17 Jun 00 - Conference: Public Information Strategies and Armed Conflict

IISS Russian Military Reform Programme

17-18 June 2000, Suzdal

The seminar, organised by the IISS together with Russia's Institute for Strategic Studies, brought together the key policy-makers involved in developing public-information strategies during recent conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, the African Great Lakes region, Northern Ireland and Chechnya and leading journalists covering armed conflicts. Russian and international participants exchanged views on how new developments in international affairs, such as the increased incidence of humanitarian intervention and civil wars, and developments in communications and information technology influence the way in which information on armed conflict reaches the public. Participants discussed the key lessons for public-information policy learned from the military operations in Kosovo and Chechnya, in particular, and studied the implications for future policy.

The seminar was organised with assistance from Russia's Institute for Strategic Studies.

Agenda

Saturday 17 June, 2000

09:00-09:15

Introduction

Dr. Evgeny Kozhokin, Director, Russia's Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS)
Terence Taylor, Assistant Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

09.15-11.30

Session 1:

Changes in International Environment and its Implications for Public Information Strategies

Chairman:	Evgueny Kozhokin - Director, RISS
	Development of Information and Communications Technologies
Speaker:	Nik Gowing - Main Presenter, BBC World and analyst on information in conflict
	New Types of Armed Conflicts
Speakers:	Terence Taylor - Assistant Director, The International Institute for Strategic Studies Vladimir Zakharov - Senior Researcher, Russia's Institute for Strategic Studies.
	International Humanitarian Law and Military Intervention
Speakers:	Roy Gutman - International Security Reporter, Newsday, Washington DC Igor Ostkhov - Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

12.00-14.00

Session 2:

Public Information Policy-making

Chairman:	Terence Taylor, Assistant Director, IISS
	Public information strategies, policy development, organization and training in the UK Ministry of Defense
Speaker:	John Pitt-Brooke - Director General of Corporate Communications, UK Ministry of Defense
	State Information policies in armed conflict
Speaker:	Dmitry Grodienko - Researcher, Center for Military - Strategic Studies, General Staff of the RF Armed Forces
	Main principles for public access to information on armed conflicts
Speakers:	Peter Dun - Head of Information Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Alexander Zdanovich - Head of Department, Federal Security Service

16.00-18.30

Session 3:

Relations between government and media in armed conflicts

Chairman:	Vladimir Zakharov - Senior Researcher, RISS
	Relations with Press: managing access to areas of conflict and dissemination of information
Speakers:	Chris Bellamy - Director, Department of Defence Management and Security Analysis, Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University Sergey Kulik - Chief of Staff, special Office of the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation
	Casualty Reporting
Speakers:	John Pitt-Brooke - Director General of Corporate Communications, UK Ministry of Defence Viacheslav Sedov - Press-Service, Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
	Working with NGOs in the area of conflict
Speaker:	Oksana Antonenko - Research Fellow, Programme Director (Russia and NIS), The International Institute for Stretegic Studies

Sunday 18 June

09.00-11:30

Session 4:

Case Studies - Public Information Strategies and War Reporting

Chairman:	Chris Bellamy - Deputy Director, Department of Defense Management and Security Analysis, Royal Military College of Science, Cranfield University
	Northern Ireland:
Speaker:	Terence Taylor - Assistant Director, IISS
	Chechnya:
Speaker:	Andrey Binev - Expert on International Affairs, Producer (Political Affairs) Vesti, Russian State Television Network
	Kosovo:
Speaker:	Vjacheslav Sedov - Press-Service, Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
	Balkans:
Speaker:	Robert Fox - Writer, Journalist and Broadcaster, BBC 24

12.30-13:00

Closing Remarks

Participants

Aksenov Oleg, Head of Public Relations Department Ministry of Internal Affairs Russian Federation

Binev Andrey, Expert on Intentional affairs Producer (Political Affairs) Vesti Russian State Television Network

Gordienko Dmitry, Researcher Centre for Military-Strategic Studies General Staff of the RF Armed Forces

Ivanko Andrey, Correspondent Independent Military Review

Kozhokin Evgueny, Director Russia's Institute for Strategic Studies

Krutiko Evgueny, Defence Correspondent newspaper Izvestia

Kulik Sergey, Chief of Staff special Office of the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation

Litovkin Dmitry, Correspondent newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda Moscow

Ostakhov Igor, Law Department Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Sedov Vjacheslav, Press-Service Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation

Skakov Alexander, Researcher Russian's Institute for Strategic Studies

Zdanovich Alexander, Head of Department Federal Security Service

Peter Dun, Head of Information Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Susan Hyland, First Secretary (Political) UK Embassy in Moscow

John Pitt-Brooke, Director General of Corporate Communications UK Ministry of Defence

Terence Taylor, Assistant Director International Institute for Strategic Studies

Christopher Bellamy, Deputy Director Department of Defence Management and Security Analysis Royal Military College of Science Cranfield University

Robert Fox, Writer Journalist and Broadcaster

Nik Gowing, Main Presenter BBC World and analyst on information in conflict

Roy Gutman, International Security Reporter Newsday, Washington DC

Oksana Antonenko, Research Fellow Programme Director (Russia and NIS) International Institute for Strategic Studies

Giles Whittel, The "Times" Moscow