26 Aug. - 6 Sept. 2002

International rescue operations course Within its programme of partnership activities with NATO, Sweden organised a course covering the fundamental aspects of international rescue operations for all types of disaster situations, from 26 August to 6 September. The course was held in Revinge and was organised by the Swedish Rescue Services Agency, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and NATO's Civil Emergency Planning Directorate. It focused on the working methods of international organisations and how they cooperate together in a disaster area, how to plan and implement training for personnel who are part of a rescue team and how to identify the needs of rescue operations and thereby increase preparedness. The general aim of the course was to prepare attendees in leading international rescue operations and understanding how international organisations coordinate their efforts at the site of a disaster. It raised important issues such as team-building, disaster psychiatry and cultural awareness, which is key when participating in a rescue operation in a foreign country. Many other aspects were covered, including humanitarian law in armed conflicts. Participants came from NATO and Partner countries, as well as from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.