No. 28 (26/09/97) - 1   Statement by the Secretary General of NATO, Dr. Javier Solana on the Municipal                                      Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Secretary General is pleased that the municipal elections this past weekend in Bosnia have been a great success. He congratulates the OSCE for its steadfastness in overcoming many obstacles and for its excellent organisation of the elections.

The Secretary General also salutes SFOR which provided an environment of security without which the elections could not have taken place nor have passed off so smoothly. SFOR also provided essential planning and logistic support to the OSCE both before and during the elections. Their success is once again testimony to the close cooperation between NATO and the OSCE.

SFOR will now work closely with OSCE and all the other international organisations involved to ensure that the results are fully implemented. The Secretary General urges all the political parties of Bosnia to respect the democratic decision of the Bosnian people.

No. 28 (26/09/97) - 2     Civil Aspects of Crisis Management - International Cooperation and Good Neighbourly                                        Relations

From the 29th September until 2nd October 1997, the Seminar on Civil Aspects of Crisis Management - International Cooperation and Good Neighbourly Relations will be held in Stockholm.

The Seminar will be hosted by the Swedish Agency for Civil Emergency Planning (OCB), as part of the 1997 Partnership Work Programme. The Seminar will be supported by the Civil Emergency Planning Directorate of NATO Headquarters.

Senior officials - civil and military - involved in civil emergency planning from NATO and PFP countries will participate in the Seminar. The Seminar will be co-chaired by Mr. Sture Ericson, Director General of the OCB and Dr. Francesco Palmeri, Director Civil Emergency Planning, NATO Headquarters.

The Seminar will be divided into four main sessions:

- Conceptual Framework for Crisis Management. NATO- and Partner nations and international organizations present their views on Crisis Management, with particular attention to civil aspects;

- International Non-Military Challenges. The emergence of new, non-military threats are likely to exert an increasing influence on the international security environment in the future. A broad spectrum of threats will be discussed, including environmental risks, ethnic conflicts, large-scale refugee movements, terrorism and drug traffic.

- International Cooperation and Good Neighbourly Relations. This session will address different aspects of multilateral and inter-organizational cooperation and coordination. Experiences from international organizations, such as the UN, OSCE, NATO, the EU and the WEU, will be discussed.

- The Way Ahead. This Session will draw together conclusions from the previous sessions and discussions to consider their possible significance for future international cooperation in the field of Crisis Management. The session will also examine the role of regional and bilateral arrangements in serving various functions of coordinated Crisis Management.

No. 28 (26/09/97) - 3    1997 Civil Protection Committee Seminar and Meetring with Cooperation Partners                                       Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, 24th - 26th September 1997

On 24th and 25th September, 1997, the NATO Civil Protection Committee (CPC) will conduct, in the context of the Partnership for Peace programme, a seminar on "Challenges to Public Order and Safety". The purpose of the seminar will be to exchange views and experiences in order to enhance insight in, and improve preparedness to ensure, public order and safety of the society.

The Seminar will be held in Noordwijk aan Zee on the invitation of, and inclose cooperation with, the Crisis Management and Fire Service Department of the Netherlands Ministry of the Interior.

In the context of pre-disaster planning, the Seminar will address the philosophy and basic elements of national plans and policies against hazards in general. In addition, it will focus on the vulnerability of the population to various chemical and nuclear risks and the means for warning and protection of the population inter alia through programmes of public information and education.

An estimated 80 participants from 32 Cooperation Partner and NATO nations are expected to attend. Observers from three Mediterranean Dialogue countries (Israel, Jordan and Mauritania) will also be present. Participants will have the opportunity to visit the industrialized harbour area of Rotterdam to be informed about crisis management and prevention measures taken by industry.

On 26th September immediately following the Seminar, the Civil Protection Committee, which is the focal point within the Alliance for all NATO and Partner Countries regarding pre-disaster planning and post-disaster analysis, will conduct its semi-annual meeting with the representatives of Cooperation Partner countries to discuss arrangements for the protection of the population, including civil-military cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.