Dirk Niebel, Berlin

Optimising the coordination and impact of national and international instruments Security and development policy in the EU must go hand in hand

by Dirk Niebel, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Berlin

Many developing countries are hit by fragility and violence. Conflicts are fuelled by poverty, a dearth of opportunities, lack of freedom and the uncertainty of life. At the same time, the violent fighting in many countries has a devastating effect on prosperity and livelihoods, destroying all reasonable hopes for the future. Against this backdrop, security and peace pose a real challenge in countries affected by fragility and conflict, not only for foreign, security, economic and development policy but also for other policy areas, such as justice.

The answer to the challenges The answer to that challenge is the Comprehensive Approach, linking policies, ministries and actors in an attempt to optimise the coordination and impact of national and international instruments within international crisis management. It means coordinating both the civilian and the military resources of all relevant institutions, pooling them and/or employing them separately in order to reach a common goal of peace and security.

Linking CSDP missions with other EU instruments The EU is currently piloting the Comprehensive Approach in its mission to the Horn of Africa. Adopting the Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa in 2011 and appointing an EU Special Representative in 2012 were important steps in the right direction. The EU’s involvement in the New Deal for

The German approach

In 2012, Germany adopted the Comprehensive Approach in its guidelines “For a coherent German Government policy towards fragile states”, making it the principle underpinning all actions. This includes inter-ministerial cooperation, at least between the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Ministry of Defence when drawing up policies and strategies for specific crisis regions. Moreover, it is recommended that mixed Task Forces develop coordinated approaches for fragile countries and regions that go beyond the regular coordination between ministries. The guidelines are thus a sign of increased coherence within the German Government. The guidelines cite the European Union along with the United Nations as an important framework for international action by the German Government.

Dirk Niebel has been Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin from 2008–2013. Since 23 September 2013 he has been acting Minister. He was born in 1963 in Hamburg. After his college entrance qualification in 1983 he spent one year in a Kibbutz in Israel, after which he spent 8 years in the Bundeswehr, leaving the forces as an infantry airborne officer. He holds a Masters degree from the College of Public Administration in Mannheim (1993) and served in the Heidelberg Federal Employment Office until 1998. He joined the FDP (Liberal Party) and became a Member of the Bundestag in 1998, and later of the Federal Board of the FDP. Photo: photothek.net

Somalia is another opportunity to improve coordination between the various fields of policy. By pledging 650 million euros at the Somalia Conference in Brussels in September 2013, the European Commission assumed a share of the responsibility for rebuilding Somalia that it will now have to honour by taking a coordinated approach. I therefore find it all the more important that, in the future, the various departments within the EU in charge of the CFSP and development policy make common cause from the outset. That would mean, for instance, that the officials responsible for EU development cooperation should be involved in drafting missions under the CFSP right from the beginning alongside the usual crisis response units. Networking between crisis response and development cooperation from the outset benefits both areas. For security structures, involving development cooperation can be a way of preparing a considered exit strategy.

Adapting financing instruments accordingly If brought on board early on, development players can help ensure that the outcomes of a crisis intervention mission lay the ground for the creation of permanent structures. Coordination can be facilitated if the EU adapts its financing instruments accordingly. So far, there has been a shortage of financing options that are tailored to explicitly security-related challenges, such as peace operations, counterterrorism or drug policy. For want of alternatives, such operations still depend on resources that are actually meant for purely development-related activities.

The main requirements to be fulfilled So what are the main requirements that an EU Comprehensive Approach must fulfil for security and development policy to go hand in hand? An approach that is limited to diplomacy, defence and development would not stretch the EU to its full potential. To be truly effective, a Comprehensive Approach needs to be as broadly conceived as possible. The contributions by member states and EU institutions must be complemented by the broad involvement of the host nation and its civil society, in order to enable them to become self-reliant in terms of creating stability. Experience at the United Nations shows that adherence to the principle of subsidiarity can lead to better results. That means delegating a maximum of responsibility to local and regional decision-makers. Post-crisis periods are often the breeding ground for a new crisis. Mindful of such crisis cycles, the EU needs to move away from a reactive response, taking a proactive approach instead. It remains to be seen whether the European Union will succeed in putting the principle of the Comprehensive Approach into practice by both improving the internal coordination of EU activities and intensifying its political cooperation with external actors. In conclusion, I can say that being involved in fragile states is not easy, either for the Member States or the EU, and it is not without risk. But not getting involved is an even greater risk –first and foremost for the people in the countries concerned, but also for development, peace and security throughout the world.

Without the help of NGOs not even food supplies would be guaranteed in many areas of the world photo: FMSC, CC BY 2.0, flickr

Documentation

The EU and the Sahel region

In March 2011, the EU presented the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel, which supports a comprehensive approach to the region. The EU Strategy is based on the assumptions that development and security are mutually supportive and that the issues faced in the Sahel require a regional answer. It includes four lines of action: • development, good governance and internal conflict resolution; • political and diplomatic action; • security and the rule of law; • countering violent extremism and radicalisation.

This Strategy has proven to be a crucial tool for enhancing the coherence of the EU approach and mobilising considerable additional European efforts, with a particular focus on Mauritania, Niger and Mali.

Two ongoing CSDP missions in the Sahel region The civilian CSDP mission EUCAP SAHEL in Niger was launched in July 2012 with the objective of fighting terrorism and organised crime. With an annual budget of € 8.7 million, the mission relies on 50 international police and military experts. Liaison Officers are deployed in Bamako and Nouakchott in order to foster regional cooperation between the security forces of Niger, Mali and Mauritania in their combat against terrorism and organised crime.

The EU military Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) was launched on 18 February 2013 at the request of Mali and in line with the relevant international decisions, including UNSC Resolution 2085 (2012). The aim of the mission is to support the rebuilding of the Malian armed forces and to meet their operational needs. The headquarters of the mission is located in Bamako and the training is carried out at Koulikoro (60 km northeast of Bamako). More than 200 instructors have been deployed, as well as support staff and a protection force, making a total of around 550 persons. The joint costs of the operation are € 23 million for the mandate of 15 months.

In both missions, particular attention is paid to exploiting synergies with other EU and bilateral projects funded through the European Development Fund, the European Commission Instrument for Stability or by EU Member States.

Humanitarian aid The Commission's Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has so far allocated € 181 million to respond to the on-going food crisis in the Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) of which over € 54 million was used in Mali to help the victims of both the food crisis and the political crisis. The on-going emergency and the recurrent nature of the crisis in the Sahel call for both an immediate response to help the people in need and a long-term strategy to reduce the chronic risks of food security and strengthen people's resilience.