In times of rising global challenges and growing competition, NATO recognizes that a comprehensive approach is necessary for a credible deterrence and defence mission as well as a contribution to international crisis management of the Alliance. A military joint function that integrates the understanding of the civil factors of the operating environment and that enables, facilitates and conducts Civil-Military Interaction to support the accomplishment of missions and military strategic objectives in peacetime, crisis and conflict is CIMIC.
In order to support the CIMIC transformational, educational and operational requests of the NATO Strategic Commands, the CCOE Sponsoring Nations, NATO Customers, and other customers, the CCOE’s fundamental and enduring purpose remains to provide up-to-date and relevant Subject Matter Expertise in the field of CIMIC.
The CCOE provides Subject Matter Expertise in NATO Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) to support the transformational and operational requests of the NATO Command Structure, Sponsoring Nations, and other customers.
Who we are / What we do
The CCOE was recognized as a NATO accredited Centre of Excellence, now located in The Hague, the Netherlands. The CCOE is the recognised asset to assure NATO Nations’ and Partners’ access to up-to-date knowledge and expertise in the field of CIMIC and to promote NATO’s role in the area of transformation and innovation to external audiences.
The CCOE is NATO Department Head for CIMIC, and a NATO accredited Education & Training Facility. Based on the NATO EU joint declarations regarding intensifying cooperation, the CCOE became the European Union Discipline Leader (EU DL) for CIMIC, providing a comparable coordinating function for EU like as DH for NATO, and a member of the European Security Defence College in 2020.
CCOE’s program of work, coordinated and consistent with NATO efforts, is guided by:
Education and Training;
Lessons Learned and Analysis
Concept Development and Experimentation;
Doctrine Development and Standards.