The document discusses stability operations and outlines several key concepts:
1) Stability operations aim to establish security and provide essential services to allow a populace to return to normal life after conflict and set the foundations for enduring peace.
2) They involve both military and civilian efforts across sectors like governance, economics, and security.
3) Achieving stability requires a comprehensive approach that coordinates diverse actors through cooperation, integration, and understanding shared goals.
The document discusses stability operations and outlines several key concepts:
1) Stability operations aim to establish security and provide essential services to allow a populace to return to normal life after conflict and set the foundations for enduring peace.
2) They involve both military and civilian efforts across sectors like governance, economics, and security.
3) Achieving stability requires a comprehensive approach that coordinates diverse actors through cooperation, integration, and understanding shared goals.
The document discusses stability operations and outlines several key concepts:
1) Stability operations aim to establish security and provide essential services to allow a populace to return to normal life after conflict and set the foundations for enduring peace.
2) They involve both military and civilian efforts across sectors like governance, economics, and security.
3) Achieving stability requires a comprehensive approach that coordinates diverse actors through cooperation, integration, and understanding shared goals.
The character of the current conflicts is unlike any other in recent history, where military forces operating among the people from many nations of the world will decide the major battles and engagements. The greatest threats to global security will not come from emerging ambitious states but from nations unable or unwilling to meet the basic needs and aspirations of their people. In these cases, the margin of victory will be measured in far different terms from the wars experienced in the past when the military forces used to mass the fire power,destroy the main objectives and military command of the enemy, remain until the victory was recognized by official politic agreement and leave away from the occupied territories. In the way of current operations, time may be the ultimate arbiter of success: time to bring safety and security to an embattled populace; time to provide for the essential, immediate humanitarian needs of the people; time to restore basic public order and return to normalcy of life; and time to rebuild the institutions of government and market economy that provide the foundations for enduring peace and stability.This is actually in short the essence of stability operations. As a broad definition, stability operations encompass various military missions, tasks, and activities conducted outside the national territories, within a multinationa framework, in coordination with other instruments of national power to maintain or reestablish a safe and secure environment, provide essential governmental services, emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian relief. Especially for army forces the military have to assume a relevant role before, during and after combat operations across and as part of full spectrum operations. This important transformation should produce changes in many field related to military missions including doctrine, organizations, training, education, exercises, material, leadership,personnel, facilities, and planning. The key element of stability and support operations is the comprehensive approach to stability operations, through which military forces establish conditions that enable the efforts of the other instruments of national and international power. By providing the
requisite security and control to stabilize an operational area, those
military forces in fact build a foundation for transition to civilian control, in the benefits of to the host nation. Stability operations are usually conducted to support a given hostnation government or a transitional legitimate civil authority to become functional by taking control over entire society. For that, military forces establish or restore basic civil functions and protect them until a civil authority or the host- nation is capable of providing these services for the local populace. They perform specific functions as part of a broader response effort, supporting the complementary activities of their agencies, organizations, and the private sector. When the host-nation or other agency cannot fulfill their role, military forces may be called upon to significantly increase its role,including providing the basic civil functions of government. By nature, stability operations are typically long term endeavors. All tasks must be performed with a focus toward maintaining the delicate balance between long-term success and short-term gains. Ultimately, stability operations do not necessarily aim to reduce the military presence quickly but to achieve broader national policy goals that extend beyond the objectives of military operations. The more effective those military efforts are at setting conditions that facilitate the efforts of the other instruments of national power, the more likely it is that the long-term commitment of substantial military forces will be required. COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH A comprehensive approach (CA) is a process that integrates the cooperative efforts of the host-nation government, military international forces, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, multinational partners, and private sector entities to achieve unity of effort toward a shared goal. A CA is founded in the cooperative spirit of unity of effort. It is common in successful operations involving actors participating at their own discretion or present in the operational area but not acting as a member of a coalition. Integration and collaboration often elude the diverse array of actors involved; A CA achieves unity of effort through extensive cooperation and coordination to forge a shared
understanding of a common goal.
A comprehensive approach is framed by four underlying tenets: Accommodate. The approach accommodates the concerns and contributions of all participants; it determines appropriate priorities for re-sourcing and sets support relationships as required to de-conflict activities; Understand. The approach leverages a shared understanding of the situation toward a common goal. Understanding does not imply conformity; each actor contributes a distinct set of professional, technical, and cultural disciplines, values, and perceptions. Together they provide breadth, depth, and resilience to assessment, planning, and execution; Base on purpose. The approach focuses cooperative effort toward a common, purpose-based goal. The approach links discreet, yet interrelated, tasks and objectives to conditions that comprise the desired end state; Cooperate. The approach is based on a cooperative effort reinforced by institutional familiarity, trust, and transparency. Communities of practice that provide forums for information sharing and concept development support cooperation among the actors involved. ROLE OF STABILITY OPERATIONS To achieve conditions that ensure a stable and lasting peace, stability operations capitalize on coordination, cooperation, integration, and synchronization among military and nonmilitary organizations. These complementary civil-military efforts aim to strengthen legitimate governance, restore or maintain rule of law, support economic and infrastructure development, and foster a sense of national unity. These complementary efforts also seek to reform institutions to achieve sustainable peace and security and create the conditions that enable the host-nation government to assume responsibility for civil administration. A proper framework provides the underpinnings for strategic, whole of government planning, yet also serves as a focal point for integrating operational- and tactical-level tasks. It is flexible and
adaptive enough to support activities across the spectrum of conflict
but relies on concrete principles and fundamentals in application. Within the framework, the end state conditions include the following: A safe and secure environment; Established rule of law; Social well-being; Stable governance; A sustainable economy. SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT In the aftermath of conflict or disaster, conditions often create a significant security vacuum within the state. The government institutions are either unwilling or unable to provide security. In many cases, these institutions do not operate within internationally accepted norms. They are involved with corruption, abusing the power entrusted to them by the state. Sometimes these institutions actually embody the greatest threat to the populace. These conditions only serve to move away at the very foundation of the host nations stability. Security is the most immediate concern of the military force, a concern typically shared by the local populace. A safe and secure environment is one in which these civilians can live their day-to-day lives without fear of being drawn into violent conflict or victimized by criminals. Achieving this condition require extensive collaboration with civil authorities, the trust and confidence of the people, and strength of perseverance. The most immediate threat to a safe and secure environment is generally a return to fighting by former warring parties. However, insurgent forces, criminal elements, and terrorists also significantly threaten the safety and security of the local populace. The following objectives support a safe and secure environment: Cessation of large-scale violence enforce; Public security established; Legitimate monopoly over means of violence established; Physical protection established;
Territorial security established.
ESTABLISHED RULE OF LAW While military forces aim to establish a safe and secure environment, the rule of law requires much more: security of individuals and accountability for crimes committed against them. These basic elements are critical for a broader culture of rule of law to take hold in a society emerging from conflict. This typically require a broad effort that integrates the activities of a wide array of actors, focusing civilian and military law and order capabilities to support host-nation civil institutions in establishing and supporting the rule of law. These functions must be rooted in a shared sense of confidence among the population that the justice sector is oriented toward serving the public rather than pursuing narrow interests. Planning, preparing, and executing the transfer of responsibility from military to hostnation control for rule of law, although critical for building public confidence is often the most difficult and complex transition conducted in a stability operation. Failure to ensure continuity of rule of law through this transition threatens the safety and security of the local populace, erodes the legitimacy of the host nation, and serves as an obstacle to long-term development and achieving the desired and state. Just legal framework established Law and order enforced Accountability to the law Acces to justice ensured Citizen participation promoted Public security established SUPPORT TO SOCIAL IMPROVEMENTS The most immediate needs of a host-nation population emerging from conflict or disaster are generally clear: food, water, shelter, basic sanitation, and health care. International aid typically responds quickly in most situations, often due to their presence in, or proximity to, the affected area. If allowed, and once the situation is relatively stable and secure, local and international aid organizations can provide for the immediate
humanitarian needs of the people, establish sustainable assistance
programs, and assist with dislocated civilians. However, attention while planning must also be paid to long-term requirements: developing educational systems, addressing past abuses, and promoting peaceful coexistence among the host-nation people. These requirements are most appropriately supported by the efforts of civilian actors, including other government agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs. Resolving issues of truth and justice are paramount to this process, and systems of compensation and reconciliation are essential. The following objectives support social well-being: Access to and delivery of basic needs ensured; Right of return ensured; Transitional justice promoted; Peaceful coexistence supported. SUPPORT FOR STABLE GOVERNANCE At least in the past twenty years, all international interventions have aimed to establish stable governments with legitimate systems of political representation at the national, regional, and local levels. In a stable government, the host- nation people regularly elect a representative legislature according to established rules and in a manner generally recognized as free and fair. Legislatures must be designed consistently with a legal framework and legitimate constitution. Officials must be trained, processes created, and rules established. Typically, early elections in a highly polarized society empower elites, senior military leaders, and organized criminal elements. However, the local populace will likely seek early and visible signs of progress; therefore, reform processes should begin at the provincial or local level to minimize the likelihood of national polarization and reemergence of violent divisions in society. This allows popular leaders, capable of delivering services and meeting the demands of their constituents, and effective processes to emerge. To achieve success, stable governments also require effective executive institutions. Such capacity building generally requires a
long-term commitment of effort from the international community to
reestablish effective ministries and a functional civil service at all levels of government. Stable governments also require free and responsible media, multiple political parties, and a robust civil society. The following objectives support a stable government: Accountability of leadership and institutions promoted; Certifying the state resources promoted; Civic participation and empowerment encouraged; Provision of government services supported. This framework is not intended to be all-inclusive; no two situations are exactly the same and the development of strategy must be adapted to the specific conditions of the operational environment. A detailed conflict assessment and analysis provide the foundation upon which to build a strategy for engagement. That assessment and analysis underpins conflict transformation efforts, addressing the root causes of conflict while building host-nation institutional capacity to sustain effective governance, economic development, and rule of law. SUPPORT TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY Following conflict or a major disaster, economies tend toward a precarious state. They often suffer from serious structural problems that must be addressed immediately. However, they also possess significant growth potential. Commerce, both legitimate and illicit, previously inhibited by circumstances emerges quickly to fill market voids and entrepreneurial opportunities. International aid and the requirements of intervening military forces often infuse the economy with abundant resources, stimulating rapid growth across the economic sector. However, much of this growth is temporary. It tends to highlight increasing income inequalities, the governments lagging capacity to manage and sustain growth, and expanding opportunities for corruption. Rather than focus efforts toward immediately achieving economic growth, intervening elements aim to build on those aspects of the economic sector that enable the economy to become selfsustaining. These include physical infrastructure, sound fiscal and
economic policy, an effective and predictable regulatory and legal
environment, a viable workforce, business development and increased access to capital, and effective management of natural resources. The following objectives support a sustainable economy: Macroeconomic stabilization supported; Control over illicit economy and economic-based threats to peace enforced; Market economy sustainability supported; Individual economic security supported; Employment supported. Whether stability operations are led by an international body, a coalition of nations, or the domestic leaders of the affected nation, dynamic, transformational leadership is central to any successful effort. It is the catalyst that drives broad success in any operation. Effective leadership inspires and influences others to work together toward a common goal; this is the essence of unity of effort. Through unity of effort, leaders leverage diverse agencies and organizations to pursue complementary actions, focus discreet activities, and shape decisions to support a shared understanding and recognition of the desired end state.