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May 31 2024

17th Civil Military Cooperation Commander's Conference wraps up

TREVISO, Italy - The 17th Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Commander's Conference concluded on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Treviso, Italy with further briefings from the NATO Force and Command Structure and other subject matter experts.

The briefings concentrated on how to enhance deeper cooperation between nations and the respective civil authorities, in tandem with NATO total defence needs and the ability and capacity to safeguard our way of life.

“It is totally understandable in our democratic societies that within NATO, our Alliance nations are faced with many different challenges. Both geographically and politically. This conference has demonstrated that despite such differences, the wider approach to civil military cooperation is deeply unified. This is essential, but we must not be complacent, there is still much work to be done,” said Brigadier General Editson Zarka ACOS J9 for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).

This conference has demonstrated that despite such differences, the wider approach to civil military cooperation is deeply unified

“Civil Military cooperation is very much part of total defence, integrating the whole of society and governments. Resilience is a critical factor and applies both to the civil environment, and how we execute our NATO defensive operations to protect our NATO members. We must all strive to do more in these areas,” Zarka added.

Against the backdrop of the Ukraine War, the conference assessed many examples of civil military cooperation and covered a wide range of factors that support collective defence.

Next week SHAPE J9 will participate in the Annual CIMIC Discipline Conference in the Hague, the Netherlands organised by the CIMIC Centre of Excellence (CCOE). This event is co-hosted by the CCOE, the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre and the Centre for Integrity in the Defence Sector.



The 17th Civil Military Cooperation Commander's Conference concluded on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Treviso, Italy with further briefings from the NATO Force and Command Structure and other subject matter experts.- NATO Photo by SHAPE Public Affairs Office

Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office

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