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Q: Hello Mr. Orosz. Thank you very much for joining us for this interview today.
Steve Orosz (Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Civil Emergency Planning and Exercises): My pleasure.
Q: Could you explain in broad terms the nature and extent of NATO's Civil Emergency Planning Program?
Steve Orosz: Well, Civil Emergency Planning, from the very beginning of the Alliance, has always had a responsibility to try to make effective use of civil assets in support of the Alliance strategy and because the Alliance strategy, of course, has changed, so have we.
Today's strategy, of course, is one of dealing with engagement with partners, working in trying to reduce the threat to our civilian populations from weapons of mass destruction, and support to the military.
In all of these areas, Civil Emergency Planning is active, both at the technical level and at the political level.
Q: And what role does Civil Emergency Planning play in NATO's transformation?
Steve Orosz: I think a considerable amount. I mean, part of the transformation is, of course, taking on new missions and adapting our missions to meet the new realities.
We have made a dramatic transformation in terms of our role in protecting civilian populations. Some years ago, it was limited only to dealing with disasters. Today, of course, we are the focal point for the consequence management efforts that will have to be made if there is an attack on the civilian population in any NATO or partner country.
Simply put: We will work to co-ordinate the response, civil and military, to provide the necessary relief to the people who might be most affected.
Q: Okay. So you're talking about the protection of populations against weapons of mass destruction. What is done by NATO to improve capabilities in this area?
Steve Orosz: Well, NATO has embarked on a very comprehensive package of measures -- some of which were ratified at the Prague Summit -- dealing with the political issues, how to prevent proliferation, how to intensify efforts to unite the world community in taking the necessary action, a broad-based military package of how we can deter and defend against it, but also in the civil area, consequence management, how we can improve the preparedness of civilian populations and civil societies to cope with possible attacks. This encompasses everything from medical, to response, to how we can rapidly send assistance across borders at a time of a great crisis. There's a number of issues in which CEP is involved.
Q: I see. NATO Partner countries participate in these exercises. What is their role in this regard?
Steve Orosz: NATO, in 1995, made a decision that when it comes to humanitarian response, we will work with our partners on a coequal basis.
We have, for example, been given a mission by the North Atlantic Council that we will create an inventory of national response capabilities that we can draw upon in the event of a major chemical, biological, or radiological incident. That inventory is being developed at 46. We have a very broad-based action plan which will address a number of different areas in protection of the population, that was developed by the 46, for the 46. So, our partners in this area play a full role.
Q: And could you explain how NATO's efforts in this area relate to those of other international organisations such as the UN?
Steve Orosz: We have, of course, recognised for many, many years, the leading role of the United Nations, particularly in regard to international disaster relief operations.
We have always worked with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance. We have also worked with other specialised UN agencies: the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the World Health Organisation. We have done exercises in which these organisations have been involved.
And, in fact, we have a terrorist exercise which will be taking place, in October, in which the IAEA will also be participating.
Last year, we did a major terrorist exercise in Russia involving a chemical-based scenario. We had the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons involved throughout the planning and the actual exercise.
Q: What do you see as the most important challenges for NATO in the area of Civil Emergency Planning?
Steve Orosz: To improve our ability to protect our populations against the possible use of weapons of mass destruction. And to do this, we have to fashion a more responsive capability, one which can act very, very quickly in the time... the limited time that will be available to respond effectively.
For this, we are working very, very hard with a number of countries to try to improve our access to available resources so that they can be made available in the time that's needed.
Q: Mr. Orosz, thank you very much indeed.
Steve Orosz: My pleasure.