CIOR is this first week of July in the middle of its initial virtual conference involving all member associations. The IBM (”In-Between-Meeting”) scheduled for the spring but temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, takes place without the delegates physically meeting.
By: Roy Thorvaldsen, Lt.Col. (R) Norwegian Army/CIOR Public Affairs
CIOR President, UK Army Colonel (Retd.) Chris Argent.
When the Corona-virus attacked in March, it became clear that CIOR needed to regroup and come up with a battle plan – one that did not involve physical presence for its meetings to move the extensive program of work forward.
– It was paramount for me as the leader of a military organisation that CIOR also related to the threat that had occurred in a military fashion, by finding an alternative way forward. To admit defeat, surrender and sit around waiting for things to get better was not an alternative, says CIOR President, UK Army Colonel (Retd.) Chris Argent.
A huge effort has therefore gone into establishing a safe means in which to meet. Building on the success of CIOR Connect, CIOR’s new digital workspace, it was quickly decided that professional video conferencing would provide the key functionality to run a large international meeting like this.
Many of those taking part have already become proficient in using this technology in their civilian careers, but comprehensive guidelines and rehearsals were prepared as well as facilities for Vice Presidents and Committees to be able to ‘chat’ as they would do in sidebar discussions at a normal meeting.
In addition, there was a requirement for precise scheduling to enable members from both Europe and North America to participate, fully allowing for different time zones.
– The Presidency is very happy with the way the first day of the meeting proceeded, Argent said.
The Norwegian delegation listening to CIOR President Chris Argent during his report to the CIOR Council. Photo: Ole Kristian Haagenrud, Communication Manager NROF.
– A success
– Both in technical terms and with regard to attendance, which totalled 44 on the first day, and effectivity of discussions and decisions, this clearly is a success, he stressed.
Argent believes the experience has shown that virtual meetings could replace some of the annual physical meetings, most typically the IBMs, due to huge savings in time and travel costs for the 34 member national associations. However, one of the key principles of CIOR is learning about other nations’ ways of working, and much work is done outside the formal sessions, so physical meetings are vital for success.
– This is up to the CIOR Council to decide, but we believe it has merit to meet in this way some of the times. It’s not a matter of either or, but with the help of modern technology to find an ”ideal” combination of virtual meetings and face-to-face human interaction, Argent points out.
Late Summer Congress
The first day of the IBM, among other important business, discussed the plans for holding a ”Late Summer Congress”, in lieu of the cancelled congress in Liege, Belgium.
Estonia has offered to host the Late Summer Congress in Tallinn, as they also did for the 2019 Summer Congress.
Details are to be agreed upon by the CIOR Council, but the proposal is to hold a congress as normal as possible. However, in respecting the health advice for social distance and large gatherings, and adjusting for what is practically possible on short notice during this situation, the Congress will be held without the traditional military competition (MILCOMP) – and also without the CIOR Language Academy – which will be busy fulfilling an operational task for the NATO International Military Staff (IMS). The mid-week Symposium of the Congress would be a scaled down version, according to the suggestion.
Call for nominations
Another matter of high importance discussed during the first day was the successful completion of job specifications for the newly re-established Reserve Advisor at NATO’s operational strategic headquarters, SHAPE – and the Presidency’s call for member nations to nominate candidates for the post.
The second day of the IBM continues with discussions on strategy and future presidencies, and the new ROW course for young reserve officers. The meeting will conclude Saturday noon.
This list is an overview in abbreviated form of the key CIOR events for 2020. Please refer to national delegations for questions about attendance and contents. Some of the events will be promoted here on the public website, in addition to the information posted on the ‘CIOR Connect’ intranet portal.
MWM 20 NATO HQ, Brussels 18-21 Feb 2020
CIOR Seminar, Bonn 22-25 Feb 2020
YROS – Brno CZ, 25-28 March 2020
IBM 4 Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, London – 20-23 April (NOTE new date from initial date one week later)
NATO School, Oberammergau (NSO) – NATO Reserve Forces Integration Course (NRFIC) 27 April to 1 May 2020
CLA 2020 – Liege 19-31 July 2020
CIMEX 2020 – Liege 2-7 August 2020
CIOR/CIOMR/CISOR Summer Congress Liege 3-7 August 2020 (Includes YROW – NOTE dates 2-7 August)
The Czech Republic is hosting this year’s Young Reserve Officer Outreach Seminar (YROS) 25 – 28 March. The seminar, which will take place in Brno, is titled «NATO and the cultural challenges on missions».
The seminar is open to all reserve and active duty officers up to the rank of Major. Organizers ask member nations to encourage junior reserve and active duty officers to participate.
The seminar will focus on introducing junior reserve officers from NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries to the basics of NATO, cultural aspects of missions and international leadership.
The seminar’s primary objective: To assist in integration of YROs from NATO/PfP nations into a coalition environment. The seminar contributes to development of knowledge of NATO/CIOR structure and mission as well as leadership skills. It provides initial international/coalition experience for participants and increases awareness of alliance security issues.
For official invitation with all relevant information, click here.
The CIOR Mid-Winter-Meeting (MWM) 2020 will be held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels from Wednesday 19 February to Friday 21 February. For invitation to eligible attendees, click here.
For more information, national member and associated delegations should refer to the ‘CIOR Connect’ portal.
CIOR will hold its In Between Meeting Three (IBM3) of the UK / Estonian Presidency in Edinburgh, Scotland (UK) during the period 24-27 Nov 19. The meeting will have attendance by representatives of CIOMR and CISOR)
MISSION
To maintain, develop and take forward CIOR, an organisation that represents the interests of over 1.3 million reservists across 34 participating nations within and beyond NATO, by planning and instigating its activities (including meetings, seminars, symposia, competitions and sharing best practice).
To facilitate the CIOR main roles: to provide advice on Reserve issues and support to the NATO Alliance, and to foster the professional development of reserve officers.
One of the meeting rooms at the Surgeons Quarter in Edinburgh.
EXECUTION
Attendees to IBM3 are asked to arrange travel so as to arrive no later than the evening of Sunday 24 Nov. No social function is planned for this evening. Meals will be available to order from the hotel or nearby restaurants.
The President of CIOR will hold meetings with key personnel the evening of arrival 24th November. This will be by invitation and made known by separate correspondence. There will be an IBM Delegates Reception the evening of the 25th, 1830-2030 hours at Edinburgh Castle, whilst a short walk from the IBM venue, coaches will be made available as required. A Gala Dinner will be held the evening of the 26th on board the Royal Yacht Britannia (1845-2300 hours) with transport provided.
Attendees will be free to depart after 1230hrs, 27 Nov 19.
The meetings will seek to realize outcomes in accord with Presidential Aims, Strategic Objectives and CIOR Business and Planning.
Meeting Participation.
The following attendance is sought:
CIOR Presidential Team.
Delegation VPs.
Committee Chairs. To include:
Defence Attitudes and Security Issues Committee (DefSec)
Civil/Military Co-operation Committee (CIMIC)
Partnership for Peace and Outreach Committee (PfP&O)
Legal Committee (LEGAL)
Military Competition Committee (MILCOMP)
Language Academy Committee (CLA)
Winter Seminar Committee
Young Reserve Officers Committee (YRO)
Public Affairs Committee
CIOMR Presidential Team and CIOMR members (Optional but would be very welcome) for whom a 1 day programme is being organised by UK CIOMR Delegates
CISOR Presidential Team (Optional but would be very welcome)
The largest annual meeting of CIOR and CIOMR (medical reserve officers) is jointly held each summer in a different country and is organized by a separate member of CIOR/CIOMR each year. In 2019 Estonia will be hosting the congress in its capital of Tallinn and surrounding areas.
The two congresses are organized in conjunction with CIOR having Council meetings, the various committees and working groups and the CIOMR Congress conducting meetings with their respective committees. There will also be military competitions (MILCOMP) and other activities such as CIMIC exercises (CIMEX), Young Reserve Officers Workshop (YROW), CIOR Language Academy (CLA), the CIOMR Workshop and a Congress Symposium.
The opening ceremony of the Congress is on Sunday August 4th at 17:00 at the Maarjamäe memorial, followed by a reception at the Maarjamäe palace.
The CLA will have already been active since July 20th at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences in Tallinn and will be finished on the opening day of the CIOR/CIOMR congress on August 4th.
The MilComp section will start training on the 4th and end on the 5th with competitions on the 6th to 8th. The awards ceremony will be on the 9th of August. All events take place at the Estonian Defence League Männiku shooting range on the outskirts of Tallinn.
CIMIC work exercises (CIMEX) are from the 4th to the 6th at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences in Tallinn. Participants to the CIMEX exercise will join the rest of the Congress as soon as they conclude their exercise.
The Congress Symposium will be held on Wednesday August the 7th at the Swissotel in Tallinn.
The Closing Ceremony/Congress Gala Dinner will take place on Friday August 9th at 20:00 at the Seaplane Harbour Museum in Tallinn, which will officially close the CIOR/CIOMR 2019 Summer Congress in Tallinn, Estonia.
The Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers, Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve, (CIOR) will hold In Between Meeting Two (IBM2/4) of the UK / Estonian Presidency in Tallinn, Estonia from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 May 2019
IBM Meeting Registration. Registration will be managed by EROA and can be completed by delegates via the following link:
Attendees to IBM2 are asked to arrange travel so as to arrive no later than the evening of 7 Feb 19. Due to a number of potential late arrivals no social function is planned for this evening. Meals will be available to order from the hotel or nearby restaurants.
Accommodation
Those CIOR Members attending will be accommodated in theRadisson Blu SKY Hotel (Rävala puiestee 3, Tallinn, ESTONIA). Phone +372 6823 000. For questions about accommodation – Email info.tallinn@radissonblu.com.
Hotel booking can be completed via the following
link:
Cancel
15 days or more prior to arrival = no penalty
Cancel 14-0 days prior to arrival = forfeit 100% of
full stay
For guidance, delegate price per single or double
room is 119 € per night. Price
includes: buffet breakfast, wireless internet access and 9% VAT.
For guidance, delegate price per single or double room is 119 € per night. Price includes: buffet breakfast, wireless internet access and 9% VAT.
Optional programme
There will be an optional programme of visiting EDF annual field exercise Spring Storm on 08th (0900-1800), CIOR VP shooting competition on 09th (0900-1200), meetings on 09th (1300-1700), 10th (0900-1700) and 11th MAY (0900 – 1200). There will be IBM Delegates Dinner (Social Gathering) in the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (https://www.koda.ee/en/about-chamber) on the evening of the 10th MAY.
Attendees will be free to depart after 1230, 11 MAY 19.
The following attendance is sought:
CIOR Presidential Team.
Delegation VPs.
Committee Chairs. To include:
Defence Attitudes and Security Issues Committee (DefSec)
Civil/Military Co-operation Committee (CIMIC)
Partnership for Peace and Outreach Committee (PfP & O)
Legal Committee (LEGAL)
Military Competition Committee (MILCOMP)
Language Academy Committee
Winter Seminar Committee
Young Reserve Officers Committee
Public Affairs Committee
CIOMR Presidential Team (Optional but would be very welcome)
CISOR Presidential Team (Optional but would be very welcome)
The international Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve (CIOR) will hold In Between Meeting One (IBM1) in Tallinn, Estonia, during the period 14 – 17 November 2018. There will be Working Sessions held 15, 16 and 17 Nov and an opportunity to attend celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Estonian Defence Forces (EDF). A formal Calling Notice and supporting documentation (regarding registration, costs and to request accommodation) will be issued shortly. A firm Agenda will be issued by 31 Oct 18.
Intent. To hold IBM1 in Tallinn, Estonia. The IBM Agenda will be issued in due course. Please note that one item of the Agenda, the MOU with NRFC, will require this to be a Special Meeting in accordance with CIOR Constitution Section 7.8.1. The President will write to VPs/ National associations to seek their views on the need to call a Special Meeting to discuss and agree the new MOU with NRFC, which it is intended will be signed on the first day of the MWM. A copy of the draft MOU will be circulated prior to IBM1 with sufficient time to allow comment and Non-attendees to IBM1 will be asked to respond electronically or by joining the meeting by phone.
The meetings will seek to realize outcomes in accord with Presidential Aims, Strategic Objectives and CIOR Business and Planning; to include:
Presidential Welcome
Opening Address by Major General Herem – Chief of Estonian Defence Forces Designate (tbc)
Presentation on Estonian Defence Forces by Col Palm – Head of General Staff Designate (tbc)
IBM1 programme outlines
CIOR Strategic Planning
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NRFC
Future management of CIOR business
Finance and the Financial Report
CIOR Website
CIOR Communications Strategy
Planning for the MWM, IBM 2 and Summer Congress in 2019
Produce Post IBM1 minutes and Annual Report
REGISTER FOR THE CIOR SEMINAR 2019 TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENTS IN DEFENSE TECH
The 2019 CIOR Seminar will take place from Saturday, January 26th until Tuesday, January 29th in Bonn, Germany.
It covers technological developments in Autonomous Devices, Internet of Things and PsyOps.
Arrival and event registration is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The full event tickets include all meals and lodging from Saturday dinner until Tuesday dinner.
For more information, please visit https://ciorseminar.wordpress.com/ More details, including logistics, to follow.
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The two congresses are organized in conjunction with CIOR having Council meetings, the various committees and working groups and the CIOMR Congress conducting meetings with their respective committees. There will also be military competitions (MILCOMP) and other activities such as CIMIC exercises (CIMEX), Young Reserve Officers Workshop (YROW), CIOR Language Academy (CLA), the CIOMR Workshop and a Congress Symposium.
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