6 Nov. 2003

Speech by the Deputy Secretary General, Minuto Rizzo at the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee (SCEPC) meeting in plenary session in EAPC format Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the autumn Plenary meetings of the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee. It is an honour and a pleasure for me to open today’s session of the SCEPC. I would like to begin by thanking you for having made the - in some cases rather long - way from your capitals to Brussels to review progress in NATO Civil Emergency Planning and to discuss the way ahead. I note that there does not appear to be an empty seat in the house. I take this to be a sign of the increased importance that we as nations, as an Alliance, and as a Partnership attach to civil preparedness and the civilian dimension of crisis management and operations. I also take it as sign that the commitment, made at the Prague Summit, to improve together with our Partners our ability to assist one another in dealing with the consequences of possible terrorist attacks on our civilian populations was not mere rhetoric. It is really being translated into concrete and concerted action. Another sign can be seen in the in-depth discussion the North Atlantic Council had only yesterday, after a briefing by Mr Ron Castleman of the US Department of Homeland Security. We meet today at a time when the Alliance is undergoing a profound transformation as it adapts itself to the security challenges of the 21st century. The work of this committee, the SCEPC, and the entire Civil Emergency Planning community in NATO is part and parcel of this transformation process. As I studied the agendas for today’s meeting in EAPC format and the meeting tomorrow among Allies and the Invited Countries, I could not help but notice how radically different the Civil Emergency Planning of the year 2003 is from the CEP of the ‘old days’. If one adds to that the very high degree of involvement, indeed co-ownership, of the Partner countries, we look at a Civil Emergency Planning programme that is almost unrecognisable from our efforts in this area in the past. And rightly so. In the past decade, and especially since the past two years, there has been nothing less than a revolution in the way we view, prepare for, and respond to risks and threats to our security. The new challenges of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and failed states compel us to take an approach that recognises not only the military dimension of security, but also the many civilian aspects, including those relating to the protection of our civilian populations. We all recognise this is crucially important, but mere recognition would not be enough. It is only in actually doing something about it that we can effectively and successfully address the challenges that lie ahead. Looking at the agenda for this meeting, I can see that this has been well and truly understood. The Civil Emergency Planning Action Plan for the Improvement of Civil Preparedness will be at the core of your discussions. There have been many Action Plans at many levels after September 11, but I think the CEP Action Plan really stands out as a document worthy of that name. And it is important that we continue press on with its implementation. Today, you will examine the inventory of national capabilities, the project on non-binding guidelines and minimum standards, critical infrastructure protection, the framework border-crossing agreement and several other important initiatives. These are all tangible results of dedicated and hard work at all levels, from the national level, to the Planning Boards and Committees, to the SCEPC. But we are in this for the long-term. So rather than to sit back and bask in glory, we need to build on this progress and further intensify our efforts. I would hope in particular that the next round of inputs into the inventory of national capabilities will match and exceed the very positive reply rate of 32 nations, which had made inputs the first time. I am happy at the involvement of our Partners in this work, which occurs at a time when the Partnership itself is about to undergo major changes. We can take our cue from the Prague Summit, where our Heads of State and Government agreed on the outlines for a comprehensive Review of the Partnership. One of the provisions of this review was to increase the possibilities for Partners to associate themselves closer with the decision-making in Civil Emergency Planning. The SCEPC has responded to this direction by agreeing a very-forward looking document which builds on past successes and sets out a clear and transparent procedure for Partner involvement in decision-making and leadership. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the day before yesterday, the North Atlantic Council approved this document under the silence procedure. Thus, the path is set for a continuation of the remarkable success of Partnership in SCEPC. In proceeding down this path, I am confident that we will continue to find the right mix between inclusiveness and self-differentiation in Partnership. After all, where there exists a shared interest and shared substance, we will not have insurmountable difficulties in finding the right procedure. In time we might hopefully be able to apply this logic also to our other partnerships, especially our strategic partnership with the European Union. In implementing our ambitious agenda of improvement of civil preparedness on the one hand and ensuring civil support to Alliance operations on the other, NATO looks, and continues to look, toward maximum possible involvement of other international organisations. Thankfully, there is progress as we have established promising contacts with our colleagues on the other side of Brussels. Moreover, our cooperation with the UN and its agencies continues to be strong and mutually supportive. But we must continue to explore the scope for closer cooperation across the whole spectrum of our activities. That is, after all, what partnership is about, around this table and also across the institutions. Ladies and Gentlemen, At the Prague Summit, we committed to four essential, mutually supportive approaches to meet the security challenges of this new century. These were new members, new missions, new capabilities, and new partnerships. Civil Emergency Planning has an essential element in implementing this blueprint and using it to help build effective and enduring Euro-Atlantic Security. I wish you success over the next two days as you go to work on these issues, at 46, at 26, and at 20. In doing so, you will be able to benefit from the competent lead of your new Chairman, Ambassador Adam Kobieracki, to whom I will now hand over the proceedings. Once again, thank you very much for coming and have a productive and successful Autumn plenary meeting.