National Security Council (Byzatium)
The National Security Council (Greek: Συμβούλιο Κρατικής Ασφάλειας, ΣΚΑ; Symvoúlio Kratikís Asfáleias, SKA, lit. State Security Council) of the Byzantine Empire is the principal forum used by the Emperor of the Romans and by the Prime Minister of the Empire for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters. The National Security Council works as a branch of the Consistory, providing a forum and a source of advice to the Emperor and the Government.
Mission
Since its inception in 1949, the function of the Council has been to advise and assist the Emperor and the elected Government on national security and foreign policies. It also serves as the Emperor's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies and as the military's instrument to settle political crises.
For the traditional monarchic alignment of the Armed Forces, the National Security Council is viewed as the Emperor's instrument against the Prime Minister.
The National Security Council is responsible for assessing the objectives, commitments, and risks of the United States, and for making recommendations to the president with respect to internal and external security policy.
The National Security Council is a staff body and does not have line or budget authority over the Government. Similarly, Internal and External Security Advisors do not have authority over the relevant Ministries, unlike the Ministers, who are Senate-confirmed officials with statutory authority over their own Ministries.
History
The National Security Council was created in 1949 by Empress Irene IV. It was created in order to enable the Emperor to harness the poorly-coordinated government policy and to coordinate the response to the changed geopolitical scenarios of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea after World War II. The official intent was to ensure better coordination between the Armed Forces and other instruments of national security policy such as the Imperial Intelligence Directorate.
The Directorate of Health Security and Biological Defence was established in 2018 by Alexios X.
Membership
| Structure of the National Security Council | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Emperor |
| Permanent Select Committee |
|
| Regular attendees to the Select Committee with voting right |
|
| Additional participants without voting right |
|
The heavy presence of the military leader ensures that the National Security Council is a political stage for the opinion of the Armed Forces, especially in times of crisis.
Committees
Permanent Select Committee
The Permanent Select Committee of the National Security Council is the Cabinet-level senior interagency forum for consideration of national security policy issues. The Permanent Select Committee is convened and chaired by the Prime Minister. The regular attendees of the Permanent Select Committee are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the Treasury, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Minister of Interior, the Executive Vice-President of the Imperial Intelligence Coordinating Council, the Chief of General Staff, the Director of the Imperial Intelligence Directorate, the Internal Security Advisor, and the External Security Advisor.
The the State Security Advisor to the Prime Minister and the SKA General Secretary may also attend all meetings of the Principals Committee. When considering international economic issues, the Principals Committee's regular attendees include the Minister of Commerce.
Deputies Committee
The National Security Council Deputies Committee is the senior sub-Cabinet interagency forum for consideration of national security policy issues. The Deputies Committee is also responsible for reviewing and monitoring the interagency national security process including for establishing and directing the Policy Coordination Committees. The Deputies Committee is convened and chaired by the Deputy External Security Advisor or the Deputy Internal Security Advisor.[24]
Regular members of the Deputies Committee are the Advisor for Strategy, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of the Treasury, the Deputy Minister of Defence, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Deputy Minister of Interior, the Director of the Imperial Intelligence Directorate, the Deputy Chief of General Staff, and the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. Invitations to participate in or attend specific meetings are extended to deputy heads of Ministries or other agencies and to other senior officials when relevant issues are discussed. The relevant Senior Director on the National Security Council staff is also invited to attend when relevant.
Policy Coordination Committees
The Policy Coordination Committees of the National Security Council, established and directed by the Deputies Committee, are responsible for the management of the development and implementation of national security policies through interagency coordination. Policy Coordination Committees are the main day-to-day for interagency coordination of national security policy development, implementation and analysis in aide of the Deputies Committee and the Principals Committee.
Policy Coordination Committees are chaired by Directorate heads of the National Security Council Staff.
Staff of the National Security Council
The Staff of the National Security Council is subdivided into three branches: the two Security Advisors and the General Secretary. While the Security Advisors have their own secretariats and deputies, the bulk of the Staff is directed by the General Secretary. Under him (or her), there are several Directorates tasked with elaborating policies and coordinating dedicated agencies through relevant Policy Coordination Committees.
- External Security Advisor:
- Deputy External Security Advisor:
- Internal Security Advisor:
- Deputy Internal Security Advisor:
- General Secretary for the National Security Council:
- Deputy General Secretary:
- Directorate for Visits and Diplomatic Affairs:
- Directorate for Counter-terrorism:
- Division for Counter-terrorism:
- Division for Counter-terrorism - Global Threats/Embassy Security:
- Division for Counter-terrorism - Homeland Threats:
- Division for Threat Finance & Sanctions:
- Division for Counternarcotics:
- Directorate for Technology and National Security:
- Directorate for Cybersecurity and Policy:
- Division for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology Policy:
- Division for Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity:
- Division for Cybersecurity Policy and Cyber Incident Response:
- Directorate for International Economics:
- Division for International Economics and Competitiveness:
- Division for Digital Technology Policy and International Economics:
- Division for International Economics and Labour:
- Division for Strategic Workforce Planning:
- Directorate for Defense Policy:
- Division for Defense Innovation and Cyber Policy:
- Division for Space Policy:
- Division for Strategic Capabilities:
- Division for Military Personnel & Readiness:
- Division for Arms Control, Disarmament & Non-Proliferation:
- Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense:
- Division for Biodefense: Daniel Gastfriend
- Division for Biotechnology Risks and Biological Weapon Nonproliferation:
- Division for Countering Biological Threats & Global Health Security:
- Division for Medical and Biodefense Preparedness:
- Division for Emerging Biological Threats:
- Executive Vice-President of the Imperial Intelligence Coordinating Council
- Directorate for Africa: Dana L. Banks
- Directorate for Russia: Eric Green
- Directorate for Western Europe Europe:
- Directorate for the Indo-Pacific
- Division for Balkans and Central Europe:
- Directorate for Holy Land, Levant and North Africa
- Directorate for Energy:
- Division for Energy Transformation:
- Division for Climate Investment, Trade, and Environment:
- Directorate for Trans-border Affairs
- Division for Immigration
- Division for Trans-border Security