Other Languages

Security through Partnership Security dialogue and cooperation Contents 1. Foreword 2. Origins and evolution of Partnership 3. Essential mechanisms 4. Security dialogue and cooperation 5. Map of NATO and Partner countries 6. Peace-support operations 7. Defence reform 8. Disaster-preparedness and response 9. Security, science and the environment 10 A true Euro-Atlantic security culture Editorial Note   Editorial Note Other Formats English PDF (~3900Kb) Printable version with colour illustrations Other format As the security environment evolves, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership too is evolving to address a host of security issues of critical importance to Allies and Partners alike. Regular exchanges of views are held on the evolution of the security situations in the Balkans and Afghanistan, where Allied and Partner peacekeepers are deployed together. Initiatives are being taken to promote and coordinate practical cooperation and the exchange of expertise in key areas such as combating terrorism and tackling issues related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of small and light weapons. Many security challenges are best addressed by working closely with neighbouring countries. The EAPC and the PfP programme also provide a framework within which to promote and support cooperation on key issues between Partner countries at the regional and sub-regional level, particularly in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Combating terrorism Combating terrorism is now one of NATO’s top priorities. The attacks of 11 September 2001 on the United States led to the first-ever invocation by NATO of Article 5 (the collective defence clause of the Alliance’s founding treaty). Meeting at very short notice the next day, NATO and Partner country ambassadors unconditionally condemned the attacks and pledged to undertake all efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism. “We are appalled by these barbaric acts and condemn them unconditionally. These acts were an attack on our common values. We will not allow these values to be compromised by those who follow the path of violence. We pledge to undertake all efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism. We stand united in our belief that the ideals of partnership and cooperation will prevail.” (EAPC statement, 12 September 2001) The solidarity expressed on that day by EAPC members – stretching from North America and Europe to Central Asia – and the cooperation that has since been manifest in the campaign against terrorism show how NATO’s Partnership initiatives have sown the seeds of a true Euro-Atlantic security culture. The shared determination to join forces against the terrorist threat was given concrete expression in the launch of a Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism at the Prague Summit. This Action Plan provides a framework for cooperation and the sharing of expertise in this area through political consultation and practical measures. It is leading to improved intelligence-sharing and cooperation in areas such as border security, terrorism-related training and exercises, and the development of capabilities for defence against terrorist attack or for dealing with the consequences of such an attack. It also promotes work to ensure the physical security and safe destruction of surplus munitions and small arms and light weapons, such as shoulder-fired rocket and grenade launchers. Tackling proliferation Weapons of mass destruction Countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is one of the key security challenges of the 21st century. NATO’s dialogue with Partners plays a distinct role in the achievement of the Alliance’s non-proliferation goals. Confidence and trust are necessary conditions for non-proliferation efforts to succeed, and can only be achieved through openness and transparency. Through consultations with Partners, the Alliance seeks to increase common understanding and information-sharing on proliferation-related issues. Such consultations, which address both political and defence efforts and involve both foreign and defence ministries, usefully contribute to building confidence. Moreover, several Partner countries have a strong background in terms of preparedness for WMD contingencies and can therefore significantly contribute to and strengthen joint efforts in this area. Several seminars and workshops have looked at specific issues. Subjects have included in-depth discussions on “Anthrax – lessons learned” which identified some of the key contingency planning points to emerge from the experience of autumn 2001 in the United States and elsewhere. Another topic has been problems associated with environmental industrial hazards and other medical-operational challenges. EAPC workshops on the potential risks associated with biological and chemical weapons have permitted Partners to exchange information and forge best practices. Research and development into new capabilities and equipment designed to protect against WMD agents are discussed, facilitating understanding of the best means to enhance overall preparedness. Disarmament experts from NATO and Partner countries have had the opportunity to discuss the political and intelligence-sharing aspects of WMD proliferation. Consultations focused on some of the main trends in proliferation and included presentations from non-EAPC countries (such as China, Japan, Israel and South Korea ) on regional perspectives. Partners have exchanged information on export control practices and implementation of recent non-proliferation initiatives, such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. Alliance members have also briefed Partners on NATO’s activities in the specific area of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence, in particular the creation and deployment of the NATO CBRN Defence Battalion. Action against mines and small arms © SHAPE The dangers arising from the spread of cheap and indiscriminate weapons of war have become the focus of growing international concern. Easy to acquire and easy to use, small arms help fuel and prolong armed conflicts. All too frequently, the targets and the victims of the increase in violence are civilians. According to the United Nations and other sources, of the four million war-related deaths during the 1990s, 90 per cent were civilians and 80 per cent of those were women and children. It is estimated that there are over half a billion small arms and light weapons in the world – enough for one in every 12 people. They are implicated in over 1,000 deaths every day. In the case of anti-personnel mines, estimates put the total number buried in the ground world-wide at 100 million. On average, a landmine explodes every 22 minutes, killing or maiming around 26,000 people every year. Multilateral initiatives have been launched at the global, regional and local levels to tackle the spread of small arms and to address the need for humanitarian mine action. NATO and Partner countries seek to complement these efforts by bringing the Partnership’s politico-military expertise to bear on these challenges in the Euro-Atlantic area. The EAPC has set up an Ad Hoc Working Group on Small Arms and Light Weapons and Mine Action to provide a forum for exchanging information on how best to control the transfer of such weapons, for example, through national export controls and enforcement mechanisms. The PfP programme also seeks to promote training in stockpile management and secure storage, disposal and destruction of surplus stocks, as well as weapons collection and destruction during peacekeeping operations. In addition, tailored assistance is being provided to individual countries on request. The landmine issue is being addressed in the same working group as well as through the PfP programme. Seminars and workshops have focused on specific aspects of the problem. Moreover, while it is the United Nations Mine Action Services that have the leading responsibility for humanitarian demining in the field, NATO and Partner troops deployed in the peacekeeping operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan have regularly assisted civilian organisations in humanitarian demining efforts. In the Balkans, 26 million square metres have been cleared of mines and, in Afghanistan , ISAF forces are assisting with clearance of landmines at Kabul International Airport and elsewhere throughout their area of operations. A PfP Trust Fund mechanism was set up in 2000 to channel funds from donor nations to support the destruction of anti-personnel landmines. More than two million anti-personnel landmines had been destroyed by December 2004 and more projects are foreseen in the future. The scope of the Trust Fund policy has since been extended to cover the destruction of surplus munitions and small arms and light weapons.

© NATO - OTAN 2005 -	NATO Public Diplomacy Division, 1110 Brussels, Belgium - E-mail: natodoc@hq.nato.int