COOPERATIVE SECURITY
International Organizations welcome outreach at NATO Strategic Direction South Conference
By Dr . Elona Rusi Karacalarli
The Warsaw Communiqué highlighted an “ arc of insecurity and instability ” surrounding the Alliance , calling for renewed NATO vigilance . To the south , the Middle East and North Africa ( MENA ) present humanitarian challenges like the migrant crisis and security threats arising from violent extremism . NATO ’ s Strategic Direction South ( NSD-S ) recognizes that underlying issues of development and governance demand coordinated collaborative action by diverse stakeholders – including multilateral and regional bodies , national governments , aid agencies , non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ), and community groups . While these actors are mainly civilian , there is an important supporting role for NATO and national militaries .
Accordingly , defense ministers agreed in February to create an information-sharing ‘ Southern Hub ’ led by the Joint Force Command in Naples ( JFC-NP ). The Hub will encourage the exchange of knowledge on MENA , the Sahel , and beyond , to improve awareness and understanding among NATO and its partners ; and it will assist both civilian and military actors in pool- ing information on their programs and activities to achieve better coordination and impact . It will link to online resources and host representatives of international organizations for discussion forums . Its data center will provide decision makers with indicators and predictive analysis on diverse drivers of destabilization , radicalization , migration , smuggling and trafficking , natural disasters , epidemics , and environmental degradation .
Lending a hand to JFC Naples , Allied Land Command ( LANDCOM ) organized in July an NSD-S Conference hosted by NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Greece ( NRDC- GR ) in Thessaloniki . The conference brought together commanders and staff of NATO land forces to brainstorm and further develop the Southern Hub concept , taking advice from representatives of international organizations ( IOs ) and think tanks actively engaged across MENA and the Sahel . At the heart of the event was the question of how NATO can best plug into the international community ’ s ongoing efforts to promote stability to the south . While NATO and national militaries have a long history of close civilian-military cooperation with IOs and NGOs that is crucial to the success of crisis operations and post-conflict stabilization missions , the Hub proposes an expanded model of partnership : long-term rather than situation-specific , not operational but information-based , and focused on strategic analysis across a broad swathe of territory . Civilian agencies welcomed NATO ’ s initiative and expressed readiness to work together . Panelists brought forth key facts framing regional issues , outlined their engagement on those issues , cited existing multilateral mechanisms , and offered initial ideas of constructive contributions the Hub could make .
Opening the event , a United Nations High Commission for Refugees ( UNHCR ) representative cited unprecedented numbers of displaced persons and placed a top priority on prevention of root causes . Without action , Syria ’ s tragedy could be replicated in weak states of Africa , he warned , with lost generations of youth vulnerable to radicalization . Surges in migrant flows are preventable if living standards can be raised and smuggling networks dismantled . A U . S . Agency for International Development ( USAID ) officer echoed this focus on prevention of the drivers of destabilization , which range from disruption of trade routes now exploited by smugglers ,
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