Page 34 - Coespu Magazine 2018-2
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follows the previous compromise from NATO to enhance its support to UN peace operations,
especially in the areas of counter-improvised explosive devices, training and preparedness, to
improve the UN’s ability to deploy more rapidly into the field and through cooperation on
building defense capacity in countries at risk. NATO has experience operating in areas with a
lack of good governance, as does the Carabinieri Force (mainly in Afghanistan and Kosovo). The
Carabinieri has gained important experience that can be useful in North Africa. They have been
able to perform various successful activities in post conflict environments where security
remains volatile and in which police are mandated to perform numerous and challenging
tasks.Two features can be pointed out of the Carabinieri interventions, and can be used as models
in future. First, the strong interaction with the local communities, which enables a general
acceptance of police presence in the territory. Secondly, the capacity to perform a number of
highly specialized tasks beyond the generic duties typical of standard police force. Illicit
trafficking of human beings, drugs or weapons are consequences of the lack of governance or
security in a territory. The fight against these illegal activities has driven the collaboration and
cooperation between different police forces in the past. However, the size and detrimental effects
of new criminal
organizations make it
necessary to go a step
further in the collaboration
effort. Transnational crime
is a complex reality with
powerful effects, with the
power to undermine the
governance and stability of
the countries where these
organizations exist. The
relation of terrorist movements with crime is clear and known in North Africa. The
understanding of this reality confirms Interpol’s vision that these phenomena cannot be
successfully addressed by police of single country alone, or even by the international law
enforcement community as a whole. Active cooperation between all the organizations with
responsibilities in the security field is required. New associations can bring valuable
information, as well as a more innovative way to highlight the entire picture (and perhaps a more
effective way to employ the existing tools). The establishing of a permanent contact and share of
information with Europol and Interpol is a paramount objective of the NATO Strategic Direction
– South (NSDS) Hub.Conscious of lessons learned in last decades in these challenging regions,
the Alliance has advanced further forward in creating this common space to cooperate with
civilian society, NGOs, academia, police and other actors. To fulfill their goals, the NSDS Hub
has a non-typical military structure that thinks and operates differently by bringing together
outside perspectives as it develops recommendations for NATO. The Hub will look proactively
at ways to avoid crisis while planning for proper coordination in the event crisis occurs. The
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