14 Mar. 2003

Seven invitees participate in C3 Board meeting In order to provide the seven invited countries with a general overview of the command, control and consultation (C3) aspects of accession and help them prepare for membership, representatives from these countries were invited to a C3 Board meeting on 14 March. The Assistant Secretary General for Defence Support, Mr Robert Bell, invited the Ambassadors of these countries to send experts to participate in this conference. One of the key lessons learned from the previous enlargement process was that the C3 functions are a critical component of the accession process as they constitute a key enabler in support of many other NATO activities. As such, the NATO C3 Board members agreed that the NATO C3 Organisation should contribute to and facilitate the preparatory work of invited countries in this area. The agenda of the conference included an overview of the NATO C3 Organisation, including the NATO C3 Agency (NC3A) and the NATO Communication and Information Systems Operating and Support Agency (NACOSA), their activities, role and responsibilities in delivering C3 capabilities to NATO and member states. Beside this, information was provided concerning the lessons learned from previous rounds of enlargement, the NATO implementation process and the initial NATO activities on communication and information systems for enlargement. Other briefings addressed issues related to the security of information, the Civil Communications Planning Committee and the plans for connecting the internal NATO e-mail system to the national delegations of invited countries. The attendance showed a high interest in the various briefings, which focused on the most practical and urgent issues to be addressed in the coming months by the invited countries. This overview also provided an excellent opportunity to facilitate initial contacts between invited countries, NATO bodies and NATO member representatives in the C3 area and related disciplines. Additional information: Background: NATO Enlargement