CENTRE HAS EARNED STATUS AS THE 21st NATO COE AND ACTIVATION AS A NATO MILITARY BODY

CENTRE HAS EARNED STATUS AS THE 21st NATO COE AND ACTIVATION AS A NATO MILITARY BODY


Date: (01-04-2015)

The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) is delighted to announce that the on 31st March the silence procedure by NAC has ended and the Centre has earned status as the 21st NATO COE and its activation as a NATO Military Body with a granted international status under Article 14 of the Paris Protocol, as recommended by HQ SACT.

The CMDR COE has met the accreditation requirements set by the MC and will provide support to NATO transformation and to the enhancement of NATO capabilities in the field of Crisis Management and Disaster Response, thereby adding value.

Over the past 2 years, CMDR COE has worked closely with HQ SACT, NATO HQ and NATO subject matter experts to develop a detailed concept of support to meet the current and future needs of the Strategic Commanders for CMDR expertise. The positive results are achieved by the HQ SACT's formal accreditation assessment. The CMDR COE mission is focused in full compliance with the principles and provisions of MC Concept for Centres of Excellence (dated 4 Dec 2003).

The CMDR COE, located in Sofia, Bulgaria, was established on the 28th of August 2013 by its Sponsoring Nations of Poland and Greece and Bulgaria as the Framework Nation through the signing of the required Memoranda of Understanding (MOU): the Operational MOU between the participating Nations and the Functional MOU between the Participating Nations and NATO HQ SACT.

The CMDR COE had 23 NATO requests for support in 2014 and a further 25 for 2015. The Centre is working closely with HQ SACT, SHAPE and NATO HQ to make valuable contributions to various NATO initiatives in its field. Most notably, the CMDR COE has agreed to deliver a Study to the NATO Military Authorities that examines the impact on NATO military operations based upon the potential crises and consequences of urbanisation between now and 2035. The Centre is also ready to contribute to NATO Policy, Doctrine and Concepts related to crisis management and disaster response activities.



News

The initial planning conference for the SEESIM 14 exercise was held in Zagreb, Croatia

The initial planning conference for the distributed computer assisted exercise South Eastern Europe Simulation Network (SEESIM 14) was held in Zagreb, Croatia. The Republic of Bulgaria is co-organizer and participates actively in the conducting of the exercise together with the Host Nation. Among the participants are also representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Romania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United States of America and the SEEBRIG.

The exercise is held under the auspices of the Ministers of Defence of the SEE Nations.

 

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CMDR COE FEBRUARY Forthcoming events
  • In 3-7 of February experts from the CMDR COE team will take part in the Final Planning Conference of the SABER GUARDIAN ′14 Exercise, organized by the US EUCOM and BGR LANDFORCE.

The purpose of the exercise is to train and educate civilian and military participants in planning and conducting an UN mandated Chapter VII Peace Operation/Crisis Response Operation, based on a Comprehensive Approach, and focusing on co-operation and co-ordination within an unstable environment, involving all stakeholders. The principal exercise focus is the civilian-military cooperation and coordination. The scenario supports exercising a wide range of peace operations functions (e.g. rule of law, humanitarian, etc.). The CMDR COE will contribute to achieving the exercise objectives by providing subject matter expert support in the CMDR area and by organizing distributed point for White cell.

  • In 11-13 February 2014 the Civil-Military Interaction: Disaster Preparedness and Response Workshop will take place in Sofia. The workshop is sponsored by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria and the CMDR COE. The workshop comprises lectures dedicated to NATO and EU Crisis Management, role of military in civil security, risk management, as well as discussions and tabletop exercise.
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Internal CMDR COE Seminar on the Crisis in Syria

The CMDR COE organised an internal seminar which was held on 20.12.2013. The main focus of the seminar was the crisis in Syria. The CMDR COE experts discussed issued related to the chronology of the crisis; the increased influx of refugees to neighbouring countries and Bulgaria; the positions of NATO, the UN and EU; the involvement of international humanitarian organisations etc.

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Visualizing Implications of Climate Change on Military Activities and Relationships was conducted

On 11-12 December 2013, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) co-hosted together with US European Command (USEUCOM) and the US embassy in Bulgaria the workshop Visualizing Implications of Climate Change on Military Activities and Relationships. The opening remarks were given by the Deputy Minister of Defence of Bulgaria, Mr. Ivan Ivanov, who welcomed the participants and underlined the importance of the topics that the workshop focused on.

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