Contemporary integrated disaster risk management requires a holistic approach that encompasses not only the physical protection of people and material assets, but also the preservation of the continuity of key state institutions and protected information systems. This paper analyzes strategies and mechanisms for ensuring the continuity of state functions and the protection of classified information under conditions of complete or partial collapse of infrastructure and information systems caused by disasters of natural, technological, or hybrid origin. Through a comparative analysis of Switzerland’s system (territorial decentralization model), Finland’s system (total defense model), and Israel’s system (constant operational readiness model), key principles of successful frameworks are identified. These include: decentralization and redundancy of critical infrastructure, a unified and functional legal-institutional framework, integration of cyber security into crisis management systems, and an institutionalized culture of regular capability testing. Based on these observed experiences, concrete recommendations are formulated for improving the system in the Republic of Serbia, including the development of a National Strategy for the Continuity of State Functions, the construction of a hierarchically organized network of backup centers following the Primary–Alternate–Contingency–Emergency (PACE) model, and the establishment of a mandatory exercise program for relevant institutions. The paper contributes to the theoretical framework of national resilience by pointing to the necessity of establishing a balance between physical and digital resilience as a key prerequisite for preserving the sovereignty and functionality of the state in conditions of deep and complex crises.
Goran Matić (Thu,) studied this question.