On the 31st of October 2023, a delegation from the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) organised a round table at the Permanent Representation of Italy to the UN in New York, with UN Military and Police Advisors among the audience. The purpose of this event was to provide an update on the main activities of the Centre and on the main ongoing project, developed in collaboration with the SHAPE ACO Office of Legal Affairs (ACO OLA) and the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (Sanremo), with the support from the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs Director.

The NATO SFA COE delegation, composed of the newly appointed Director, Col. Matteo LUCIANI and the LEGAD, Maj. Ludovica GLORIOSO, presented the previous editorial projects – Promoting the Rule of Law and Good Governance and Insights on Strategic Advising for Security Force Assistance – and the ongoing project mentioned above, titled Stabilization and Reconstruction in a Post-Conflict Environment. The Centre’s latest editorial project responds to the emerging need to mitigate the instability factors in post-conflict areas, to collect and study the best possible practices potentially applicable to various crisis-affected regions and guarantee their resilience post-intervention.

The event also hosted two distinguished experts. Glendon School’s Director, Ms. Susan POND, who spoke about the importance of the partnership between the Centre of Excellence, International Organizations and Academia, while emphasizing the impact of civilian-military cooperation on promoting security and international cooperation. The importance of bringing practitioners in the classrooms was emphasized, as was the importance of the editorial projects for those, working in the field. Senior Advisor at the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre (FINCENT), Ms. Virpi Levomaa, joined through VTC and spoke about the NATO-UN cooperation in developing Protection of Civilians (POC) Courses.

This annual event is an important reminder for the international security community, of the NATO SFA COE’s fundamental role in contributing to increasing the capabilities and skills, not only of the entities belonging to NATO and its Partner Countries, but of all International Organizations, supporting them in the field of Security Force Assistance and in the common intent of providing stability and security. In light of recently strengthened cooperation with Academia, the Centre is also highlighting the importance of joining such relations to the existing collaboration structure, for the achievement of the common goal – promoting security and international cooperation.