Cross-Cutting Topics & Contribution to Human Security

Cross-Cutting Topics represent various societal issues that military branches, disciplines, and command levels must consider and address. According to NATO’s latest AJP-01 doctrine, current CCTs include:

  • [Protection of Civilians (PoC)]
  • [Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)]
  • [Cultural Property Protection (CPP)]
  • [Women, Peace and Security (WPS)]
  • [Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV)]
  • [Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB)]
  • [Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)]
  • [Building Integrity (BI)]

Each CCT plays a vital role in shaping mission outcomes and must be handled with care to ensure operational success and compliance with international law.

Human Security, as defined by NATO, focuses on protecting and promoting the well-being of individuals in conflict and crisis situations. NATO’s approach to Human Security is guided by its Human Security Approach and Guiding Principles, which prioritize areas where the Alliance can have the greatest impact:

  • Protection of Civilians (PoC)
  • Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC)
  • Cultural Property Protection (CPP)
  • Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV)
  • Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB)

These areas form the backbone of NATO’s efforts to ensure that military operations respect human rights, reduce harm to civilians, and help build resilient societies in conflict and post-conflict situations.

A Variety of Definitions and Unclear Approaches

Despite NATO’s clear focus areas, the broader concept of Human Security is complex and lacks a universally agreed-upon definition. Since its emergence in the 1994 UNDP Human Development Report, Human Security has been defined in various ways, with some approaches focusing on “freedom from fear” and others emphasising “freedom from want.”

Diverging Definitions

  1. United Nations: The UN emphasises comprehensive protection from violence and chronic deprivation, covering economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political security.
  2. Academia and Think Tanks: Scholars often debate whether Human Security should be defined narrowly (focusing on conflict and violence) or broadly (including socio-economic conditions and environmental threats).
  3. Regional Approaches: Different organisations and governments emphasise different aspects of Human Security based on their own priorities and cultural contexts.

Sources

  1. NATO’s Human Security Approach and Guiding Principles: NATO Official Website
  2. UNDP Human Development Report (1994): UNDP Official Site
  3. United Nations Human Security Unit: UN Human Security
  4. Scholarly Articles: Ramirez, R., & Ravetz, J. (2020). “Scenario Planning and Human Security.”
  5. For further exploration of how NATO addresses Human Security, visit the NATO Human Security Resource Page.

CIMIC plays a crucial role in advancing Human Security by bridging the gap between military operations and civilian needs. One of CIMIC’s primary contributions is building an accurate civil environment picture—a comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural, economic, and political dynamics in conflict or crisis zones. This process involves Civil-Military Interaction (CMI) with international organisations, government agencies, and NGOs to collect, analyse, and share vital information related to Human Security topics.

By integrating these insights into operational planning and execution, CIMIC ensures commanders can make informed decisions that protect vulnerable populations, facilitate humanitarian assistance, and promote safe environments for displaced persons. This holistic approach not only supports Human Security but also reduces the risk of unintended consequences, such as violations of international law or harm to civilian populations. Ultimately, CIMIC helps align military objectives with civilian well-being, ensuring operations are conducted in ways that foster long-term stability and resilience.

Sources:

  1. NATO’s CIMIC Handbook – NATO Website
  2. Human Security Approach and Guiding Principles – NATO Human Security Page
  3. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – UN OCHA

In addition to producing educational materials, the team also involves critically challenging assumptions, strategies, or plans to identify vulnerabilities and improve outcomes. In this context, we observe global events with potential implications for CIMIC and MC2HS. We produce concise, easy-to-read briefs to help stakeholders understand how these events could impact CIMIC and operational planning.