NGO-military relations in armed conflict zones

Abstract

The author studies the interactions between non-profit organizations and regular military forces within modern conflict zones. It covers the typology of observed relations and analyzes and makes an assessment of their impact on conflict dynamics and humanitarian response. The paper presents four major interaction modes: support, cooperation, neutrality and rivalry. The analysis of the available literature demonstrates a number of challenging issues such as the lack of communication between NGOs and the military, different approaches to similar tasks, information exchange, politicization and others. At the same time the article reveals the shift in the nature of conflicts and the emergence of new modern challenges and threats that require additional research. The study used logical-intuitive modeling based on institutional approach to cover the issue from a political realism perspective. The conclusions demonstrate the insufficient research of certain types of interactions (support and rivalry), specific challenges for the Russian Federation and the importance of bolstering cooperation between NGOs and the armed forces. Therefore, the article provides recommendations on how to increase the efficiency of interactions and reduce risks and threats.