Senior official of defense and safety

senior officials of defense and safety (HFDS) (formerly senior officials of defense) exert a function of defense and safety within high the French Public office. The ministries for the Defense and the Foreign affairs have a senior official corresponding of defense and safety, the ministry for the Interior, a senior official of defense, and the other ministries, at least of a senior official of defense and safety, possibly in division with another ministry.

The senior officials of defense and safety are named by decree Prime Minister on proposal of the Ministre.

The defense is thus defined by an ordinance of January 7th, 1959, repealed and codified with the Code of defense: “Defense has the aim of insuring in any time, all circumstances and against all the forms of aggression, the safety and the integrity of the territory, as well as the life of the population”.

The need for the function of senior official of defense was noted after the Second world war, when it was noted that the administration had been completely destabilized by the speed of the German attack in 1940. This is why these posts of senior official of defense were created, were charged with preparing, as of the time of peace, measurements suitable to ensure the continuity of the administration and an optimal safety in the event of war or other serious events.

Attributions of the senior officials of defense and safety (HFDS) are fixed by articles R. 1143-1 to 1143-8 of the Code of defense. They must animate and coordinate the preparation of measurements of Défense (plane of defense, safety of defense, protection of the secrecy). Since 1986, they are also in charge of the safety of the Information systems. Within the framework of their activity (and only within this framework), they have authority on the whole of the services of the ministry concerned. It is allocated to the minister to place at his disposal the means as a personnel and hardware requirements with the execution of its mission.

They maintain the close links with the General secretary of national defense (SGDN), which is under the authority of the Prime Minister, and all the concerned with safety units like the Direction of the monitoring of the territory (DST). Their activities concern:

the organization of the plans of defense (Catastrophe S, Terrorism, crises);
enabling with the secret defense of the people having to know sensitive informations;
the application of the plans of Public safety like the plan Vigipirate.

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