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.

The workshop will highlight the importance of efficient interagency cooperation for crisis and emergency response, as well as the role of the regional cooperation in times of regional disasters. Representatives of several countries from the region of Southeastern Europe will take part in the forum.

In the end of January representatives of the CMDR COE will take part in South Eastern Simulation Network (SEESIM) working meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, where the dates (most probably in 30 Mar-01 Apr) for the SEESIM Exercise Planners Training Course will be determined.

The course addresses the need to acquire a new package of capabilities on CMDR planning and management, including all needed capabilities to participate in Alliance Crisis and Emergency Response Operations. The course program promote modern methods and approaches to the crisis and emergency planning and will help them in building the expertise to address key issues for Crisis and Emergency Management. The course will take place in Sofia in February and in addition to the SEESSIM and VIKING training audience officer level OF3-OF5 (equivalent for civilians), expecting or appointed to take management positions in state agencies, central and local administration, it is also open for NATO and Partner Nations.

The SEESIM Exercise in general promotes the coordinated, rapid, interagency response of SEDM nations to real world threats – both natural and man-made – to our individual and collective security. The main goals of SEESIM 14 are to standardize and improve national, SEEBRIG HQ and regional processes and procedures in emergency response situations and to improve interoperability among the SEDM nations and SEEBRIG HQ.

In this regard the CMDR COE team was invited to organize and carry out a workshop on Crisis Management and Disaster Response during 17-20 February at the SEEBRIG HQ, Larissa, Greece. The aim of the workshop is to strengthen the expertise of the SEEBRIG HQ representatives in the field of crisis management and disaster response, a field that is proving to be a priority for SEEBRIG, and to further strengthen the cooperation between the two organizations.