The characteristics of humanitarian logistics in the aspect of the specificity of the supply chain in which it has to function, carried out in the previous parts of the article, allow for a comparison between the classic and humanitarian chain, also known – as mentioned – as the “supply chain for life” (table 1) through the prism of key elements of both these chains.
To sum up, “[…] managing a humanitarian supply chain aims to synchronize physical, informational and financial flows of needs and available resources moving between its participants, which, while taking into account the principles of speed, enables effective assistance to victims of crisis situations” while maintaining the principles characteristic of the humanitarian space.
Civil-military cooperation in the aspect of humanitarian logistics
Civil-military cooperation is not a new phenomenon within NATO. Traditionally, it was perceived as an area not much larger than a logistical challenge. NATO operations carried out outside its own borders, in areas lacking fully functioning institutions and effective infrastructure, posed different and more complicated challenges. Changes in the environment in which NATO could conduct potential operations led to the development of a new Strategic Concept. It takes into account a much wider range of threats to international security compared to those that existed until today. In addition to the constant provision of collective defense, the Concept states that the Alliance must be ready “to contribute to effective conflict prevention and active engagement in crisis management, including crisis response operations”. The operations highlighted the requirement for coordination of activities with governments and local authorities, as well as international and non-governmental organizations. Cooperation between NATO forces and the civilian environment (both governmental and non-governmental) in which these forces operate is the basis for the success of these operations. Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) is defined as “[…] coordination and cooperation, in support of the mission, between the NATO Commander and civil actors, including national population and local authorities, as well as international, national and non-governmental organizations and agencies”. CIMIC activities refer to both operations under Article 5 on collective defense and non-Article 5 CRISIS RESPONSE OPERATIONS (CRO). In both cases, commanders planning and conducting military operations must increasingly take into account social, political, cultural, religious, economic, environmental and humanitarian factors. Furthermore, commanders must reckon with the presence of a large number of international and non-governmental organizations, possessing their own goals, methods and points of view, which may need to be reconciled with the relevant goals, methods and points of assessment of NATO.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 4/2010.