CMDR COE carried out its 5^th Annual Conference Interagency Interaction in Crisis Management and Disaster Response 2017 on June 1-2 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The conference was held under the patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister for Public Order and Security and the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Krasimir Karakachanov.

The CMDR Interagency Interaction conference is an annual event which brings together subject matter experts, researchers and educators, planners and developers, advisers and various actors working in the crisis management and disaster response domain in order to promote a lively debate on relevant issues.

Within the period of 16-18 May 2017, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria hosted Main Planning Conference aimed at the organization and arrangement of the exercise implementation phase.

The conference was opened by Deputy Minister Atanas Zapryanov. Almost all Alliance’s Nations took part in it and for the first time this year the EU has participated in the exercise format.   

CMDR COE successfully conducted the 5-day Disaster Management course from 15 to 19 May 2017 providing basic knowledge related to disasters as phenomenon, the disaster management process and its close relation to the risk management process, as well as the main players and mechanisms in disaster response.

The attendees were introduced to numerous topics related to disaster management, risk management, capability development, gender perspectives, humanitarian assistance and the role of the international actors in disaster response through lectures, practical teamwork and subsequent student presentations.