45. Terrorism is an important asymmetric threat originating from both State and non-State actors. Czechia is not a major target for international terrorist groups—that said, we are part of the Western world and as such we may come under terrorist attack. In any case, terrorist attacks occurring in the other EU Member States are a threat to Czechia: they may endanger our nationals, disrupt vital European infrastructure, and compromise the EU’s shared security interests. A terrorist attack on industrial facilities or pipelines may seriously affect human health, the environment, or the functioning of our economic system. 46. Natural and human-made disasters are an ever-present security threat. Climate change has increased the incidence and intensity of natural disasters. The causes are normally beyond human control. However, in many cases, humans can manage disasters and make them happen less frequently thanks to systematic long-term preparation, planning, adaptation, and efforts to reverse or prevent the root causes. Severe impacts of natural disasters are partly the result of human carelessness, ignorance, denial of scientific evidence, and desire to secure an advantage here and now rather than invest in prevention, preparedness, and systemic solutions in the longer term. A natural disaster may be caused by compound hazards. Interaction between the hazards makes the impacts more severe and complicates disaster response. 18 V. Strategy to promote the security interests of the Czech Republic 47. The Czech Republic’s security is integral and indivisible. It requires a wholeof-government and whole-of-society approach. This is the starting point for the work of each public authority as well as for mutual coordination, including civil-military cooperation. To be successful, the strategy promoting our security interests must be taken on board by the whole society. 48. The strategy promoting our security interests requires us to prevent, suppress, and mitigate the impacts of security threats, as well as to build our systemic, economic, societal, and environmental resilience. Resilience means the ability to withstand adverse influences, to cope in adverse situations and to overcome crises. We need to be more resilient to a whole range of hostile interferences, including those that foment societal tensions. This involves protecting our critical infrastructure, improving our information and cyber security, dealing with the impacts of new, emerging and disruptive technologies, safeguarding our economic security (including energy security), and defending ourselves against terrorism. Our citizenship education curricula must help raise awareness of security threats, improve our response capability, and build our resilience. 49. To safeguard the security of our State we consistently develop an efficient national decision-making process, as well as cooperation with international organizations. The functioning and efficiency of our decision-making process is tested in regular exercises. The process involves democratic control of the armed forces, a functioning crisis management system, and an efficient communication system (including secure government communications). It is supported by interconnected non-military and military information systems. 50. The Czech Republic’s security interests may require us to give the State a stronger role to play in the market and in free competition. This may become necessary in order to provide security for our cyber space, energy sector (including raw material supply), and for other sectors of strategic importance to the security of our State, our economy, and our people. To make the security system work for us, it is critically important that the relevant ministries exercise the State’s shareholder rights in State-owned strategic companies, namely in the energy and fuel sectors, and in areas such as promotion of export and trade. 51. Our State needs to maintain efficient strategic communication in order to promote our security interests in today’s accelerated and globalized communication environment. The communication targets the domestic as 19

Select target paragraph3