The NATO SFA COE will offer different training solutions for 2025, both residential and online.

The aim of the course is to improve the competency and effectiveness of SFA operators working in current and future missions and security related capacity-building. The course enhances the practical understanding and application of NATO SFA operators working as part of a comprehensive and integrated approach.

The aim of this course is to illustrate how the Security Force Assistance Concept has been originated in NATO and how SFA is intended by the reference NATO publication, the Allied Joint Publication 3.16.

This “NATO Selected” course satisfies NATO performance gaps identified within Military Contribution to Peace Support Discipline throughout the System Approach to Training process and represents a suitable training solution aligned with performance gaps.

NATO Security Force Assistance - Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE), in partnership with the Religion and Security Council (RSC), invites you to join the online launch of the study paper “Religion, Peace, and Security: Challenges and Prospects in the MENA Region”, which will take place on October 9, from 14:00 to 16:00 CET.

The volume collects the proceedings of the Study Seminar held in Rome on 5-6 May 2022, and has been edited by RSC Chairman Emiliano Stornelli and Dr. Sihem Djebbi, Associate Professor at the University of Sorbonne Paris Nord and the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Southern Italy, who were also the scientific coordinators of the event.

On the 14th and 15th of September 2023, in co-operation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Institute of Humanitarian Law held a Roundtable on Current issues of International Humanitarian Law. The Roundtable focused on “Strengthening IHL compliance: the conduct of hostilities, the protection of essential services and humanitarian assistance in contemporary armed conflict”.

From the 11th to the 14th of September 2023, NATO SFA COE Subject Matter Experts joined the Security Force Assistance Training Needs Analysis (TNA) workshop related to the Military Contribution to Peace Support (MC2PS) discipline.

From the 12th to the 14th of September 2023 the NATO SFA COE joined the COE LEGAD and FINCON Workshop 2024 organized by the HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and NATO Counter-Intelligence Centre of Excellence at the Polish Army Land Component Command in Krakow, Poland.

It brought together representatives from NATO Centres of Excellence (COEs) to discuss budget, financial management, and legal aspects of the COEs' operations.

From the 26th to the 30th of June, a Subject Matter Expert from the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) participated in the 16th CIMIC UNIT COMMANDER CONFERENCE. 

This conference was organized by the Multinational CIMIC Group, delegated by the Supreme HQs Allied Powers of Europe (SHAPE), and took place at "Palazzo Foscolo" in Oderzo (TV).

From the 19th to the 22nd of June 2023, a team from the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) participated in the “NATO Stability Policing's role in Human Security" conference and workshop.

From the 7th to the 9th of June 2023, a NATO SFA COE Subject Matter Expert participated in the 11th Annual Conference of the European Association of Peace Operations (EAPTC 2023), organised by the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) in Brussels.

NATO SFA COE representatives (from the Doctrine Development and Standard Branch & Concept Development & Experimentation Branch) lectured at the SFA Seminar, held on the 10th of May 2023, and hosted by the Headquarters NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Solbiate Olona (VA).

NATO SFA COE representatives (from the Doctrine Development and Standard Branch) lectured at the NATO Mission Iraq Pre-Deployment Training (NMI PDT) 23-2 directed by NATO Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz (Poland) on the 11th of May 2023.

SFA Advisors’ Enhancement Seminar 2023

The aim of the Seminar is to analyse the Advisor’s capacities and capabilities in interacting with Local Forces through a series of engaging academic sessions and a role-playing practical session.

The event is based on the outcomes of the COE’s SFA Operator Profile Analysis Report and on the  “Remote SFA” research project.

The NATO SFA COE participated in the Annual NATO Budget Officers Conference from the 26th to the 28th of April, organized by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at the Multinational Joint Warfare Centre (MJWC) of Istanbul-Türkiye inside the campus of the National Defence University (NDU).

NATO SFA COE hosted the Security Force Assistance Training Needs Analysis (TNA), Development Phase, related to the Military Contribution to Peace Support (MC2PS) NATO Discipline, managed by the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre (FINCENT) in Rome, Italy from the 21st to the 27th of April 2023.

The 2023 NATO ACO International Legal Conference took place at the "University Military Institute" in Lisbon, Portugal from the 17th to the 20th of April, co-organized by the legal offices of the Ministry of Defence of Portugal and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).

NATO SFA COE representatives joined the Security Force Assistance Training Needs Analysis (TNA), Re-Design Workshop for the Institutional Adviser Course, related to the Military Contribution to Peace Support (MC2PS) NATO Discipline, managed by the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre (FINCENT)I n Rome, Italy from the 17th to the 20th of April 2023.

NATO SFA COE representatives (Doctrine Development and Doctrine Branch & Concept Development & Experimentation Branch) lectured during the “Operational Planning Module” for the Joint Services Staff Institute, held on the 13th of April 2023 in Rome at the Italian Centre for Higher Defence Studies.

NATO SFA COE participated in the NATO Lessons Learned Spring Week 2023, organized by the Headquarters Supreme Allied Command Transformation (HQ SACT) Joint Force Development (JFD), which took place from the 28th to 30th of March, in Sofia, Bulgaria.