VII. Resilienceselected for printing

7.3. Resilience in CIMICselected for printing

In order to meet these basic requirements, it is vital that the nation has a strong societal resilience. The three most critical basic conditions are:

1)    a strong democratic basis combined with a high level of trust in the government;

2)    well-informed and resilient citizens;

3)    increased critical thinking in order not to be vulnerable to political and economic pressure, or even coercive manipulation.

Although NATO's role in building societal resilience is limited, NATO can support the member states with the help of the means at its disposal.  CIMIC's role in promoting societal resilience is primarily of a supportive nature.

 7.4.1 Perspectives

• Strategic level perspective
                -Ensure information on the allied states' ability to resist and recover from a major shock,
                 and advise on the  impact on SACEURs AOR and on the military operation.
• Operational level perspective
                -Focus on civil preparedness against armed and hybrid attacks,
                 disruption of national critical infrastructure, economic shocks and
                 natural disasters and its implications on the military mission.
                 J9 is in lead on coordination in the Headquarters through the RtCP community of
                 Interest and normally leads the Resilience Impact Coordination Meeting (RICM)
                 other J-Codes are in support.
• Tactical level perspective
                -Focus on in space and time limited impacts in your Area of Interest (AOI)
                 due to shortfalls in one or more BLR. Provide ‘real-time’ information on
                 selected aspects of the civil environment and be alert on the lack of resilience resources.”

7.4.2 Stakeholders

There are three important civil stakeholders[1] in NATO resilience.

Government and public administration

The primary responsibility for building resilience lies with a nation’s government.

1)    To constitute a legal and institutional framework for crisis management;

2)    To provide and coordinate the distribution of all resources needed for crisis preparedness and direct crisis response.^[2]

3)    Active communication is essential to ensure that citizens receive accurate information to prepare themselves for risks and know what to do during a crisis. Crisis communication increases trust in the government and its actions and inhibits disinformation campaigns.^[3]

Private sector

Resilience also depends on the private sector. Private sector companies operate the vast majority of critical infrastructures in society and produce the goods that keep daily life running. NATO relies on both in support of its deployments in various countries.

Society

Most of today's threats are aimed at damaging or destabilising  our societies. A resilient population is the first line of defence against these threats. Even with plans and policies in place, the nation's resilience will be low if the population is not informed or prepared to deal with crises. It is important to assess whether the population has been involved in promoting national resilience through information campaigns, civilian training, or educating children in schools. Effective crisis communication during an event should align with previous information for maximum effectiveness

[1] See Chapter 4 for the description of the relevant actors.

[2] Garriaud-Maylam, 2021, p. 4

[3] Garriaud-Maylam, 2021, pp. 4