MNCG IN SINGAPORE – HUMANITARIAN FUTURES AND EXERCISE COORDINATED RESPONSE

From 27 to 30 October 2025, the Commander of the Multinational CIMIC Group (MNCG), Colonel Piero Furlan, accompanied by the Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL), Chief Warrant Officer Antonio Colia, took part in two major international events held in Singapore: the Humanitarian Futures Forum 2025 and the Exercise Coordinated Response 2025. 

The Humanitarian Futures Forum, organized by the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Program and the Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (RHCC), represented an important opportunity for strategic dialogue on the future of global humanitarian cooperation. 

During the forum, hosted at the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies, Col. Furlan participated as a speaker, sharing the Multinational CIMIC Group’s experience in the field of civil-military cooperation and assistance in crisis environments. The conference gathered civilian and military experts from multiple nations and was structured around three thematic panels focused on the impact and sustainability of humanitarian operations, emerging global challenges, and civil-military partnerships in emergency management.“International dialogue is essential to build a common vision for the challenges ahead and to strengthen our collective ability to respond to humanitarian crises,” highlighted Col. Furlan.

In the following days, from 28 to 30 October, the MNCG delegation took part as observer in the Exercise Coordinated Response 2025, organized by the Changi RHCC in cooperation with the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the Vietnam National Steering Committee for Civil Defense (VINASARCOM). The activity brought together representatives from armed forces, governmental agencies, and civilian organizations across the Indo-Pacific region including Singapore, Mongolia, Australia, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Myanmar, Bhutan, and India, with the aim of enhancing coordination and response capabilities in large-scale emergency scenarios. At the opening ceremony, which saw the participation of 39 nations and 37 different international organizations for a total of 250 participants, the speeches were delivered respectively by the Deputy Chief of the Vietnam National Steering Committee for Civil Defense, the Deputy Director of the U.S. Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, and the Chief of the Singapore Armed Forces. At the end of the ceremony, the Singaporean Chief of Army personally thanked the Commander of the Multinational CIMIC Group for the contribution and participation of the MNCG representatives in the exercise. 

The participation of the Multinational CIMIC Group in both events reaffirmed the Unit’s commitment to promoting international cooperation and dialogue between civilian and military actors in crisis management. 

“Sharing experiences and best practices,” concluded Col. Furlan, “means strengthening our ability to act together effectively and promptly wherever civilmilitary cooperation can make a difference.” MNCG is leading the way on Civil-Military Cooperation.

Photo gallery