NATO-Russia Council Action Plan on Terrorism

NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Foreign Ministers met in Berlin, Germany on 15 April 2011. In an effort to enhance their cooperation in areas of common interest, they approved during the meeting, among others, an updated NRC Action Plan on Terrorism.  

Since its initial launch in December 2004, the NATO-Russia Council Action Plan on Terrorism has served as an effective tool in ensuring the overall coordination and strategic direction of NATO-Russia cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The updated NRC Action Plan on Terrorism draws on the NRC Joint Review of 21st Century Common Security Challenges endorsed by NRC Heads of State and Government in Lisbon in November 2010, and expands the scope of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The NATO-Russia Council categorically rejects terrorism in all its manifestations. It reconfirms that terrorist acts pose a direct challenge to common security, to shared democratic values and to basic human rights and freedoms. NRC nations agree that there is no cause that can justify such acts, and call for unity of action in the international community in addressing this insidious threat. They will do everything in their power to fight all forms of terrorism, acting in conformity with the UN Charter, international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as other existing commitments. They stand united in support of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, as well as the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

The NRC is encouraged by the progress that has been made in cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and is determined to make an even more direct and substantial contribution to this global struggle. The NRC will enhance its capabilities to act, individually and jointly, in three critical areas: preventing terrorism, combating terrorist activities and managing the consequences of terrorist acts.

Preventing Terrorism

NRC nations are determined to improve their capabilities to deter and prevent terrorist attacks by exchanging information, supporting non-proliferation efforts and developing enhanced cooperation on armaments and technology. They will also continue to implement relevant elements of the NRC Cooperative Airspace Initiative (CAI), which aims at developing an information exchange system and fostering cooperation on airspace security issues aimed, in particular, at strengthening the capabilities against terrorist air threats. Furthermore, they will explore areas of technological and scientific cooperation, including on improved explosive detection under the Stand-Off Detection of Explosives (STANDEX) Programme. Finally, NRC nations will contribute to international efforts to promote stability in and around Afghanistan and thus, inter alia, forestall the spread of terrorism in the region.

Combating Terrorist Activities

NRC nations are determined to undertake active measures to disrupt and combat terrorist activity. In this respect, they will examine how to resume cooperation in the framework of NATO’s Operation Active Endeavour, according to agreed procedures.  They will also improve the capability of their armed forces to work together in combating the terrorist threat.

Managing the Consequences of Terrorist Acts

NRC nations are determined to strengthen their ability to manage and mitigate the consequences of terrorist acts by building upon experiences from large scale disasters in the past and lessons learned in exercises.  They will also support consultations aimed at strengthening the potential of NRC cooperation in the area of crisis management and response; continue to develop scientific cooperation to address the management of psychosocial and other consequences of terrorist acts; and identify other means of improving their ability to cooperate in managing the consequences of terrorist acts, including through practical cooperation in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) decontamination.

Complementing Other International Efforts

Given the transnational character of the terrorist threat, responses to it must be equally international. NRC cooperation in the struggle against terrorism shall seek to complement and enhance other efforts underway in the United Nations and elsewhere in the international community, with a view to providing added value and avoiding duplication of efforts.