Argentine Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos appointed Chief Military Observer of UNMOGIP

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed a veteran Argentine naval officer as Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) in India and Pakistan.

Important facts

• Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos of Argentina has replaced Major General Jose Eladio Alcán of Uruguay.

• After graduating as a Middle Shipman from the Naval Academy, Rear Admiral Ríos has had a distinguished career in the Argentine Navy since 1988.

• He, most recently, served as the General Director of Education, Training and Doctrine of the Joint Staff (2022).

• Prior to this, he was Marine Infantry Commander (Core Commander) (2020-2021).

• He has also served as Marine Infantry Fleet Commander (Brigade Commander) (2019), Head of Education, Navy Warfare School (2018) and Defence, Military, Navy and Air Force in Russia (2016-2018).

• He has also been a training officer in the United States Marine Corps Regiment under the United States and Argentina Marine Exchange Program (2002–2003).

• Ríos has served in two peacekeeping missions, including the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in 1993 and 1994, and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in 2007.

• He has also served as a Humanitarian Mining Observer with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Angola (1997–1998).

• He holds a master's degree from the Naval University Institute and E-Salad University in Argentina.

About UNMOGIP

• UNMOGIP was established in January 1949.

• Following the Indo-Pakistani War and the Armistice Agreement in 1971, UNMOGIP's main tasks are to oversee developments related to strict adherence to the ceasefire.

• It has 44 military observers, 25 international civilian personnel from 10 countries and 47 local civilian staff. 

• India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).

• The last report of the Secretary-General of the Security Council on UNMOGIP was published in 1972.

• The group is financed by the United Nations.

Simla Agreement

• It was signed by India and Pakistan in July 1972.

• It established the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, which was similar to the ceasefire line established by the Karachi Accords.

• Under this, India and Pakistan mutually agreed on certain principles.

• They emphasised respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, not interfering in each other's internal affairs.