14.11.2024.
Experts debate implementation of Total Defence Concept
A panel of experts have held a debate on the implementation of the Total Defence Concept. The debate, organized by the Strategic Planning Department, Defence Policy Sector, was held at the Guard Club in Belgrade today.
The debate was chaired by Acting Assistant Minister for Defence Policy Predrag Bandić and was attended by State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić and representatives of the National Assembly’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, public administration bodies, Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, civil society organizations and scientific and academic community. 
The aim of the debate was to acquaint the representatives of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, civil society organizations and the scientific and academic community with the Total Defence Concept, to consider further steps in implementing it and to envisage potential challenges in the coming period.
The panel of experts reviewed the influence of the changed security environment and contemporary conflicts on European defence concepts, as well as the experiences of other countries in the implementation of Total Defence in response to the increasingly complex security situation in Europe and the world. Acknowledging the new strategic context and international experiences, the experts opened an institutional dialogue on the implementation of the Total Defence Concept, focusing on finding key solutions in the domains of military defence, civil defence and command and control over defence forces in a state of emergency and war.The experts highlighted necessary measures and activities to be undertaken in the coming period but also the major challenges in the implementation of Total Defence, considering its complexity and the necessity to involve the entire society.
The main conclusions from the debate indicated that the implementation of the Total Defence Concept was an optimal approach to the defence of Serbia in the current strategic and geopolitical context, and that its implementation would strengthen Serbia's deterrence and defence capabilities, as well as society's resistance to modern security threats. One of the conclusions was that the implementation of the Total Defence concept required an interdepartmental approach, and that special attention should be paid to familiarizing young people with the need to involve the entire society in the defence of the country.