On 1 October, the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence hosted its latest Online Seminar on resilience, asking a central question: do the actors responsible for resilience sufficiently understand each other’s roles, responsibilities, capabilities and dependencies? Having online webinars provides an ideal forum to dive deep into topics that matter. By bringing together diverse perspectives – whether in person or online – we offer a platform for vibrant discussions and knowledge in exchange. Our regular virtual events expand accessibility, allowing a more diverse audience to join the conversation and contribute to a richer learning experience.
Mr Tony Icayan opened the discussion from the NATO perspective, presenting the layered resilience concept. He emphasised that resilience depends on the interaction between civil, societal and military layers, and that each must understand what it requires from – and can provide to – the others.
From the EU perspective, Ms Anne Samsel outlined the Preparedness Union Strategy and its whole-of-society approach. Her presentation highlighted population preparedness, stronger public-private cooperation, civil-military coordination and the importance of joint exercises and effective crisis-response structures.
Mr Timothy Lannan then turned from policy to operational readiness. His message was clear: naming organisations in plans does not automatically make them prepared. Civilian infrastructure, commercial suppliers and dual-use systems on which military operations depend must be examined in terms of decision-making authority, redundancy, recovery capacity and whether civilian and military actors have actually rehearsed together.
Bringing the national perspective, Mr Slawomir Lazarek drew on Poland’s experience and lessons from Ukraine. He stressed the importance of integrated civil-military planning, timely decision-making, protection of critical infrastructure, societal self-organisation and mutual trust. Plans, he argued, only become meaningful when they are tested through realistic exercises.
Across all four perspectives, one conclusion stood out: resilience is a collective responsibility, but cooperation cannot begin when a crisis is already underway. Governments, armed forces, private industry, critical infrastructure operators, civil society and citizens need shared understanding, trusted networks and tested arrangements beforehand.
We at CCOE believe in the power of connection and collaboration! Our seminars are a cornerstone of our mission to foster unity of purpose in the field of civil-military interaction, offering a dynamic space for experts, practitioners, and newcomers to share knowledge and build meaningful relationships. Resilience is built before it is needed. The challenge is ensuring that policy, planning and preparedness translate into coordinated action when it matters most.
Our next edition will take place in the beginning of December covering the topic “Multi-Domain Operations – A Domain-Specific View on Civil Military Cooperation”. Stay tuned for the exact date and hope to see many of you again!
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