artificial intelligence, information operations and the urbanisation of the battlefield. They pose legal challenges that demand specialised, independent and regionally-informed analysis.

Juan Pablo Acosta PeñalozaFounder · Chair of the Academic Board (ad honorem)
How we work

Four criteria.

  • Analytical independence
    Our conclusions are not conditioned by who funds the research.
  • Academic rigour
    First-rate methodological standards applied to real-world problems.
  • Latin American perspective
    Colombia and the region as a starting point for global IHL analysis.
  • Open access
    Research and knowledge generated are publicly accessible.
Thematic areas

Research focus

Six lines that articulate the Institute's research, training and public-policy analysis.

  • Conduct of hostilities and targeting
  • Protection of civilians in contemporary conflicts
  • Urban warfare and its impacts
  • Information operations, AI and IHL
  • IHL and human rights
  • IHL implementation and OSINT

IHL is not an abstract body of rules: it is the instrument through which those who take no part in hostilities are protected.

Figure: civilian population · the Institute's own artwork

Training

High-level programmes

DiplomaIn preparation
Diploma in IHL Applied to Contemporary Conflicts
120 hrs · Online
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WebinarIn preparation
Mercenaries, private military and security companies: legal status and obligations under international law
2 hrs · Online · Free
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Executive courseIn preparation
Open-source investigation for the collection and verification of evidence of human rights and IHL violations (OSINT)
40 hrs · Intensive
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Lab Knowledge Systems Lab Initiative under development

Methodologies and tools for organising, structuring and interconnecting specialised legal knowledge: Legal Knowledge Systems and OSINT Investigation Systems.

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Research

Recent publications

Book chapter
Detention or internment in non-international armed conflicts: reflections on the Colombian case
Acosta Peñaloza, J.P. · Universidad Externado de Colombia · 2022
Book chapter
The holistic perspective of reintegration
Acosta Peñaloza, J.P., et al. · Ediciones Uniandes · 2021

Contact

Stay connected

director@bogotainstitute.com
General and institutional enquiries
www.bogotainstitute.org
Institutional website
Bogotá, Colombia
In-person and online
Fundación Bogota Institute
Institutional channel on LinkedIn