Workshop discusses future perspectives for PfP Trust Funds
NATO and the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs conduct a Partnership for Peace (PfP) workshop on 13-15 May in Helsinki, Finland. The workshop brings together over 70 representatives from NATO and Partner countries as well as participants from various other international organizations to discuss best practices and future perspectives for NATO Partnership for Peace Trust Fund projects.
NATO/PfP Trust Fund projects are funded entirely through voluntary contributions and provide valuable support for defence reform. The projects focus primarily on the safe destruction of stockpiles of surplus and obsolete anti-personnel landmines, munitions, small arms and light weapons, building integrity in the defence institutions, and the retraining of personnel who have been affected by defence reform. The projects also contribute to implementation of the UN convention to ban landmines and the UN Action plan on small arms and light weapons.
By May 2009 over 20 projects have been launched since the establishment of the Trust Fund policy in 2000, nine of which have already been completed. To date more than 50 million Euros have been contributed to these projects. Trust Fund projects are making practical contributions to promoting security and defence reform in countries in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond. Currently projects are underway in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine.
All of these initiatives are part of NATO's practical contribution to combating terrorism, supporting nations' defence reforms, and safely destroying surplus conventional arms and munitions.