3 June 2003

Fifth anniversary of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre External link Official website of the EADRCC Five years ago, on 3 June 1998, the inauguration of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) at NATO Headquarters marked the beginning of the successful collaborative engagement of NATO and its 27 Partner nations in disaster response coordination in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership area. Created in close cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the EADRCC is designed as a regional coordination mechanism, supporting and complementing the United Nations in its efforts to bring relief to those nations overwhelmed by the consequences of disasters. Originally, the EADRCC was established to deal with natural and technological disasters, but almost immediately after the establishment of the Centre, a humanitarian crisis in South-eastern Europe called for the attention of the international community. The EADRCC was tasked to deal with the consequences of the refugee flow from Kosovo into Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) in the spring and summer of 1999. In this particular humanitarian emergency, the natural partner for the EADRCC was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Once the crisis intensified and the NATO air-campaign had started, the Centre cooperated not only with the UNHCR, but also with the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration, the International Committee for the Red Cross, the NATO Military Commands, and all EAPC countries to bring humanitarian relief to those who were suffering from the consequences of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Lessons from Kosovo The Kosovo crisis showed that the EADRCC could not only act in natural and technological disasters, but was also able to perform its coordination function in more complex emergencies. This experience was also very useful to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs when it decided to review its “Oslo Guidelines” for the use of Military and Civil Defence Assets (MCDA) in disaster relief, and extend them to complex emergencies. Focus on terrorism After the terrorist attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001, the North Atlantic Council tasked the EADRCC to stand ready to also react to major incidents involving chemical, biological or radiological agents. This additional, demanding role has since become the focus of EADRCC activity. It is part of a wider Civil Emergency Planning Action Plan designed to improve civil preparedness and the ability of Allies and Partners to assist one another in dealing with the consequence of possible terrorist attacks against the civilian population. As such, it is an integral part of NATO’s multi-faceted and comprehensive response to the challenge of terrorism. Enhancing interoperability and regional cooperation In line with these new priorities, the EADRCC’s exercise programme is increasingly taking account of non-conventional threats to the civilian population. But the enduring risk of natural disasters is by no means neglected. EADRCC international disaster response exercises aim at promoting interoperability and regional cooperation among EAPC countries by bringing together international response teams, civil and military, to interact in challenging and realistic scenarios. Exercises, Trans-Carpathia 2000, Taming the Dragon – Dalmatia 2002, and the recently concluded Exercise Ferghana 2003 focused on common natural disasters, such as floods, wildfires, and earthquakes. Exercise “Bogorodsk 2002, held in Russia, dealt with a simulated terrorist attack on a chemical production facility while the Exercise Dacia 2003, planned for October 2003, will focus on a terrorist attack using a Radiological Dispersion Device (‘Dirty Bomb’). Around the clock, every day of the year The EADRCC stands ready to respond all year round on a twenty four-hour basis to civil emergency situations in the EAPC area. It currently consists of five staff officers seconded by Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Slovakia, plus three NATO International Staff. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.