The comprehensive approach to Civil-Military crisis management

Facing recurrent complex crises requiring an improved coordination
of civilian and military, international and local actors, the comprehensive
approach concept has appeared both within international
organisations (Nato, EU etc) and within governments (the US,
France, the UK etc). The issue concerns restoring security, governance
and development through an inter-agency, inter-ministerial or
even an inter-organisational approach.
The present study identifies the dilemmas of the comprehensive
approach (the neutrality of humanitarian intervention versus the armed
commitment of states, the explicit cooperations between international
organisations versus implicit cooperation, etc). It anticipates
the consequences of the comprehensive approach, foremost a
strengthened position for the European Union and Nato, wielding
management capabilities for civil and military crisis management,
and the quest for legitimacy within Nato and the African Union. It
qualifies the French position towards the concept. It analyses the
operational impact of the comprehensive approach for the military.
Finally, it reinforces the academic thinking on the comprehensive
approach and presents new research topics in security studies.
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