Debating Defense

Article discusses the defence and security challenges facing NATO and the European Union in 2010 and previews the Security and Defence Agency Security Jam held in February 2010.

The ten key recommendations to emerge were:

1. NATO should develop a civilian wing to prepare, coordinate and cooperate with civilian actors at various stages of operations

2. The UN should secure agreement on UN Millennium Security Goals comparable to the Millennium Development Goals and based on the concept of human security

3. Expand both EU and NATO regional security through mutual assistance agreements on non-conventional threats with neighbouring states to build mutual trust

4. Create a European Intelligence Agency as an information broker for complex and hybrid threats

5. Improve the EU’s internal public diplomacy and use new media to consult European experts and citizens on security threats and policies

6. Create a European Security Academy where EU civilian and military staff and other international actors can learn to work together in the field

7. Establish a combined EU-NATO Wisemen's group made up of independent personalities to evaluate capability planning and build public support for cross-border cooperation

8. Establish an EU scarce natural resources inventory with a mandate to protect them for future generations

9. Publish a joint EU-NATO quarterly publication where senior officials from both organisations can highlight new collaboration efforts between the two players

10. Establish an International Crisis Preparedness Fund to harness media spotlight on today’s current crises by collecting 5% of all donations to prepare for future disasters.

• Primary Source

Security and Defence Agency: Security Jam, February 2010 http://www.securitydefenceagenda.org/SecurityJamSession/tabid/967/Default.aspx

SDA: The new global security landscape: 10 Recommendations from the 2010 Security Jam, May 2010 http://www.securitydefenceagenda.org/Portals/7/2010/Publications/SDA_JAM_Report_highres.pdf

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