IV. Relevant actors
4.3. Non-military actor's relevance across NATO core tasks
In all NATO core tasks, the principle of civilian primacy applies to civilian responsibilities. The main authority and responsibility for civil governance and public services always belong to the local national government or HN GOs. IOs, NGOs, and the private sector will support the public administration within the legal framework set by the government. In crisis management,
if a national government is unable or unwilling to fulfil its responsibilities IOs and NGOs
may step in to support the provision of services.
Government and public administration
National governments are responsible for governing their states and ensuring the functioning of society and the economy to provide for the livelihood and welfare of the population. Their government agencies and public administration enforce laws and regulations to maintain the functioning of their societies and economies. They provide security, essential infrastructure, and public services if not provided by the private sector. Government and public services are generally structured according to functional areas (e.g. ministries, departments) and often subdivided on geographical levels (e.g. national, regional, municipal).
Public safety and security institutions include police, border police, customs, and correction facilities authorities. Depending on the HNs legislation, police forces can have civil or military status. Law enforcement agencies are important for security and governance. Police liaison is normally conducted by military police personnel, and CIMIC personnel must maintain a close relationship with law enforcement agencies.
Civil protection and civil defence. Civil protection is the activity of emergency services to protect populations, properties, infrastructure and the environment from the consequences of natural and technological disasters and other emergencies. Civil defence is the mobilization, organization and direction of the civil population designed to minimize by passive measures the effects of hostile action against all aspects of civil life.
Both civil protection and civil defence are key for civil resilience and are the responsibility of NATO member states or HN governments. Governmental agencies, sometimes staffed by volunteers, are often responsible for these core tasks, with supported from NGOs and contracted private sector companies.
Governmental Organisations
GOs other than the HN become relevant based on their specific areas of expertise, efforts, and objectives. These areas of expertise could include good governance, security sector reform, healthcare services, economic infrastructure reconstruction, development, education, or political capacity building. GOs can be involved in humanitarian or development projects or both, but they may struggle to adhere fully to humanitarian principles. GOs may operate as part of an international organisation mandate or through bilateral agreements between the sending government and the HN. In any case, it's important to know and understand the presence of all GOs in the area of operations.
Actors, such as GOs, can be classified based on their behaviour toward the audience as friendly, supportive, neutral, unsupportive, and hostile. It might be helpful to introduce the category "unfriendly" between "unsupportive" and "hostile" to better describe adversarial actors who are not necessarily enemies. For example, the Wagner Group can be classified as unsupportive to unfriendly towards UN troops in Mali. In this case, the Wagner Group was not officially linked to the Russian government but operated as a private paramilitary organization.
Some popular and important examples of friendly GOs are: United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UK Department for International Development (DFID) or German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). However, knowing the rather unsupportive and unfriendly GOs to NATO operations is also important.
In allied territory, the HN will work with external GOs invited by NATO nations. Interactions with these GOs will be coordinated through the HN. Outside of allied territory, the situation may vary depending on the specific operation and circumstances. If a NATO member state sends the GO, it's likely to be cooperative and supportive. Ultimately, these factors will determine the level of interaction between the NATO force and the GO.
The private sector is independent of direct state control and includes any privately owned individual or group engaged in profit-seeking activities. Its "for-profit" focus sets it apart from other non-military entities, and in many countries, private sector entities own significant portions of the national critical infrastructure. They may only coordinate if it aligns with their business model or is legally required.
Defence and dual-use capabilities and services. The production of defence goods relies on a defence industrial base, partly controlled by governments but mostly owned by the private sector. Dual-use capabilities are becoming more important, and the private sector largely drives new technological developments. A prominent example of a dual-use capability and service is the global positioning System (GPS).
International organisations (IO) are inter-governmental organisations open to sovereign states. Treaties establish them and are subject to international law. Prominent examples include the UN,
the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Their missions are highly political.
Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) are private, non-profit organisations dedicated to humanitarian and development activities. They operate at local, national, and international levels, pursue different missions, and are accountable to their trustees, donors, and beneficiaries.
Significant IOs and NGOs are:
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
World Health Organisation (WHO)
International Organization for Migration
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Food and Agriculture Organization
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders)
Fields of activities of IOs/ NGOs:
Development Aid refers to financial and technical assistance for the long-term development of developing countries. Its goal is to stabilize and develop weaker states regarding governance,
civil society, economy, and welfare.
Humanitarian Aid directly alleviates human suffering and is provided by GOs and supported by the military. Humanitarian organisations operate under principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. UN OCHA coordinates humanitarian efforts, but some organisations have their own coordination mechanisms due to their fundamental principles.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of the ICRC, the IFRC, and 190 National Societies. Its mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering, protect life and health, ensure respect for the human being, particularly in times of conflict and emergencies, and work on disease prevention.
1) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC's mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other violence. It also works to prevent suffering by promoting humanitarian law and principles. The organisation collaborates with governments, armed forces, and opposition groups to ensure compliance with the law of armed conflict and coordinates international relief activities. The ICRC is a private association under Swiss law mandated by states party to the Geneva Conventions to assist victims of armed conflict. It is neither an IO nor an NGO.
2) International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The IFRC carries out relief operations to assist victims of natural and technological disasters, epidemic outbreaks, etc.,
and combines this with development work to strengthen the capacities of its member national societies. The IFRC's work focuses on four core areas: promoting humanitarian values,
disaster response, disaster preparedness, and health and community care.
3) National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement consists of 190 National Societies, which provide vital humanitarian assistance and support to national authorities. They offer services such as disaster relief, health programs, and aid during armed conflicts, contributing significantly to civil and military resilience.