Chad: United Nations launches civil-military coordination workshops

(N'Djamena / New York / Geneva: 3 April 2008): The United Nations has launched a series of civil-military coordination workshops in Chad, in order to improve the efforts of both civilian and military actors to assist and protect civilians in the country. The first workshop, which was held in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, will be followed by similar workshops in Abéché in the eastern part of the country later this week.

"Effective civil-military coordination mechanisms are essential to addressing current humanitarian needs", said Eliane Duthoit, acting United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad. "Our attempts to bring protection to civilians, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, cannot succeed without strong coordination among the military and civilian components of the international presence", she added.

The workshops, which each bring together approximately 25 participants, aim to identify and discuss the main issues in civil-military coordination in Chad, including standard operating procedures, roles and responsibilities, and the international principles and guidelines already in place to guide such operations. The workshops also feature simulations that apply the concepts, principles and guidelines of civil-military coordination to specific situations and scenarios. Participants include representatives from the United Nations including its Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), the Chadian Red Cross, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and members of the European Union Force (EUFOR Chad/CAR) which currently has a military contingent of approximately 1,750 personnel in Chad.

"Good civil-military coordination and communication are essential to the effectiveness of many humanitarian operations", said John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "Strengthening this coordination means civilian and military actors each developing an understanding of, and respect for, the operating procedures, principles and cultures of the other".

Coordination between civilian and military actors is particularly important at this time. There are currently seven United Nations agencies and more than 40 NGOs working in Chad to assist nearly half a million people, mainly IDPs and refugees, who rely heavily on humanitarian aid for their survival. United Nations Security Council resolution 1778 of 25 September 2007 established EUFOR Chad/CAR, along with MINURCAT, which comprises military observers and liaison officers, as well as civilian police.

For further information, please contact:

Maurizio Giuliano, Public Information Officer, United Nations, N'Djamena
Email: giuliano@un.org Tel: +235-6053892

Katy Thiam, Associate Information Officer, United Nations, Abéché, Chad
Email: thiamk@un.org Tel: +235-6201542

Stephanie Bunker, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), New York
Email: bunker@un.org Tel: +1-917-3675126

Elizabeth Byrs, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Geneva
Email: byrs@un.org Tel: +41-22-9172653