Session outcomes:

• Member States presented and expressed their commitment to the implementation of CMCoord related commitments made at WHS. Remarkable work done by the Regional CMCoord Consultative Group (RCG) in Asia and Pacific. 

• Overall agreement that the Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Standards development process adds value to efficient civil-military coordination and use of miliary assets in humanitarian emergency operations 

• UN-CMCoord confirmed as enabler of humanitarian action at the national and sub-national level, on real-life example from experts from Asia and Pacific, Americas and African regions. 

Next steps to implementing solutions

• The 2018 Annual Meeting of the UN-CMCoord Consultative Group will look at implementation of CMCoord-related commitments made at WHS, by those who presented and other CG members. The Asia Pacific Regional CMCoord Consultative Group to serve as model for other regions, e.g. in addressing regional aspects and application of global Standards.

• Inclusive and multi-stakeholder engaging six-month ‘consolidation process’ of the Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Standards; stock-taking at ‘Standards Conference’ hosted by Norway on 29 Sep. in Oslo; ‘endorsement’ of Standards at 2018 CG Annual Meeting.

• At the national and sub-national levels, look at and enhanced leadership, training, dialogue, multi-dimensional support.

From Policy to Practice: Operationalizing Key Concepts and Principles

7 February

Key Outcomes:

• Identified the need to be more systematic and inclusive with CMCoord policy development, i.e. how policy influences practice, and how practice/lessons learned are used to inform policy.

• Identified a number of challenges to the effective implementation/understanding of policy: dissemination/advocacy; interpretation and disparities between guidelines, doctrine, standard operating procedures; functional training to practitioners; and influencing key decision makers.

• Identified gaps in current CMCoord policy for complex emergencies on specific areas such as military security responsibilities / security sector reform.

Next steps to implementing solutions:

• Investigate and consider the establishment of a framework for establishing a CMCoord policy development cycle.  

• Continue developing the Standards on Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination, to consider the challenges to CMCoord policy implementation, and security sector disparities.

Data Revolution: Humanitarians and Militaries alike have a lot to share, 

7 February

Key outcomes: 

• Ninety-two delegates participated in a lively discussion. The available data to strengthen information sharing between humanitarians and militaries seems to be unlimited. A steadily increasing  number of information services and virtual platforms provides the communities with general and contextual analysis of a given humanitarian crisis. Despite this positive development, the communities face difficulties in finding the most reliable, credible, unbiased and acceptable informa

• tion. Both communities invested a lot in establishing a common operational picture during the first hours and days of an emergency utilizing the most advanced information technologies.

• The discussion highlighted that many actors still don’t know where to gather  processed and analyzed information to make informed decisions in support of humanitarian action. Humanitarian data and information is often seen as being used for military purposes. Many actors invest in protecting personally and community identifiable information. The absence of information sharing is often related to the lack of trust and confidence in each other’s ability to protect data for its intended use.

• As one measure to progress collectively, OCHA’s Civil-Military Coordination Section is working on a proposal stemming from the World Humanitarian Summit consultation to establish a humanitarian-military gateway. The one-stop-shop for navigating the many information services should lead to faster and better situational and contextual awareness of militaries and humanitarians. It is felt  that participating delegates expressed support for the initiative.

Next  steps to implementing solutions:

• CMCS bilateral discussions with organization with the technical capacity to support  the design of the Gateway

• Militaries and humanitarians looking into consolidated information services, e.g. Humanitarian Response and Reliefweb

• Status update during global and regional civil-military coordination forums

Dangerous Work: Interdependencies between CMCoord, Access, Security and Protection

8 February

Key outcomes:

• One hundred delegates participated in the thematic session on Dangerous Work, including a panel discussion providing the humanitarian and military perspective on the subject and group work.

• The discussion fostered a shared understanding of challenges humanitarians and military face in the current context.

• The discussion highlighted the need for accountability and transparency on both military and humanitarian sides in their actions, the inclusion of politicians in the dialogue as well as continued efforts in training and awareness raising and engagement in dialogue and fora such as the Leading Edge Programme.

Next steps to implementing solutions:

• We need to continue training together, both military and humanitarians.

• The dialogue on the interlinkages between CMCoord, Access, Security and Protection must continue.

• Active engagement in events such as the LEP and HNPW to exchange offers an excellent opportunity to progress.

Learning together, Responding together: How can we ensure field effectiveness through training and learning in the Information Age? 

8 February

Key outcomes: 

• One hundred and two delegates participated in a marketplace-type session and generated and exchanged ideas on the following topics: simulations and exercises; participatory approaches and collaborative learning; micro-learning; partnership opportunities with the private sector in learning and training; and, computer-based learning.

• The discussion highlighted the need to use the different training approaches in a complementing way to ensure greater impact of learning.

• The session allowed to uncover opportunities for greater interlinkages between emergency responders networks in learning and training

Next steps to implementing solutions:

• The Preparedness and Response Effectiveness Programme (PREP) should become the flagship face-to-face training programme for the Leading Edge Programme Network

• Follow up discussion on Simulations and Exercises are necessary also linking with the work of the SimEx TFT

• The Leading Edge Programme offers a great platform to discuss good practices in learning and training to increase field effectiveness