Sivil-militært samarbeid: integrasjon i teorien, disintegrasjon i praksis?

Abstract

Most western nations and international organisations involved in today’s complex emergencies focus on civil-military relations and development of concepts and policy for integrated operations. There is a growing acknowledgement that the handling of contemporary complex conflicts needs coordination and coherent application of diplomatic, economic, humanitarian and military means. This challenges all stakeholders to respond in kind. It has become ever clearer that the complex range of approaches and instruments that are employed in international operations require some form of integration if lasting peace is to be secured. This thesis analyses whether an increased political need for civil-military integration can be implemented in reality given the Norwegian humanitarian organisations and Norwegian military organisations institutional interests. More specifically the thesis is investigating if these organisations institutional interests will hamper the implementation of integrated operations, or if it is more important for the organisations to succeed with the international political mission and thereby comply with the increased demand for integration. The rational choice from a political perspective in order to solve contemporary conflicts is evidently integrated operations. The main findings in this thesis have been: From a military perspective integrated operations seem to be regarded as a necessary tool which has potential to be both a clarifying and gathering force for the different organisations. From the humanitarian perspective however, the political need for integrated operations seems to bring along a more idealistic approach to the humanitarian principles and thereby a need for greater distance to armed forces and political organisations. Hence civil military cooperation from a Norwegian perspective can be said to be characterized by integration in theory, and disintegration in reality.