According to the NATO CIMIC Doctrine (AJP 9 / 2003), the three CIMIC core functions are:

• CIVIL - MILITARY LIAISON

• Support to the Force

• Support to the Civil Environment

The CIVIL-MILITARY LIAISON or CIMIC LIAISON how is usually called, is a particular type of liaison which can best be described by the following characteristics:

• is a continuous activity – occurs in peace, crisis and war;

• is conducted between military forces and civilian counterparts (national and international organizations, NGOs, local authorities, local population, etc);

• is intended to achieve cooperation, coordination and de-confliction amongst all actors involved in crisis management;

• is mainly focused on supporting the mission of the military force commander.

Considering all these, we believe that the main goal of CIMIC LIAISON, as a part of the whole civil-military interaction, is to let the military and civilian actors maintain their fundamental views on roles and mandates, while enabling both sides to function as effectively as possible in the interest of those being served.

Because there is no overarching doctrine at this moment to outline the relationships which can be established between all the organizations operating in a crisis area and the procedures to be followed by these structures in their interaction, it is our strong belief that the liaison elements have one of the most important roles in achieving the above mentioned goal.