Purpose: To share information and exchange experiences on humanitarian planning as they relate to multilateral, multifunctional, strategic/operational level civil military operations within the context of a complex contingency, gaining insight into capacity building and training requirements in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Focus: Examine issues concerning the impact of humanitarian operations, planning, cooperation and coordination within complex contingency operations within a peace operations scenario.
Seminar Objectives:
- Develop an appreciation of the issues affecting the integration of components within modern complex contingencies
- Emphasis on the planning, execution and integration of humanitarian aspects within a complex emergency.
- Examine the civilian-military relationships within multi-national and multi-functional peace operations. Create an atmosphere for participants to exchange information supported by Subject Matter Experts
- Generate response planning and strategies for national and regional use
- Enhance interactions and understanding across nations and the responding civilian agencies and military units within peace operations.
- Understand and explore the strategic / operational-level issues associated with the integrated civilian and military planning in a complex contingency
- Enhance national and regional inter-agency coordination and cooperation
Game Concept: Seminar Game is a 4 1/2-day, unclassified scenario-driven seminar game. The game consists of a UN humanitarian assistance operation that is transitioning to a multi-functional peace operation and scenario structured into two separate moves. Each move is further divided into a scene setting plenary, working group session, and a concluding plenary. The working groups will be integrated groups (humanitarian, military, police and civilian) of 12-15 participants, with a facilitator. The concluding plenary will include group out-briefs to role-playing UN Mission and MNF leadership and open discussions.
Group Discussion. Following each the expert briefs, a group discussion will be held to explore key humanitarian planning issues.
Move 1 – Planning Considerations. Given a scenario, UN mandate and other background documentation, discussion groups consider key humanitarian factors that impact a future multi-functional peace operation. Key issues to be considered are: understanding humanitarian issues that impact on military forces, understanding relationships with all peacekeeping partners, and effective planning with civilian partners.
Move 2 – Establishing a Coordinated Mission. Given additional information working groups will be required to develop the major issues where coordination and cooperation are essential for short and long term success and to address means of resolving them. Working groups are required to identify key transitional issues and to indicate how they could be resolved and effective coordination in the complex emergency and the military coalition. Policies, procedures and processes to achieve well-coordinated solutions to these issues are to be identified.
