By German Maj. Bernd Schales
GCMC Outreach and Partnership Directorate
ZAGREB, Croatia -- Developing an understanding of the complexities of all-hazards crisis management was the focus of a workshop held Aug. 30-Sept 2. in Zagreb, Croatia.
Organized by the Marshall Center at the request of several separate U.S. Offices of Defense Cooperation Southeast Europe, the workshop also helped participants gain an appreciation for an inter-ministerial approach to crisis management and of the issues of interdependency and consequence management.
Fifty-two mid- to senior-level governmental and non-governmental organization officials representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia attended along with 13 delegates from embassies in Zagreb, the United Nations Development Program, the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre and embassy personnel from Austria, France, Germany, Macedonia and the United States.
Workshop moderators, Army Col. Jeff Lee, the deputy chairman for the Marshall Center’s Department of Outreach and Special Programs, said they hoped participants gained a better understanding of the perceived regional threats to civil security, both manmade and natural.
“We wanted them to take away a better understanding that both bilateral and regional cooperation will be absolutely necessary in a large catastrophe, such as an earthquake,” he said. “We also hoped the participants would come to appreciate the difficulty in crisis management and the challenges of working inter-ministerial action and response to these crises.”
Dr. John Clarke, director of studies for the Marshall Center’s Seminar on Transatlantic Civil Security was the overall moderator; also supporting were the Marshall Center’s Dr. James Anderson and COL Dr. Karlheinz Rambke, and Dr. Andrew Bellenkes, a visiting lecturer for the Marshall Center’s STACS. German Ambassador Dr. Bernd Fischer provided closing remarks.
Colonel Lee said the region has been fraught with a number of natural disasters in the past, so the focus on regional cooperation is important.
“Our impression is that although such disasters can involve an entire region, most (of the participants’) concerns appear to be state-centric,” Colonel Lee said.
Natural and environmental disasters were of greatest concern to most participants while demining, chemical plant accidents and the potential threat of a nuclear accident in nearby Slovenia were considered by many as the region's priority man-made threats. Some participants also noted the potential for maritime disasters in the Adriatic Sea.
Colonel Lee said breakout session discussions revealed a need to improve the operational expertise and effectiveness of crisis management mechanisms that would be needed during times of crisis.
“For one of the working groups, this was at the top of their list of challenges to be faced in coming times,” he said.
Among other insights, the conference found that regional cooperation for combating large fires is already in place and working well. Colonel Lee said participants hoped similar cooperation could be achieved in advance of other regional threats such as floods and in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear accident or incident.
Through lectures, discussions and the table-top exercise “Cerulean Storm,” the participants had an opportunity to recall the importance of inter-ministerial cooperation, pre- crisis planning and the fact that crisis management needs a continuous process of assessment and training for first responders and senior decision makers.
“The findings of this workshop will help us tailor follow-on events of common concern to regional participants,” Dr. Anderson said.
In conjunction with the event the Croatian GCMC Alumni Association had an outreach networking event with Bulgarian, Montenegrin, Bosnian and Herzegovinian and 35 Croatian alumni on the evening of Sept. 1 on the same topic. COL Dr. Rambke and Dr. Clarke also spoke at this event.
