The ISAF Public Affairs Conference continued its programme of activities at the NATO Defense College.
Today’s discussion, which focused on “Measuring Communications Effect”, examined the impact of communications on security and the difficulties in this regard faced by the NATO-ISAF community, which needs to have a credible system for assessing the effects of communications in order to achieve more positive results.
A valuable contribution to the exchange of ideas on the other topic for discussion, “Measuring Effect – Governance & Development” , made through a VTC connection with the UNAMA mission in Kabul, outlined the problems of evaluating ISAF operations while stressing the importance of receiving feedback on them.
At the end of the morning the NATO Spokesman, Mr James Appathurai, in his very stimulating final conclusions on this difficult issue, highlighted the importance of the use of images, which can sometimes be used as weapons.
In the early afternoon the Chairman of the Military Committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, speaking over a VTC link from Brussels, emphasized that it is essential for NATO to tell “the truth story”. The truth, he said, is the way to success.
Prepared by Mr Angelo MAROLLA (ITA C)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN