SHIRBRIG and EASBRICOM speak in UN HQ about the CIMIC start-up kit

The Standby High Readiness Brigade for United Nations Operations (SHIRBRIG), together with East African Brigade Coordination Mechanism (EASBRICOM) held briefings and meetings from 10 to 18 December 2008 at the United Nations Head Quarters (UN HQ) in New York.

The purpose of the briefings and meetings was to make the UN HQ staff aware of the existence of the CIMIC start-up kit and to recommend the possible future use of the kit. The CIMIC start-up kit has been developed in close cooperation by SHIRBRIG and EASBRICOM.

The SHIRBRIG – EASBRICOM team members arrived on Wednesday the 10^th and were taken to their hotel, just opposite the UN HQ building. On Thursday Major Jacek Dolgan (G6), Lieutenant Colonel José Pardo de Santayana (G5 and project officer) and Major Dick Dane (G1-dep) went to UN HQ for a meeting with representatives of the Standing Police Capacity, Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Section and Un Mine Action Service. Without exception they were very interested in the project, and eager to learn more about the details. They were invited to the general briefing on Monday 15^th. On Friday the SHIRBRIG - EASBRICOM team went to the African Union (AU) mission building for a meeting with the AU Ambassador to the UN. However the team did not meet the ambassador in the end, new people were met and other appointments were made.

The SHIRBRIG – EASBRICOM team (except Major Dick Dane, taking the picture)

On Saturday the team completed the preparations for the general briefing. On Monday the most important event of this visit to the UN HQ took place; the general briefing. This general briefing on the CIMIC start-up kit was structured in 3 parts, a general introduction, a live-demo and an elaboration on the technical, detailed composition of the CIMIC documentation. Between 14.45 and 15.15 the guests arrived and the team was pleased to see that there were not enough chairs for everybody to sit at the table. The chairman and host for the briefing, General Major Lubenik (Austrian permanent mission to the UN) opened the meeting and gave the floor to Colonel Christof Tatschl (COSSHIRBRIG) and Mr Peter Marwa (EASBRICOM). During the briefing the audience was very interested and after 2 parts (theory and live-demo) it was time for questions. There were a lot of them and in all kind of directions. The 3 main fields of interest were: security, training and the technical side of the kit. This was very convenient for the team, because they had Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Tamai (G3 for training topics), Major Jacek Dolgan (G6 for technical topics) and Mr Martin Heinrich (Austrian Army, for security and technical topics) in the conference room to answer all these questions. After the answering of the questions the chairman announced a break and had to leave himself. After the chairman left, people stayed to make appointments for the days to come. Some of them stayed even longer in the conference room, to learn more details of the CIMIC start-up kit. The team was very happy with the genuine interest in the project during the general briefing.

An interested and engaged audience

On Tuesday there were several meetings, all to go deeper into the project on security, training and technical issues. The team was pleased to see, that the Austrian Deputy Military Advisor also took part in the technical meetings. Some of the meetings were in the conference room and a there were also meetings on several topics in UN HQ offices.

Visit to the African Union Peacekeeping Support Team

On Wednesday G5, G6, Mr Peter Marwa and Lieutenant Colonel Chaharane Mogne (EASBRICOM) went to the UN HQ to meet a representative of the African Union Peacekeeping Support Team, a team that tries to improve and expand UN-AU cooperation. It was a pity that COS and Major Heinrich could not attend this meeting, because their UN ID cards had already expired.

Interested listeners

On Thursday the team could look back on a successful attempt to convince the UN HQ staff about the benefits of the CIMIC start-up kit. The general feeling was that the final outcome of all meetings and briefing still has to come, but the first reactions of the UN HQ staff are very positive and promising.

The SHIRBRIG name; for the last time in the UN HQ????