sou · GTB3104d2 · 2006-01-01 00:00:00 — There are about half a million expat Swedes around the world – people who live and work temporarily or on a more permanent basis in other countries. month an average of over 200 000 Swedes abroad. Against this backdrop, the role of the public administration can no longer be narrowly tied to Swedish territory. The ability to safeguard Swedish citizens and their interests outside the countrys borders must be developed. This in itself does not imply any changes to the fundamental division of responsibility between the individual and the state but is an adaptation to new preconditions. Secondly, the ability of the public administration to meet a crisis should not be seriously impaired because the crisis takes place during a holiday. If political decision-makers and senior officials define their task in such a way that they are not available at certain times of the day or year, an efficient 24-hour service must be put in place to compensate for this. Principles for crisis management The public administrations management of the consequences of the shows several weaknesses in the structure of administration: the lack of a central crisis management function, inefficient communication of information also within the ministries, inhibitory boundaries between different sectors and the unclear interface between the Government Offices and public agencies. A new organisation must eliminate these weaknesses. In official documents concerning total defence and crisis management planning, reference is often made to the principle of responsibility, meaning that the authority that is responsible for an activity in normal circumstances must also have that responsibility in the event of a crisis or war. This principle sounds reasonable but is unclear and even risks impairing an organisations crisis management. If it is strongly asserted that the principle of responsibility must govern crisis management, signals to the world around from authorities that are not capable of meeting a crisis on their own will be delayed. The organisation is in danger of ending up in a situation where it manages activities for which it is not qualified. One of the central problems of crisis management is to decide when the point has been reached and the crisis is of such dimensions that there must be a change from normal routines to more expedient ones if the situation is to be successfully managed. It is this capability in the public administration that must be developed. The principle of responsibility and the other principles need to be toned down as guidance for planning in favour of other principles that are more appropriate in the context. In the Commissions view, two new principles are required, a principle of simplicity and a principle of caution. Simplicity is a fundamental requirement of an organisational structure for crisis management. With the conditions that apply in an organisation under extreme stress, it must be clear to each and every one how their own work fits into the overall structure, whither information is to be sent, who has the authority to take decisions and who is responsible for the implementation of decisions taken. In a crisis organisation there must be a clear centre where information is processed and analysed, where decisions are taken and from which directives for the implementation of decisions proceed. The lack of such a crisis management centre was a fundamental deficiency after the . The fact that there is a centre with responsibility for processing and analysis of information, for decision-making and directing implementation does not mean that all the know-how and resources should be assembled at this point. All successful crisis management requires networks, both national and international. However, coordination between the different authorities and other organisations included in these networks must be prepared. In a situation of uncertainty, investing more resources than may be needed may be regarded as an application of the principle of caution which applies as a basic rule for crisis management in several areas connected with health and the environment. If there is good reason to believe efforts may be needed, efforts should also be made. At the everyday level, this principle governs the work of the rescue and fire services in our municipalities. Central crisis management – tasks and location Basic requirements and tasks The threats and risks society faces are complex and hence often span over several sectors. New risks are successively built into society and crises tend to occur with no or at very short previous notice. It may be a question of both major national crises, which may be defined as national concerns, and international crises that affect many Swedes. The Government has many tasks to deal with in situations of this kind. It must form a correct picture of the situation as a basis for the decisions that are to be made. It needs to identify the threats the situation represents, whether it be a case of natural disasters or consciously inflicted damage. It must identify the measures that need to be taken, which of these require formal government decisions and which may possibly require new legislation that needs to be rapidly processed by the Riksdag. An essential aspect is how the financing of necessary measures is to be guaranteed, so that doubt or discussions about this matter do not unnecessarily delay processing. Important actors at regional and local levels, organisations outside the public sector and the general public need to be informed of the situation and the measures the Government intends to take. Contacts need to be established with other countries in order to coordinate action and avoid conflicts. The Commission proposes that a crisis management unit be established in the Government Offices. The overall task of the crisis management unit will be to assist the Government in its work by acting as its main instrument for strategic leadership of the administration during crises. Thus, the focus is strategic but the remit will also include operative tasks in the initial stages of crises so that no time is lost. Operative tasks of this type may include initiating rescue and emergency efforts, ordering transport capacity, preparing informational work and mobilising monitoring resources. Work in the initial stages will also include starting up work at the relevant ministries. A cabinet group should be formed with at least five members so that it is able to take government decisions where necessary. As soon as the crisis has an overseas dimension the Minister for Foreign Affairs must be included in this group. During the crisis, the ministries involved should have representatives at the level of Director posted to the crisis management unit. After having taken decisions on initial measures, the crisis management unit will also have an executive function. It must see to it that decisions are implemented and that efforts are coordinated. If crises with international aspects are involved, Ministry for Foreign Affairs resources must be included in the staff of the crisis management unit to prepare the way for planned measures. At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, there must be a clear management function for crisis issues. A special post as Director- General for should be set up – as planned by the Ministry itself. From the operative aspect, the Director- General for should be directly subordinate to the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in order to underscore the latters overall responsibility at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He in his turn will be subordinate to the Head of the crisis management unit in the event of a major crisis abroad that befalls many Swedes. Location of a central board of crisis management To be able to act efficiently, a central board of crisis management must be able to give instructions to other authorities and ministries. A political mandate is needed to be able to do so; crises in society almost always have political implications. Certain crises require cooperation with other countries. When contacts of this nature are to be established, it should naturally take place at ministerial level and preferably with a crisis management unit at the ministry. In the light of this, the location of a national crisis management function in the Government Offices appears natural. The Prime Ministers Office already has a coordinating function in the Government Offices. Proximity to the Prime Minister is furthermore of major importance to give the board of crisis management authority in relation to the ministries concerned. This conclusion also applies in the case of any changes to the structure of ministries and authorities. The crisis management unit should have a core group of some six or seven people, highly qualified in the relevant sphere of knowledge and with broad general knowledge. The task of this core group will be to carry out the first analysis of the situation and decide the measures that are most urgently required regarding transport, care, rescue operations and so on. Thereafter the groups task will be to manage the crisis management unit and guarantee continuity and stamina in the acute stage. The leaders of the crisis group must have direct access to the Prime Minister (or a deputy with a full mandate appointed by the Prime Minister) in order to get the go ahead for the most highly prioritised measures if the crisis is judged to be of a serious nature. Prioritised measures include convening a cabinet meeting without delay where one of the main tasks will be to take decisions on financing the measures that may be required in the short and medium-term. The crisis management unit will also include a group with responsibility for information search and analysis. Within the framework of the 24-hour organisation, it has the task of alerting the leaders of the crisis management unit who must make an assessment of the situation on the basis of available information and any additional information that can be rapidly obtained. The assessment of the situation will include both an estimate of the scale of the crisis, its gravity and how urgent is the need for rapid measures. The group should furthermore have a network of experts with the relevant competence from authorities, organisations or companies, who can be mobilised at short notice for service at the crisis management unit. The Commission proposes no amendments to the fundamental legal preconditions. Deliberations are carried on within the framework of the present Instrument of Government. Also in crisis situations, exercise of power must be regulated by law, and for this reason special rules for crisis management should not be based on what is known as the constitutional jus necessitatis. The Act concerning protection against accidents regulates the rescue services, that is to say the rescue efforts the Government and local governments must take to prevent and limit injuries to people and damage to properties or the environment in connection with accidents or an imminent risk of accidents. Accidents means in this context sudden events that have involved or may be feared to involve damage, whether caused by natural phenomena or by human acts, with or without intent. This protection currently applies within borders. This Act does not apply to health and care nor to transportation of patients. Public resources should intervene only if the individual cannot him/herself or with the help of others deal with an accident situation. Under law there is a possibility of allowing a government authority to take responsibility for extensive municipal rescue efforts. The provision allows the Government scope to take over responsibility itself and appoint a rescue commander. A rescue commander has far-reaching powers, such as to order compulsory service, requisition equipment and other property such as vehicles, or that can be used in the rescue services, irrespective of whether they come from authorities or the private sector. Since the Act aims to create protection against accidents that befall individuals on Swedish territory, it should be supplemented by an amendment to the effect that power to act in also apply when an accident befalls a large number of Swedes abroad. In cases of this nature, the rescue commander would have the same opportunities to act in as he or she would have had if it had been an exclusively national rescue mission under the Act. However, the rescue commander cannot be given the same powers for action abroad in connection with an accident. Regulation of this area is complicated since it is based on the recipient countrys acceptance of Swedish exercise of authority or actual action on its territory. Embassies and other foreign services have certain possibilities under international law to protect their citizens interests abroad. In a crisis situation they may bring additional personnel resources into the embassy organisation. It is furthermore always possible to send out groups for assessment or other missions. Apart from that, it is a matter for diplomatic negotiations with the state concerned in each individual case. therefore has a central role here. As long as the effort takes place in , compulsory measures are available. When action due to an accident is taken abroad, the same procedure does not apply as a matter of course. In the Commissions view contract solutions should be used to achieve the desired result. Personnel who may need to be engaged should have signed a contract in advance so that it is totally clear which people the rescue commander may contact in connection with a rescue mission abroad, on the conditions that thereby follow. In an equivalent way preparations should be made regarding material resources. The various operative resources are available at public authorities – inter alia in the rescue services, and services. The Government and its crisis management unit therefore needs to be equipped with extended powers to take decisions on such operative efforts in order to realise coordinated and cohesive leadership in connection with a major crisis. This may take place either through informal contacts between the crisis management unit and the Directors of authorities or through supplementary provisions to the authorities ordinances and/or other ordinances. To ensure a rapid response in connection with a major disaster, the head of the crisis management unit should have the authority to initiate certain efforts, pending the convening of the Government. Emergency planning should include – in addition to plans for mobilisation of the unit – the creation of a set of staff groups who can be sent at very short notice to places within the country and abroad. In the event of operations abroad, coordination is required with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs planned emergency groups, whose competence they can complement in important respects. There is a need for updating of information on material resources such as transport capacity and rapidly accessible resources for efforts. Contacts with other countries is an essential part of the crisis management units organisational infrastructure. The crisis management unit is to represent in the international network which is already partly established between crisis management units in certain EU countries. Where such contacts are not established, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be the intermediary link. A call centre function is of vital importance as soon as large groups in the community are involved, either directly affected or as relatives. The crisis management unit should be responsible for practice activities in the Government Offices. However, practice activities are not sufficient to maintain the capacity that may be required in serious crises. Consideration should therefore be given to using the crisis management unit in connections other than purely crisis related situations in order to fully test the organisation when many authorities and NGO actors collaborate. Examples of such events include high-level political events, international sports events and the like. The crisis management unit can also set emergency preparedness requirements for authorities. The above conclusions will not change even if a radical modification of the authorities structure in the emergency preparedness and total defence area should be chosen. The need for a central crisis management function in the Government Offices remains, both to secure the function in itself and to create an efficient opposite party to authorities, setting requirements. The role of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and consular issues When a disaster occurs abroad, this is immediately a matter for the Swedish foreign mission on the spot. Normally, all contacts between authorities are initially channelled through the . must strengthen its contacts with agencies and insurance companies both in and abroad. Internal information in the must be improved; above all, in a crisis or disaster situation, the foreign missions concerned must receive information about decisions taken in more rapidly. The consular resources at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs need to be reinforced to meet the substantially increased need of information and assistance that arises in a major crisis situation. Consular work must be given the importance and priority it deserves. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is dependent on an efficient duty officer function that alerts the organisation. An executive after-hours service should include the State Secretary and other senior officials. The duty requirements should mean the person in question must be able to be at the Ministry within an hour. In addition, each geographic unit and certain functional units should have their own after-hours service within their areas of responsibility. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs own proposal to set up a standby force should be carried through. Its efforts should be coordinated by the and other relevant authorities. In the event of a major crisis where the situation is unclear, an important measure for the Ministry should be to immediately send out an experienced officer to make a first assessment and assist the foreign mission on the spot. The Ministry should continue work on a model for the foreign missions emergency plans. Each foreign mission should have prepared a special crisis management group with the participation of an adequate number of people from the Swedish colony in the country. The honorary consulates, which often lie in areas with many tourists and are headed by a person who is well acquainted with the local authorities, the people, the language and the environs, should also be concretely engaged in the emergency work by the respective embassy. Today, embassies have relatively limited possibilities of deviating from the applicable provisions on consular assistance. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs should delegate more consular powers to the foreign missions, for example regarding the interpretation of the consular framework of rules. This part of the framework of rules should be supplemented by rules for extraordinary situations that can be activated following a local decision by the embassy. The should have the basic responsibility for registration of missing persons, whether missing at home or abroad. Contacts from the general public to give information or make enquiries about missing persons should be directed to the , not to the Government Offices. Decisions to mobilise the ID Commission should be taken by . The basis for this decision may come from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs but also from other intelligence sources. As far as individual deaths abroad from natural causes are concerned there need be no major changes. The technology for identifying the dead is at present developing very rapidly. techniques play an increasingly important role, particularly when the remains are badly damaged due to the nature of the disaster and when no dental data is available which is normally the case with children. There is a great deal to be gained by increased speed and better adapted efforts directly after accidents to secure DNA of high quality. should act at the international level for the development of these techniques and an adaptation of the routines for taking care of the remains of the dead. In addition, legislation relating to bio banks should be adapted so that emergency legislative measures following major accidents will not be necessary in the future. At the request of the Government, the is in the process of developing its capacity for missions abroad. The mission includes supporting, in the initial phase of a crisis and at short notice, the embassy or consulate concerned and Swedish citizens in distress. The envisaged ogranisation includes a task force to be sent to the crisis area in order to reconnoitre and plan the rescue mission, establish a coordination staff and an information centre, and deliver health care and crisis support. In order to make a rapid analys of the situation, an assessment team should first be sent to the area (within six hours of the decision). The assessment team is part of the task force and shall initiate the of a coordination staff in support of the embassy or consulate in the area. The Commission´s impression it that this work is proceeding well and shall continue. The disaster in south-east showed that Swedish contributions in one form or another may be warranted outside Swedish territory. A first task of the national crisis organisation is to plan efforts for some of the typical cases that may arise. The task also includes guaranteeing preparedness for rapid action. The requirement of preparedness concerns on the one hand management staff and, on the other, action groups that may be required for reconnaissance and initial efforts in affected regions which may be very distant from . The operative responsibility should be linked to an identified county council. At this level there is permanent preparedness for rapid action, a broad spectrum of relevant expertise and experience of coordinating resources from more than one county council. It should be possible to use the experience gained from the ongoing task of to investigate the preconditions for efforts abroad, irrespective of which form of organisation is chosen. The state cannot build up resources of its own for all crisis situations imaginable; the absolutely biggest share of logistic and transport resources are available in the private transport sector. Either a private solution should be chosen on the basis of customary public procurement or one or possibly several authorities should be requested to develop a centre of this type. The body responsible may engage the specialist competence needed to fulfil the task by means of contracts with aircraft brokers and other actors in the transport sector. Information, communication, the media Publication of information on the Internet, broadband and third generation mobile telephony is a feature that totally changes the preconditions both for the dissemination of information and communication between private individuals and authorities. After the , there were very soon what are known as blogs and wikis where any Internet user could post information with, for example, names and pictures of those missing. In some cases, this took place in direct response to the fact that it was considered the Ministry for Foreign Affairs was not giving adequate information about missing and injured persons. Pictures can also be sent by modern mobile telephones, which increases the impact of the information communicated. This new situation requires a reorientation of authorities information and communication policy.