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(21) Resilience Council primer

By Onno Hansen-Staszyński • 8 December 2024

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(21) Resilience Council primer

By Onno Hansen-Staszyński | Last Updated: 18 December 2024

Why install Resilience Councils (RCs)?

Resilience Councils are essential to democratise dealing with Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) since RCs: 

  • Promote transparency: they involve citizens and stakeholders in decision-making.

  • Encourage inclusivity: they ensure that diverse societal perspectives are represented, thereby reducing marginalisation.

  • Mitigate distrust: they address perceptions of human rights violations and prioritise citizen well-being.

  • Reduce polarisation: they foster a dialogue to counter divisive narratives.

  • Enhance societal resilience: they empower citizens to feel seen, heard, and valued.

  • Improve adaptability: they leverage diverse insights for evolving FIMI threats.

  • Strengthen accountability: they distribute responsibilities to minimise bias.

  • Foster legitimacy: they reinforce the European Democracy Shield initiative as well as the DSA.

What do Resilience Councils do?

RCs focus on four primary tasks: 

Task 1: Identify FIMI campaigns

  • Identify: detect ongoing or emerging campaigns.

  • Classify: categorise campaigns by type and scope.

  • Grade: assess their impact and urgency.

  • Report: share structured findings to all stakeholders.

Task 2: Develop responses to FIMI campaigns

  • Decide: determine the most appropriate actions.

  • Recommend: propose actionable strategies.

  • Coordinate: oversee implementation with stakeholders.

  • Evaluate: assess intervention effectiveness.

  • Redress: mitigate unintended consequences.

Task 3: Formulate advice on FIMI strategy, StratCom, InfoOps

Task 4: Coordinate initiatives to enlarge citizen resilience

Preconditions for effective execution

To ensure RC success, the following must be in place: 

Legal framework

  • Legislation and statutes supporting RC operations.

Defined responsibilities

  • Clear task descriptions for RCs.

Decision-making mechanisms

Quality control measures

Task 1: 

  • Standardised identification processes.

  • Adherence to established standards.

Task 2 and 3: 

  • Expertise requirements for members.

  • Integrity requirements for members.

  • Competence and integrity testing mechanisms.

  • Training modules by initiatives like the European Master of countering Disinformation (EMoD).

  • Practical accountability processes for RCs and members.

Task 4:

  • Clear concept definitions.

  • Measurable goals.

  • Standardised measurement mechanisms.

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