REPORT ON THEMATIC DISCUSSION OF THE TOPIC: PARTICIPATION OF THE ARMED AND SECURITY FORCES IN THE AREA OF ASSITANCE DURING MAJOR NATIONALLY AND REGIONALLY- HOSTED EVENTS 2nd-6th of september, 2008 Banff, Canada CONCLUSIONS : * The global security environment and limited national capacity and capability may necessitate the participation of the armed forces in providing support during nationally and regionally- hosted events * Recognition of the requirement for early and detailed planning for such events * The need for multi-agency participation very early in the planning process * The importance of the integration of all agencies involved in the planning process [civil police, military, other government organizations and if necessary, external supporting agencies] * Thorough security footprint must be established not only for the local areas in which the games will be held, but to cover the entire country * The broad-based involvement and the invaluable contribution of the armed forces in the planning and execution of the security operations is not only desirable, but critical to the hosting of major events - Air, Land and Maritime forces - Special operations forces - Logistics - Medical - Transportation - Intelligence - Excellent planning skills - Excellent command and control mechanisms * The need for integrated and parallel command and control mechanisms - Civil Police [Lead agency] - Armed Forces * Importance of seamless communication among elements in the security sector. * Recognition that due to limited national resources, there may be a requirement for regional and international support to cover capability gaps identified in the planning process. [an example is the International Support Advisory Group that was established to support CARICOM during the staging of CWC 07] * In events necessitating the involvement of regional or international forces, careful consideration must be given to: - The legal framework within which such forces will be operating [ There may be a need for the enactment of Visiting Forces Legislation] - Rules of engagement - Humanitarian, legal and cultural awareness training for foreign forces * Such events provide positive legacy benefits to the State, especially with respect to security - Acquisition of new equipment for the armed forces - Development of facilities that will be of benefit to the people - Experience gained by national and regional agencies in planning major events [pool of experts] RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that: - Lessons learned during the planning and execution of major nationally and regionally-hosted events be documented at the hemispheric level for future reference by Member States that may be involved in planning such events in the future - A data base of experts in the planning of major events be established at the Hemispheric level