25 May 2007 - NATO PARLIAMENTARIANS OBSERVE NATO DISASTER RESPONSE EXERCISE IN CROATIA

The scenario of the exercise included a hostage-taking and contamination by biological agents at Zadar airport; a chemical spill in an industrial harbor; and a severe earthquake causing damage to the local infrastructure and displacements of populations.

The IDASSA exercise, organized jointly by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response and Coordination Center (EADRCC) and the Croatian civil protection authorities, brought together over 1,000 participants from 21 countries, as well as over 100 observers.

This is the seventh international field exercise conducted by the EADRCC to test NATO’s disaster response mechanism and promote greater interoperability among the national emergency services of Allied and partner countries.

The NATO PA delegation, led by Michael Clapham, Chairman of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security, was able to observe rescue operations at all major sites and witness first-hand the co-operation on the ground between civilian and military disaster response teams from NATO member and partner countries.

The Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security regularly discusses the challenges posed by international terrorism and natural disasters and the role of the Alliance in addressing these challenges in co-operation with other relevant organizations, such as, in particular, the United Nations and the European Union.

On 27 May, at the NATO PA’s Spring Session in Madeira Portugal, the Committee will examine a report by Lord Jopling (United Kingdom ) on the Protection of Critical Infrastructures .

To view this report:

http://www.nato-pa.int/Default.asp?SHORTCUT=1165

For more information on NATO’s IDASSA 2007 exercise, please visit:

http://www.nato.int/eadrcc/2007/05-idassa/index.htm