Articles
NATO Disease Surveillance Seminar
NATO places a high priority on pre venting the pro liferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and defending against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. The Alliance will seek to enhance capabilities that are critical to a robust CBRN defence, such as bio-detection and disease surveillance.
Prague Capabilities Commitments
At the 2002 NATO Summit in Prague, Alliance leaders made a commitment at the highest level to improve the operational capabilities of their armed forces individually and collectively. NATO Heads of State and Government agreed to firm, country-specific targets and deadlines for improving existing and developing new capabilities in specific areas. The aim is to ensure that NATO can fulfil its present and future operational commitments and fight new threats such as CBRN terrorism and the spread of WMD.
Under the Prague Capabilities Commitment, member countries agreed to improve capabilities in more than 400 specific areas, covering eight fields essential to today’s military operations. CBRN defence has been determined as one of these fields. In addition to the NBC Event Teams and Deployable Analytical Laboratories (The two later became the Combined Joint CBRN Defence Task Force) the need for a Disease Surveillance System has been identified.
Deployment Health Surveillance Capability
In the long term this capability will be integrated into The Medical Information and Coordination System (MEDICS) which will greatly increase the Force Health Protection capabilities within operations. The need for such capability was made very clear by the pandemic influenza threat and the possible impact on NATO operations. Guidelines and preventive steps are currently being introduced.
Military and Civilian Contributions to Disease Surveillance
NATO’s Committee on Proliferation (CP) headlined its 2011 International Partners’ Event “Military and Civilian Contributions to Disease Surveillance - a Scientific and Technological Approach”. The workshop, hosted by Ukraine in Kyiv at the National Defence University of Ukraine, took place on 12th and 13th May 2011 and was supported by the Science for Peace and Security (SPS) programme. Some background information: The CP is the senior advisory body to the North Atlantic Council on proliferation of WMD and their associated delivery systems and CBRN defence. The CP is responsible for information sharing, policy development and coordination on the issues of prevention of and response to proliferation, bringing together subject matter experts and officials with responsibilities in this field.
Ukraine is the first partner nation that established practical cooperation with the CP. The purpose of this year’s annual International Partners’ Event was to provide a platform for Allies and participating partners to further elaborate on the scientific aspects of disease surveillance with the aim to produce outcomes that Allies and Partners can use in their research activities and during multinational military deployments.
Furthermore, the event became the basis for a scientific discussion that will lead to the sharing of experiences and capabilities, including the wide domain of scientific and technological research for capabilities for non-proliferation of WMD and enhancing CBRN Defence. Contributors included experts from NATO, from Ukraine’s related Defence institutions and other partner countries (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Finland, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Switzerland), as well as from scientific institutes and organisations (e.g. Turkish Military Medicine Academy, NATO Deployment Health Surveillance Capability, JCBRND Centre of Excellence, U.S. Defence Threat Reduction Agency, International Committee of the Red Cross, OPCW, World Health Organisation and others). The event attempted to especially leverage the disease surveillance expertise of the NATO (COMEDS).
Inside the setting of the National Defence University of Ukraine, experts from NATO nations and Ukraine used the high profile platform to evaluate and discuss their experience and various capabilities. This pool of expertise included professionals from the broad field of scientific and technological research in enhanced capabilities for the non-proliferation of WMD, disease surveillance and defence against CBRN.
The workshop has been co-chaired by representatives of the CP Co-Chairs, Ms. Laura Gross, USA Department of Defence, and Colonel Kadir Dikmensoy, Turkish General Staff. Lieutenant General Jürgen Bornemann, General Director/Inter - national Military Staff, honoured the workshop with his presence whilst visiting Ukraine. Colonel (MC) Dr. Hans-Ulrich Holtherm introduced the Deployment Health Surveillance Capability.
Industry representatives took part in the workshop to show their capabilities in support of CBRN defence operations. The event provided them with a platform to demonstrate future developments and solutions that will further enhance these capabilities.
Delegates also discussed how to manage the threat posed by environmental and industrial hazards. Key note speakers from NATO’s WMD Non-Proliferation Centre (Emerging Security Challenges Division), the United States De partment of Defence, the Depar tment of Emergency Situations of Ukraine and the United Na tion’s World Health Or-ganisation provided the appropriate context for discussions amongst the events’ participants, and highlighted areas for further collaborative work. The merging of civilian and military expertise at these workshops not only contributes towards a better understanding for both sides, but also helps to create a greater sense of synergy between NATO’s organisational and strategic infrastructures.
A report outlining the conclusions of the workshop and specific recommendations on how to build up existing capabilities by implementing best practices in cooperation with NATO partner nations will be issued.
Bernd Allert
LTC, German Armed Forces
Since 2008 CBRN expert
within NATO’s Weapons of Mass
Destruction Non-Proliferation Centre
(WMDC).
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