International operations undertaken since the early 1990s have underscored the desirability, indeed the requirement, for a broader approach to crisis management and conflict resolution. Such a ‘comprehensive approach’ would bring together, early in a crisis situation, military and non-military instruments aimed at conflict prevention, stabilization and reconstruction, as well as governance and development depending on circumstances. These contributions would be provided by the International Community in a concerted manner and in close coordination with the host government. Many elements of such a Comprehensive Approach are already in place and are being applied in various theatres around the world, albeit often in an ad hoc and sub-optimal way. Maybe the novelty of the concept of a Comprehensive Approach is the added emphasis on enhancing planning and optimizing implementation in the conduct of stabilization operations and reconstruction efforts. NATO has been conducting operations continuously since 1992, first in the Balkans and since 2003 outside of Europe. Almost universally, lessons identified from NATO-led operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Afghanistan, as well as the NATO disaster relief operation in Pakistan in 2005 and NATO’s support to the African Union in Darfur, have shown that NATO is present in a theatre not alone, but together with other actors of the International Community. They have also highlighted the benefits of early and continuous consultation and cooperation between the Alliance and other international organizations, both intergovernmental and non-governmental, present on the ground. As a result, at the Riga Summit meeting held in November 2006, NATO’s Heads of State and Government decided that NATO should develop, as a matter of urgency, a policy, as well as procedures, to guide NATO’s contribution to a Comprehensive Approach, with direct application in Afghanistan and Kosovo. It is important to note in this regard that the philosophy underpinning NATO’s approach to the further development of its contribution to a wider Comprehensive Approach is that NATO should endeavor to co-ordinate with other international organizations, not coordinate them. Additionally, at the summit, NATO Heads of State and Governments endorsed new Comprehensive Political Guidance (CPG). The CPG provides a framework for NATO’s ongoing transformation and sets out the priorities for Alliance capability issues. In this important document, the contribution of a Comprehensive Approach with other international organizations to operations is mentioned, pointing out ‘the increasing significance of stabilization operations and of military support to post-conflict re-