NATO is in Afghanistan at the express wish of the democratically elected government of Afghanistan and is widely supported by the Afghan population. The Bonn Agreement of 5 December 2001 requested the United Nations to authorise the development of a security force to assist in maintaining security in Kabul and its surrounding areas. On 20 December 2001, the UN Security Council approved the first resolution 1386 [LINK TO UNSCR 1386] authorizing the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The conduct of operations in Afghanistan has also led to the development of a series of initiatives, programmes and agreements not carried out exclusively by NATO member nations but often done in cooperation with a number of Partner countries, aimed at supporting the troops on the ground and furthering relations with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
At the NATO Lisbon Summit in November 2010, NATO and Afghanistan reaffirmed their long-term ties with the signing of a Declaration on Enduring Partnership. The document, which marks NATO’s continued commitment to Afghanistan, provides a political framework for future enhanced cooperation, particularly in the field of Afghan National Security Forces capacity-building and Security Sector Reform.
NATO-ISAF Mission in Afghanistan
NATO-ISAF aims to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven for terrorists, to help provide security, and to contribute to a better future for the Afghan people. NATO-ISAF, as part of the overall international community effort and as mandated by the United Nations Security Council, is working to create the conditions whereby the government of Afghanistan is able to exercise its authority throughout the country.
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NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan
Established on 21 November 2009, the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) brings together national training efforts under one signle umbrella. It works in close partnership with the Afghan Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior, as well as in collaboration with the European Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) and the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF).
NTMA’s key tasks include the provision of training and mentoring to the Afghan national security forces, support the ANA’s institutional training base, and the ANP reform at the district level and below. It also aims at addressing the ANA enabling capability shortfalls (including close air support, medevac, intelligence) through ‘train the trainer’-modeled programmes.
The launch of NTM-A was made hand in hand with the establishment of the ISAF’s Joint Command (IJC), which is focused on operations. Whilst NTM-A focuses on training the initial recruits and building the institutional training capability of the Afghan national security forces, development of the Afghan army and police continues in the field. The IJC is responsible for developing fielded ANSF units through advising and assisting.
There are now 38 nations contributing to NTM-A.
NATO-Russia Cooperation
NATO and Russia share common objectives in stabilizing Afghanistan and the broader region.
Counter-Narcotics Training
Since December 2005, the NRC has been running a project to train counter-narcotics personnel from Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Central Asian countries. The project aims to bolster the capacity of national authorities to fight the trade in narcotics originating in Afghanistan. At the NRC Summit in Lisbon in November 2010, NRC members agreed to expand the scope of the project to consider further cooperation in the counter-narcotics field. As of April 2012, the project had trained 2,000 officers from the seven participating nations.
Domededovo Counter-Narcotics Training Center. At the Lisbon Summit, the NATO-Russia Council agreed to the establishment of a second training center in St Petersburg.
NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Helicopter Trust Fund
In 2011, the NRC agreed to launch a Helicopter Maintenance Trust Fund, which provides vitally-needed maintenance and repair capacity, including the provision of spare parts and technician training, to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) helicopter fleet. The goal of the programme is to bolster the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force to operate its fleet of Russian-made helicopters more effectively. A first group of technicians started their training in Russia on 1 April 2012. Some 30 personnel are expected to receive training under the project.
Transit agreement
Since 2008, Russia has facilitated the transit of non-military equipment for ISAF contributors across Russian territory in support of the ISAF mission. The current arrangement allows cargoes to travel by rail both to and from Afghanistan.
NATO-Russia transit arrangements for non-lethal goods proved critical to the development of the northern supply route to Afghanistan, thereby linking rail transportation between the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Initially set for non-lethal equipment originating from NATO member states, the arrangement was extended to the non-NATO Troop Contributing Nations, including reverse transit, at the NATO Lisbon Summit in November 2010.
NATO Afghan First Policy
Approved by NATO Foreign Ministers in Tallinn on 22-23 April 2010, the NATO-Afghan First policy aims at facilitating procurement of local goods and services through simplified bidding and contracting procedures in Afghanistan.
In line with the NATO-Afghan First Policy, in September 2010, General David Petraeus (then the Commander of ISAF), issued a Counter-Insurgency Contracting Guidance aimed at maximising Afghan economic dividend through increased contracting opportunities with Afghan local businesses.
Building Integrity
Developing capacity in the defence and security sector through education and training are key to fighting corruption and improving governance. Capacity building contributes to the sustainability of the ANSF and thereby provides positive conditions for economic and social development and increasing stability.
The Building Integrity programme seeks to raise awareness, promote good practice and provide practical tools to help nations enhance integrity and reduce risks of corruption in the security sector by strengthening transparency and accountability.
Within the framework of the Enduring Partnership, NATO is working with the Afghan authorities to develop integrity, transparency and accountability and promote good practice in the management of financial (budgets, procurement and auditing) and human resources in the Afghan Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior.
SILK-Afghanistan
Named after the Great Silk Road trading route linking Asia and Europe, the SILK-Afghanistan project provides affordable, high-speed Internet access via satellite and fiber optics to Afghan universities and other governmental institutions in Kabul. The project has been operational at Kabul University in Afghanistan since 2006.
Today, the Government Media and Information Centre in Kabul, as well a the vast majority of university students and lecturers from 18 universities in Baghlan, Balkh, Bamiyan, Faryab, Ghazni, Helmand, Herat, Jawzjan, Kabul (four universities), Kandahar, Khost, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Paktia and Parwan provinces are connected to the information highway through the SILK-Afghanistan Programme. The Programme is jointly funded by NATO and the US Department of State and provides, in addition to connectivity, extra funding to build IT infrastructure at the universities and to train their IT staff.
Professional Military Education
Since 2009, NATO's Professional Military Education (PME) programme for Afghanistan has been delivering education to the Afghan National Army (ANA) officer corps, with the main aim of developing the teaching branch of the ANA Training and Education Commands. The PME programme also supports the faculty of the newly established Afghan National Security University, which will host all ANA education institutions and some of its training organisations.
In coordination with the NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A), the PME programme facilitates Afghan access to NATO's education institutions and organises seminars and conferences on specific topics of interest for the ANA. These seminars and conferences are usually conducted by the programme's network of academic experts from NATO countries.
