Header
Updated: 31-Oct-2000 Ministerial Communiqus

Press
Release
M-NACC-
2(95)121

Issued
at the meeting
of the North
Atlantic
Cooperation
Council

NATO
Headquarters,
Brussels
6 Dec. 1995

Work Plan for Dialogue, Partnership
and Cooperation 1996/1997

Introduction

The Foreign Ministers and Representatives of the member countries of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, with the participation of observer countries, have agreed to the following Work Plan for 1996/97. It builds on the foundations and principles of dialogue, partnership and cooperation already established, in particular at the Rome Summit in November 1991, the Brussels Summit in January 1994 and NACC Ministerial meetings. The Work Plan covers political and security related matters, policy planning consultations, economic issues, science, challenges of the modern society and information issues. Because Partnership for Peace activities are undertaken in the NACC framework, the Work Plan includes in its annexes the list of topics under which PfP activities will occur, the list of activities agreed by the PMSC Ad Hoc Group on Cooperation in Peacekeeping and the list of PfP exercises.


Political And Security Related Matters

Topics

  1. Specific political and security related matters, including regional security issues;

  2. Conceptual approaches to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, including transparency, the security of new non-nuclear weapon states and the general problems of security related to nuclear issues;

  3. Strengthening the consultative and cooperation process;

  4. Practical cooperation with the OSCE on security issues.

Activities

  1. Consultations at Ambassadorial level on general and specific issues, including in brainstorming format;

  2. Consultations at Ambassadorial level on general PfP policy matters and common problems;

  3. Regular and, as events dictate, ad hoc consultations of the Political Committee with cooperation partners, including as appropriate with experts;

  4. Early consultations, particularly on regional tensions with a potential to grow into crisis;

  5. Informal political consultations between NATO and individual partner countries, as appropriate;

  6. Meetings of Regional Experts Group with experts from partner countries once a year;

  7. Briefing of cooperation partners, including at the partner's request when possible, on decisions taken by the North Atlantic Council and other important developments in the Alliance having direct bearing on security and stability;

  8. Continuation of seminars and experts meetings with CFE cooperation partners on implementation of the CFE treaty;

  9. Continuation of the current programme of joint multilateral inspection teams and joint inspector/escort training for CFE cooperation partners, including a CFE Course for verification teams' inspectors to be held in the Schooling Centre in Komorni Hradek;

  10. Continuation of support to CFE cooperation partners in connecting to and in utilising VERITY.


Policy Planning Consultations

Topic

  1. Mid- and long-term foreign and security policy issues;

Activity

  1. A meeting of NATO's Atlantic Policy Advisory Group with cooperation partners, in Romania in 1996 and in Slovenia in 1997.

Economic Issues


Defence Conversion (Including its Human Dimension)

Topics

  1. Conversion and social stability; integration into the civilian economy of the manpower potential and military equipment used in the military and the armaments industry;

  2. Economic aspects pertaining to restructuring armaments production sites and military garrisons and to privatisation of military industries;

  3. Conversion experiences (in particular in the field of armaments production) and conversion planning.

Activities

  1. Continued development by the Economic Directorate of the database on technical expertise in defence conversion with a view to its practical use in cooperation partner countries;

  2. Development of defence conversion pilot projects supported by nations with a view to promoting cooperation between industries of Allied and cooperation partner countries;

  3. Workshop on Romanian experience in the field of restructuring and conversion of the defence industry, to be held in Bucharest on May 1996, organized by the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of National Defence (Procurement and Logistics Department) in cooperation with the Economic Committee;

  4. International seminar on defence conversion in East European Countries: problems and prospects, to be held in 1996 in Belarus. Principal sponsor in Belarus: Ministry of Defence;

  5. Enlarged Economic Committee meetings, as agreed, on topics related to defence conversion.


Security Aspects of Economic Development

Topics

  1. Economic and ecological consequences of defence-related environmental degradation;

  2. Economic and ecological consequences of nuclear disarmament;

  3. Economic aspects of migration and refugees affecting security and stability;

  4. Consequences of the implementation of UN mandated economic sanctions on socio-economic aspects of regional stability;

  5. Connections between energy supplies and State security;

  6. Social protection as a factor of economic stability;

  7. Infrastructural regional projects and economic aspects of security.

Activities

  1. Workshops/Enlarged Economic Committee meetings on the above themes;

  2. Seminar on economic aspects of the impact of migrations and refugees on State security;

  3. Economic Committee with Cooperation Partners seminar on impact and human consequences of defence-related environmental degradation and on economic and ecological aspects of nuclear disarmament supported, as necessary, by Science/CCMS Committees' experts;

  4. NATO Economics annual Colloquium to be organized by the Economics Directorate.


Defence Expenditures/Defence Budgets and their Relationship with the Economy

Topics

  1. Interrelationship between defence expenditures/budgets and the economy, including:

    • defence policy implementation in an open market economy,
    • financing of defence, and
    • economic problems of long-term defence budget planning in a situation of high inflation;

  2. Economic aspects of connections between military and civil technologies, including economic aspects of technological spin-off, from military expenditure to civilian industry;

  3. Economic factors in the choice between conscript army and a professional army.

Activity

  1. Workshops and Enlarged Economic Committee meetings on the above themes and on further questions related to Economic aspects of defence expenditures including budget procedures and techniques, and legislative oversight of national defence budgets.


Science

Topics

  1. General scientific and technological policies, including problems, perspectives and prospects;

  2. Cooperation of partner scientists in NATO science programmes primarily, but not exclusively, in the following priority areas which are of interest to NATO and cooperation partner countries:

    • disarmament technologies: scientific problems related to disarmament technologies including the disposal of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and defence industry conversion.

    • environmental security: scientific problems related to the environment including the reclamation of contaminated military sites, regional environmental problems and natural and man-made disasters;

    • high technology: scientific problems related to high technology including information science, materials science, biotechnology and energy conservation and supply (non-nuclear);

    • science and technology policy: problems related to human resources including science policy, technology transfer, innovation, management, intellectual property rights and career mobility (e.g. the redeployment of defence-industry scientists);

    • computer networking: strategies to enhance the scientific dialogue between NATO countries and cooperation partner countries using computer networking.

Activities

  1. Meeting of the Science Committee with counterparts from cooperation partner countries at least once a year;

  2. Participation of scientists from cooperation partner countries in Advanced Study Institutes (ASI) and Advanced Research Workshops ARW) as well as the holding of such meetings in cooperation partner countries;
  3. Participation of scientists from cooperation partner countries in Collaborative Research Grants, Linkage Grants, Science Fellowships, and selected Science for Stability projects;

  4. Sending proceedings, in hardcopy or computerized format, of NATO's scientific meetings to a central library in each cooperation partner country and disseminating other literature on the Science programme to scientists in cooperation partner countries;

  5. Sponsoring visits of experts to cooperation partner demonstration projects and providing other assistance in initiating such projects;

  6. Sponsoring visits of experts from cooperation partner countries invited by project directors in NATO member countries;

  7. Assisting cooperation partners through the use of NATO's network of referees and experts;

  8. Examining how computer networks can facilitate contacts and promote more effective cooperation among scientists through the use of Networking Infrastructure Grants and Networking Supplements to Linkage Grants.


Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS)

Topics

  1. Defence-related and disarmament-related environmental issues;

  2. Additional pilot study topics of interest to cooperation partners.

Activities

  1. Meeting of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society with counterparts from cooperation partner countries at least once a year;

  2. Participation of cooperation partners' experts in pilot study meetings, workshops, conferences, seminars, and holding pilot study meetings in cooperation partner countries;

  3. Dissemination of information on CCMS pilot studies, workshops, conferences and seminars, as well as approved reports to cooperation partners; (1994/95 WP)

  4. The following pilot study topics to be pursued:

    • Environmental aspects of reusing former military lands
    • Protecting civil populations from toxic material spills during movements of military goods
    • Cross-border environmental problems emanating from defence-related installations and activities (Phase II)
    • Management of industrial toxic wastes and substance research
    • Air pollution transport and diffusion over coastal urban areas
    • Deprived urban areas
    • Evaluation of demonstrated and emerging remedial action Technologies for the treatment of contaminated land and groundwater
    • Indoor air quality (Phase II)
    • Methodology, focalization, evaluation and scope of the environmental impact assessment
    • New agricultural technologies

  5. Active consideration of new pilot study proposals made by either NATO or cooperation partner countries.


Information

Topics

  1. Contribution to increased understanding of NATO and its policies and to a more informed debate on security matters;

  2. Exploration of expectations including public expectations of the information programme;

  3. Dissemination of information by electronic means.

Activities

  1. Meetings of the Committee on Information and Cultural Relations (CICR) with cooperation partners;

  2. Information about NATO and its policies will be made available to target audiences in cooperation partner countries, including selected institutions and organizations, inter alia through embassies of NATO member countries serving as contact points and other diplomatic liaison channels;

  3. Continue and further intensify information-related cooperation with institutions established in cooperation partner countries interested and able to provide the necessary facilities, support personnel and services;

  4. Visits to NATO by target groups;

  5. Sponsorship of a number of experts from cooperation partner countries to attend security-related seminars in Allied countries;

  6. Co-sponsorship with cooperation partners of seminars/workshops in cooperation partner countries;

  7. Presentations by NATO speakers in cooperation partner countries;

  8. Democratic Institutions Fellowships (individual and institutional support);

  9. Increased dissemination of NATO documentation and information materials in languages of cooperation partners.


PFP Topics

Partnership for Peace activities, which are conducted under the framework of the NACC, will take place on the following topics:

  1. Cooperation in the field of Arms Control and Disarmament;

  2. Defence Planning and Budgeting;

  3. Defence policy/strategy/military doctrine;

  4. Defence Structures:

    • The structure, organisation and roles of Defence Ministries;

    • The structure and organisation of the armed forces including command structure;

    • Reserve forces and mobilisation;

    • Personnel issues.

  5. Democratic Control of Forces:

    • Democratic control over the armed forces and promotion of civil-military relations in a democratic society;

    • Legal framework for military forces.

  6. Crisis Management;

  7. Planning, organisation and management of national defence procurement programmes:

    • Governmental organisation for defence equipment procurement;

    • Defence procurement planning systems and projet management concepts;

    • Defence procurement policy and procedures, to include legal framework, contracting methods and government/ industry relations.

  8. Consultation, Command and Control Systems and procedures, including Communications and Information Systems (CIS) and interoperability aspects;

  9. Air Defence related matters:

    • Air Defence concepts, procedures and terminology;

    • Air emergency and cross-border air movements;

    • Air Defence training concepts.

  10. Air traffic management/control:

    • Civil-military airspace coordination;

    • Coordination of airspace requirements for multinational air exercises.

  11. Standardisation and interoperability:

    • Material and technical aspects of standardisation and interoperability;

    • Procedures and in-service equipment in peacekeeping, search and rescue, humanitarian and other agreed exercises and operations;

    • Military medicine.

  12. Planning, organization and management of national defence research and development programmes;

  13. Consumer Logistics:

    • Storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of material;

    • Transport of personnel;

    • Acquisition of services;

    • Medical and health service support;

    • Acquisition or construction, maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities.

  14. Civil emergency planning;

  15. Exchange of information in the field of military infrastructure;

  16. Cooperation in peacekeeping (conceptual, planning and operational) within the framework of the PMSC Ad Hoc Group on Cooperation in Peacekeeping;

  17. Education and Training:

    • Establishment of a baseline of common knowledge, skills and experience for enhancing cooperative military relations;

    • Familiarisation with and harmonization of armed forces' concepts, doctrines, procedures and structures, including the military's role in an democratic society;

    • Improvement of capabilities for the development and application of common doctrines and procedures for education and training, including fields such as language training, communications, crisis management and environmental issues.

  18. NATO/PfP exercises in the fields of peacekeeping, search and rescue and humanitarian operations, other exercises and related activities for:

    • Familiarization with political-military interaction and crisis management techniques and responses in a simulated operational environment;

    • Development, application and refinement of command and control arrangements, including staff procedures and military and public information;

    • Development application and refinement of combined and joint operational procedures, including tactics, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Rules of Engagement (ROE), logistics and communications;

    • Validation and refinement of relevant Interoperability Objectives for those Partners participating in the Planning and Review Process (PARP);

    • Promotion of mutual understanding, interoperability and cooperation among Allied and Partner nation forces.

  19. Co-ordination of PfP Activities.


Peacekeeping Activities

Activities of the PMSC Ad Hoc Group on Cooperation in Peacekeeping, which are undertaken within the framework of the NACC, are given below.

  1. Development of a common understanding of concepts and requirements for peacekeeping:

    • continue exchanges of views on concepts, terminology and national doctrines on peacekeeping within the NACC/PfP framework. Specifically:

      • discuss and exchange views on humanitarian aspects of peacekeeping, including civil-military relations;

      • examine concrete lessons learned from peacekeeping operations.

    • continue to expand contacts with the United Nations and OSCE on peacekeeping issues, and encourage exchanges of information on this subject with other concerned bodies such as the European Commission and the Western European Union;

    • public relations: a seminar to be held in 1996.

  2. Cooperation in planning for peacekeeping activities

    • command and control: expert seminar, plus further development of the topic based on conceptual developments (under first sub-topic in 01 above) and practical experience.

  3. Development of a common technical basis in peacekeeping

    • Communications: Further discussion on the development of a peacekeeping communications concept and the possible implementation of a communications database. Link the work, as appropriate, to Command and Control work in II.A. above.

  4. Peacekeeping training, education and exercises

    • Training Course Handbook: Update (Danish lead);

    • Training Standardisation Pamphlet: Update (Danish lead);

    • Exercises: Consideration of lessons learned, based on after-action reports of NATO/PfP exercises and on national inputs on bilateral, multilateral and NATO/PfP exercises; and application in other areas of practical cooperation;

    • Briefings by nations on national peacekeeping training.

  5. Logistics aspects of peacekeeping

    • Update the Compendium of lessons learned, based on national inputs;

    • Discuss logistic peacekeeping issues in Senior NATO Logisticians Conference with Partners;

    • Support Exercise COOPERATIVE SUPPORT 1996, a logistics peacekeeping exercise/seminar, and the NATO Logistics Course.


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