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| Updated: 02-Feb-2006 | NATO On-line library |
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Security through Partnership Defence reform
NATO member countries have been gradually reducing levels of military personnel, equipment and bases, and transforming their forces so that they are better able to meet today’s defence needs. Many Partner countries are just beginning this long and difficult process, often with scarce resources and limited expertise. They face the daunting task of restructuring and retraining military forces which formed part of a heavily militarised environment and are no longer affordable or appropriate in the context of democratic change. In transforming their armed forces, a key priority is also to develop capabilities that will enable them to make effective contributions to crisis-management and peacekeeping operations in the Euro-Atlantic area. Another important aspect of defence reform is to ensure that its consequences are properly managed. One of the most important contributions of the Partnership for Peace has been the PfP Planning and Review Process (PARP) with its goal-setting and review mechanisms, complemented by programmes developed bilaterally between NATO and individual Partner countries, which enable NATO countries and Western European Partners to share expertise and provide assistance in tackling the extensive conceptual and practical problems of defence reform. Promoting comprehensive defence reform
Building effective institutions This new mechanism aims to reinforce efforts by Partner countries to initiate and carry forward reform and restructuring of defence institutions to meet domestic needs as well as international commitments. It defines common objectives for Partnership work in this area, encourages exchange of relevant experience, and helps tailor and focus bilateral defence and security assistance programmes. The Action Plan’s objectives include: effective and transparent arrangements for the democratic control of defence activities; civilian participation in developing defence and security policy; effective and transparent legislative and judicial oversight of the defence sector; enhanced assessment of security risks and national defence requirements, matched with developing and maintaining affordable and interoperable capabilities; optimising the management of defence ministries and other agencies which have associated force structures; compliance with international norms and practices in the defence sector, including export controls; effective and transparent financial, planning and resource allocation procedures in the defence area; effective management of defence spending as well as of the socio-economic consequences of defence restructuring; effective and transparent personnel structures and practices in the defence forces; and effective international cooperation and good neighbourly relations in defence and security matters. Implementation of the Action Plan will make maximum use of existing EAPC and PfP tools and mechanisms. The PARP mechanism will serve as a key instrument for implementing the Action Plan’s objectives and it will be adapted to fulfil this role. Effective implementation necessitates developing common understanding of standards and concepts related to defence, defence management and defence reform. Achieving this “conceptual” interoperability requires a major investment in education and enhanced efforts to share relevant knowledge and experience among Allies and Partners.
Case study: Ukraine The cooperation programme NATO has developed with Ukraine in the area of defence reform is more extensive than with any other Partner country. It demonstrates the wide range of cooperative activities available to Partner countries in this area. When Ukraine declared independence in 1991, it inherited parts of the military structure and armed forces of the former Soviet Union. Ukraine has asked for NATO’s support to help transform its Cold War inheritance into a smaller, modern and more efficient force, capable of meeting the new security needs of the country, as well as supporting Ukraine’s chosen role as an active contributor to European stability and security. Priorities for NATO in this endeavour are to strengthen the democratic and civilian control of Ukraine’s armed forces and to improve their interoperability with NATO forces. After joining the Partnership for Peace in 1994, increasing contacts and cooperation with NATO allowed Ukraine to draw extensively on advice and practical assistance. Cooperation was intensified with the signing of the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine in 1997. A year later, a Joint Working Group on Defence Reform was established to facilitate consultation and practical cooperation on defence and security sector reform issues. And in April 1999, a NATO Liaison Office was established in Kyiv to support these defence reform efforts. Participation in the Partnership for Peace benefits Ukraine’s reform efforts and its drive to improve interoperability. The PARP mechanism is particularly important in that it has helped identify key requirements for defence-planning purposes. A crucial element has been the technical assistance and advice provided for the conduct of a defence review, which has helped Ukraine draw up a roadmap for defence reform. Such a defence review is a complex, objective analytical process, which aims to identify a country’s defence requirements based on its national security policy; seeks to balance these requirements against available resources; and produces proposals for forces and capabilities to provide best value for the taxpayer’s money. The outcome of a review provides the conceptual framework for further reform which, by definition, will take a sustained effort over a longer period. Other key aspects of cooperation include helping Ukraine to develop a new security concept and military doctrine, more effective and transparent defence budgeting and planning, and strengthened civil-military relations, including increasing the role of civilians in Ukrainian defence structures. Ukraine’s restructuring and transformation efforts are also being supported through structured advice on military downsizing and conversion and professionalising the armed forces, and on establishing rapid reaction forces. Activities are not limited to the armed forces or the defence ministry, but also cover support for the Ukrainian border guards and troops attached to the interior ministry. Training and education are key elements of the defence transformation process. Senior Ukrainian officers regularly participate in courses open to Partner countries at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy, and the NATO School at Oberammergau, Germany. Military personnel also gain hands-on experience of working with forces from NATO countries and other Partners through a wide range of activities and military exercises. To help Ukraine manage the consequences of defence reform, NATO has financed and implemented language and management courses in cooperation with Ukraine’s National Coordination Centre, which is in charge of social adaptation of redundant military servicemen. Moreover, assistance from individual Allies for demilitarisation projects is being channelled through the PfP Trust Fund mechanism. Managing the consequences of defence reform In launching defence reforms, it is essential that adequate steps are taken at the outset to manage their consequences and mitigate any negative side-effects. Military personnel who lose their jobs need to be assisted to reintegrate into civilian life. The closure of military bases can impact severely on local communities and economies, so plans for the redevelopment of the sites are needed. Stockpiles of redundant or obsolete weapons and munitions pose serious security risks and environmental hazards, and have to be disposed of safely. NATO has launched a number of initiatives to provide advice and expertise to Partner countries in these areas. While it can only provide limited funding for projects and programmes, it seeks to help secure additional funding by working and sharing information with other international institutions and non-governmental organisations, as well as with individual countries willing to offer bilateral assistance. Retraining soldiers A NATO team of experts was put together to provide national authorities with advice, analysis and guidelines on personnel retraining policies and programmes. Activities supported include counselling for soon-to-be-released military personnel on how to find a job or start a business, language training, and the establishment of retraining centres. In Southeast Europe, where an expected 3,000 military sites and bases will be closed and an estimated 175,000 people will lose their jobs by 2010, there is considerable interest in such programmes. Romania and Bulgaria – still Partner countries at the time – became the first countries to benefit from this type of assistance; by 2004, some 20,000 officers in each country had participated in retraining programmes. Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia* and Serbia and Montenegro are exploring possibilities for cooperation with NATO in this area. Moreover, NATO supports retraining initiatives in Russia and Ukraine . Supporting discharged personnel The Centre has set up web sites to provide practical information on retraining and employment possibilities as well as advice on how to start a small business. It also offers direct training courses, trains resettlement specialists, and organises conferences to exchange information on these issues. Already in its first 18 months of operation, it had trained 210 trainers who are now engaged in resettlement activities and had initiated training of some 200 students in areas such as computer skills, management and accounting. Converting military bases Several pilot projects are helping develop a strategic approach to military base closures and site redevelopment. Key priorities are to ensure environmental clean-up and to promote job creation and the diversification of local economies in areas where the military bases are the only major employer. Some bases are being converted for use as, for example, residential developments, educational establishments, healthcare centres, prisons, and parks or wildlife preservation areas. Destroying mines, munitions and weapons By early 2005, thanks to such projects, some 1.6 million anti-personnel mines had been successfully destroyed in Albania; 12,000 landmines and 7,000 tonnes of surplus munitions and rocket fuel had been disposed of in Moldova; 400,000 anti-personnel mines had been eliminated in Ukraine; 1,200 landmines had been destroyed in Tajikistan; and over 300 missiles had been dismantled in Georgia. Further demilitarisation projects are planned for Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ukraine.
The PfP Trust Fund policy was originally established in September 2000 as a mechanism to assist Partner countries in the safe destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines. In this way, it intended to support signatory countries in implementing the
Building on the success of several mine-destruction projects, the scope of the Fund has been extended to include other demilitarisation projects aimed at destroying munitions and small arms and light weapons. More recently, use of the Fund has been broadened to support Partner countries in managing the consequences of defence reform through initiatives such as retraining and the conversion of military bases. Trust Funds can also be established in favour of Mediterranean Dialogue countries. Under the Fund, NATO members work with individual Partner countries to identify and implement specific projects. In each case, a NATO or Partner country takes the lead in sponsoring and developing the project proposal, and in identifying potential contributors. The Partner country that benefits directly from the project is expected to take an active part in this work and to provide maximum support to the project within its means. NATO experts provide advice and guidance. Funding is provided by NATO member and Partner countries on a voluntary basis. Contributions may also include equipment or contributions in kind. Often, the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency, based in Luxembourg, serves as the executing agency for projects and is responsible for the implementation of technical and financial aspects. Further information: www.nato.int/pfp/trust-fund.htm
Some 300 old anti-aircraft missiles have been safely destroyed in Georgia, thanks to a PfP Trust Fund project completed in early 2005. Missiles stored at the Ponichala and Chaladid bases were dismantled, the warheads removed and then transported to another location to be exploded in a controlled manner. The project significantly increased security in the areas where the missiles were stored and also prevented environmental contamination that these weapons could otherwise have caused. *Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name 
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| © NATO - OTAN 2005 - | NATO Public Diplomacy Division, 1110 Brussels, Belgium - E-mail: natodoc@hq.nato.int |
