Introduction and background

Introduction

The Australian Civil-Military Centre (the Centre) was established in 2008 to support the development of national civil-military capabilities to prevent, prepare for, and respond more effectively to, conflicts and disasters overseas.¹ Two of the Centre’s assigned responsibilities are to:²

• contribute to the development of a conceptual framework for civil-military collaboration in conflict and disaster management overseas; and

• advise agencies on civil-military matters relating to the development of integrated capabilities to achieve a coherent, whole-of-government strategy for peace and stabilisation operations; and the transition between the military and civilian phases of operations.

The first of these responsibilities is reflected in the Centre’s publication of the conceptual framework document titled Strengthening Australia’s Conflict and Disaster Management Overseas.³ This conceptual framework assists departments and agencies in the management of Australia’s approaches to international disasters and conflicts by:

• explaining six guiding principles that shape effective multiagency collaboration,

• outlining a four-track approachthat helps promote multiagency understanding, and

• developing and implementing three multiagency strategies.

MAPSOP is linked to and builds on this conceptual framework and addresses the Centre’s responsibility to enhance multiagency understanding of, and capabilities for, peace and stabilisation operations.

Background

Since the end of the Cold War the international community has increasingly been required to intervene in fragile or failing states.  These complex and multi-dimensional interventions have demanded greater civil-military coordination by and between states, and with an increasing number of UN agencies and non-state actors.  Traditional concepts of conflict predicated on violence between states have evolved: intrastate conflict is now prevalent on the international peace and security agenda, although interstate conflict remains a real and present danger.  Intrastate conflict is characterised by internal instability and violence featuring state collapse, insurgency, and/or civil-war.  It is driven by complex political, ethnic, religious, cultural and social dynamics that can transcend national borders.

Particularly since supporting the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia in the early 1990s, Australia has deployed a high proportion of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) overseas on active service.  Increasingly Australia has mobilised civilians (including police) into conflict and post-conflict zones to contribute to stabilisation and peacebuilding initiatives.  For example, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) established its International Deployment Group (IDG) in 1994 and, in addition to continuing the deployment of a range of civilian specialists in conflict and post-conflict zones, the Australian Civilian Corps (ACC) was established in 2010 under the responsibility of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Each conflict situation requiring Australian response has been unique, requiring tailored responses and defying templated solutions.  There is little indication that the demands on Australia’s military, police and civilian intervention capabilities will reduce in the foreseeable future.  Indeed, a consistent lesson from Australia’s (and other nation’s) interventions has been the long-term commitment required to build local capacity and promote the opportunities for sustainable peace and development.

Contemporary peace and stabilisation operations incorporate a diverse and multi-layered series of activities and actors working in the same space and in contested civil-military environments.  Australia’s experience in Cambodia, Bougainville, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Iraq and Afghanistan, reflects this reality and is consistent with other nations’ experience globally.  The United Nations currently oversees 16 peacekeeping missions with approximately 120,000 personnel operating on four continents: a ninefold increase since 1999.  The UN’s New Horizon document of 2009 identified the unprecedented scale and complexity of peacekeeping, highlighting the challenges of delivering on Security Council mandates requiring capabilities for robust peacekeeping and the protection of civilians.⁴

In 2010, the German Centre for Peace Operations (ZIF), together with the UK Stabilisation Unit (UKSU), the Canadian Stabilisation and Reconstruction Taskforce (START) and the US Office of the Special Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilisation (S/CRS) launched the International Stabilisation and Peacebuilding Initiative (ISPI). ISPI is an informal network of government, multilateral, and international implementing partners established “to promote civilian capabilities and practical steps towards comprehensive interoperability in both the headquarters and field-based operations of member organisations”.⁵ Complementary and related efforts include the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres (IAPTC) and the International Network for Conflict and Fragility (INCAF).⁶

MAPSOP will assist Australian Government departments and agencies to link with, contribute to, and learn from United Nations and other international initiatives addressing peace and stabilisation operations.  MAPSOP will help Australia forge stronger relationships with the United Nations and key partner countries on issues relating to peace and stabilisation operations, and promote understanding of best practices. MAPSOP contributes to the civil-military priorities identified in communiqués from recent Australian-United States and Australian-United Kingdom Ministers’ meetings (AUSMIN and AUKMIN).⁷

Over the past decade, Australia has been progressively strengthening its multiagency approach and capabilities for conflict and disaster management offshore.⁸ In addition to the establishment of the IDG and ACC already mentioned, this development has seen the creation of new capabilities, including: the appointment of Australia’s first National Security Adviser in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), the enabling of Interdepartmental Emergency Task Forces (IDETF) by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the establishment of the Centre, the construction of a new Joint Operations Command Headquarters by the ADF, and the creation of a National Security College.