Today, 20 September, saw the JALLC start its anniversary celebrations. This special occasion will be marked by a series of professional development lectures and culminate in a formal ceremony tomorrow with commendations being awarded and, of course, a birthday cake.
This morning, opening the celebrations, the JALLC’s staff were honoured by the presence of Ms Oana Lungescu, Principal Spokesperson for NATO from 2010 until September 2023. Ms Lungescu, who visited the JALLC last in 2018 with NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, addressed the staff on the current Strategic Landscape and how the JALLC’s work fits in to contribute to NATO’s continuous adaptation.
Noting that the last decade has been a “…decisive decade of adaptation,” Ms Lungescu explained that it has also been a decade during which the Alliance has shifted its focus back towards collective defence. Moreover, as the Alliance faces the challenge of a more complex and unpredictable global security environment, learning lessons quickly and effectively has never been more important.
Noting that the success and strength of the Alliance lies in its ability to adapt quickly, Ms Lungesco highlighted some of the JALLC’s work in the past as examples of how lessons identified by the JALLC have gone on to help NATO adapt. Citing, among others, the JALLC’s 2012 report on Lessons from Operation Unified Protector (Libya) as an example, she reminded the JALLC’s staff how, at the political level, the JALLC’s work is relevant to ensuring NATO can adapt and improve. Also noting the JALLC’s recent (and upcoming) work on Lessons from Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ms Lungesco noted the importance of identifying and analysing lessons in a timely fashion to ensure that NATO can learn and adapt at the speed of relevance.
Ms Lungescu will also be present during the second day of celebrations which will see {NAME} deliver a lecture on {TOPIC} and will be followed but the formal anniversary ceremony to round off these two days of celebrating the JALLC’s 21st Anniversary. Happy Birthday JALLC.
You can read more about the history of the JALLC here on this website and also in our informative brochure about the JALLC and its activities.