The Australian Civil Military Centre (ACMC), in conjunction with the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), has released an updated version of its flagship publication – Same Space, Different Mandates.
The publication explores changes to civil-military-police coordination in crisis response brought about by current and emerging challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and protracted conflict.
“Economic and social disruptions caused by COVID-19 have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, and the Indo-Pacific region is experiencing increased frequency and severity of climate-related disasters,” ACMC Executive Director Nicola Rosenblum said. “Defence forces, police, government agencies and humanitarian organisations often find themselves operating in the same physical space, responding to natural disasters or other complex emergencies. However, a lack of shared understanding of roles, responsibilities, cultures, and terminologies can impair effective communication and program implementation. The scale and speed at which contemporary challenges emerge requires new ways of thinking about civil-military-police coordination.”
ACFID CEO Marc Purcell said crises in different parts of the world are increasingly intersecting and compounding. “The conflict in Ukraine is leading to food shortages that have been most acutely felt in countries already facing emergencies, such as Afghanistan,” Purcell said. “As we face more complex challenges, this revised publication will be a significant step forward to ensure NGOs and government agencies can continue to work together effectively to support humanitarian access and security of civilians.”
The updated publication highlights the complexities, challenges, limitations, and opportunities of engagement between civil-military-police stakeholders and shares key considerations for working with civil society and promoting locally-led humanitarian responses.
The ACMC was established in 2009 to strengthen civil-military-police preparedness and response to natural disasters, peace and stability operations. It includes members of Australian and New Zealand government agencies, including the Australian Defence Force and an ACFID representative.
The new publication is available at: https://acmc.gov.au/resources/publications/same-space-different-mandate.
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