This month, the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) conducted a disaster response planning exercise based on its Mechanism for Cooperation in Disasters (MECODE) using the ICONSnet simulation platform run by START’s ICONS Project.
The IADB is an international organization which collaborates on common defense and security issues in countries in North, Central and South America, and provides technical advice and services to the Organization of American States (OAS).
The General Secretariat of the IADB, in coordination with the Pro-Tempore Secretariat of the Conference of Ministers of Defense of the Americas (CDMA), carried out the simulation in order to test the effectiveness of the MECODE in terms of supporting international disaster response, to share information on the current disaster responses capacities in the region and to ensure that the information is accessible in the database of the OAS Inter-American Network for Disaster Mitigation.
Building on more than 30 years’ experience, the ICONS Project provides organizations around the world with custom-designed simulations, wargames and exercises to help plan for unique challenges and manage crises. ICONS specializes in scenario planning, operations continuity and reputation management and has conducted exercises to help public and private organizations anticipate how to manage geo-political risk, respond to a disinformation campaign and how to assess and mitigate violent extremist threats.
To learn more, read the ICONS capabilities brief about its work with the public and private sectors. ICONS also maintains a catalogue of off-the-shelf simulations for educators to use in the classroom. Instructors seeking online educational opportunities for their students can find more information and register on the ICONS website, or can send questions to the ICONS team at icons@umd.edu.