Annual meeting of the Steering Committee at the Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices – Centre of Excellence (C-IED CoE)

• The Steering Committee is the body who rules the activities of this International Military Organization. The 12 nations who are officially part of the Centre are represented in this Committee, where the Programme of Work (PoW) is analyzed and approved, as well as the CoE’s annual financial statement.

From 13 to 14 November, the annual meeting of the Steering Committee was celebrated at the facilities of the C-IED CoE.

The Steering Committee Chairman and Chief of the National C-IED Cell (CENCIED) at the Joint Staff, Colonel Fernando Melero y Claudio and its Secretary, Major Alberto Brunhofer, led the meeting, where representatives of the sponsor nations were present. Colonel Javier Corbacho Margallo, Director of the C-IED CoE acted as advisor to the Committee, joined by several members of the Centre.

Ten of the sponsor nations attended in person, while two participated virtually (Portugal and Turkiye). The meeting also counted on the presence of two Canadian representatives as observers. Canada is in the process of accession to the CoE, this being one of the topics dealt with during the sessions.

On the first day, relevant information was presented to the Steering Committee, such as an update on activities and projects carried out at the Centre, the implementation of the 2024 Programme of Work (PoW) and the approval of the 2025 PoW. On the other hand, the Financial Controller detailed the implementation of the 2024 budget and presented a proposal for 2025, as well as sharing the expenses approval for 2023.

On the second day, the nations’ representatives approved the document that included the decisions adopted, confirming their commitment through the signature of the same. This document is essential for the Centre’s performance, as it contains the approval of the budget and PoW for 2025.