EAPC Ministerial Meeting 9 June 2000

Statement State Secretary of Switzerland Philippe Welti Mr. Secretary General, dear Ministers and Colleagues, Let me first, on behalf of Switzerland, warmly welcome Croatia among us. Switzerland is looking forward to working closely together with you. We are also particularly pleased that Russia has resumed its participation in the EAPC. Without Russia both our political consultations and practical co-operation had been lacking a most important element. One year after the beginning of the KFOR operation it is the right time to draw first conclusions on the crisis response and peace support capabilities in the Euro-Atlantic region and to identify areas where action and improvements are needed. Let me address, from a partner nations' perspective, the issue of rendering EAPC and PfP into instruments as effective as ever possible. Let me do this under three headings - conflict prevention, PSO, and the reconstruction of war-torn societies. And let me add, where appropriate, under each of these headings some thoughts on what Switzerland can further contribute to the task at hand. Conflict prevention remains obviously the most crucial - yet also the most difficult - task for the international community. Each conflict has its specific root causes and is fuelled by many factors. Yet one evil is present in each of them - from the Kosovo to Sierra Leone: The sad role played by a soldateska and by paramilitary formations outside and beyond any democratic control. Where the democratic control of armed forces, of the security apparatus and of other paramilitary forces does not exist, the road towards democracy and socio-economic development is blocked and the ground for conflict prepared. The democratic control of armed forces is, for good reasons, one of the key objectives of PfP and the EAPC. Switzerland is currently preparing a new initiative in this area. We are about to launch the idea of an international Foundation, the "Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces". The Centre will be at the disposal of all EAPC nations, be endowed with an international think tank of high calibre, the necessary financial means to support or initiate dedicated projects on a sustained basis, and could assume the function of a clearing house, if the international community should so desire. With respect to PSO, I see three major lacunas: First, Military reaction capabilities need to be improved. Secondly, the sustainability of peace support operations remains a major challenge for in all too many cases already overstretched armed forces. Worse, this factor severely restricts, by the same token, the international community's ability to react in time to emerging new crisis situations. Thirdly, the interaction between the military and the civilian element in crisis management remains to be truly defined. For countries like Switzerland with its militia system, it is currently still very demanding, if not outright impossible, to respond rapidly when peace support contributions are required. For that reason, Switzerland is striving, within the context of an ongoing major reform of the Swiss armed forces, to strengthen our ability to participate in a more rapid and sustained way to international peace efforts. The defence reform is a result of the 1999 white book "Security through co-operation" which Defence Minister Ogi informed you about at the last EAPC defence ministers' meeting. This new security policy concept has provided the basis for deploying a company sized unit with KFOR, the first ever contribution of a Swiss military contingent to a NATO-led international force. The PfP instruments are an important and extremely useful tool for adapting our defence structures. The experience gained in PARP has an impact on the present reform process. Sticking to the principle of self-differentiation, Switzerland strongly supports the ongoing work and commends - Mr. Secretary General - the reports you have submitted us today. The issue of civil-military relations in PSO leads us right into the heart of the third question I proposed to address, the reconstruction of war-torn societies. The issue is crucial. PSO cannot go on for ever. There must be a temporary remedy that leads to a more stable and peaceful situation supported increasingly by civilian means. Let me stress that despite the work undertaken in the OSCE and within other institutions, we are still far away from a powerful civilian crisis reaction capability. Therefore, the risk persists that armed forces have to engage in activities they are not prepared for. In the worst case, this could further contribute to force overstretch and hamper the core mission of our peace support forces. If an involvement of the armed forces in police, humanitarian or other civilian tasks cannot be avoided, they should be adequately prepared and trained and have an exit strategy. The EAPC is an appropriate forum to carry out work and to deepen our thinking in this regard. Switzerland is prepared to participate most actively in this reflection process. Switzerland will host next week in Fribourg a UN OCHA/PFP ministerial meeting in order to improve the effectiveness and coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance in the region comprising Europe an the Newly Independent States. We are also prepared to contribute actively in the joint effort to cope with a particularly sad legacy of conflict: Mines, unexploded ordnance and booby-traps. Let me mention the activities of the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining and particularly its "Information Management System for Mine Action" put at the disposal of the KFOR and the UN. We are also willing to provide advanced mine and ordnance disposal equipment free of charge to all KFOR units and NGOs engaged in demining operations in the Kosovo. Let me conclude by recalling some related Swiss PfP initiatives which bear on these issues: The Geneva Centre for Security Policy, our interest in combating the complex problems posed by small arms, our commitment to strengthen the use of modern Information Technologies and Advanced Distribute Learning in PfP, and our commitment to strengthen International Humanitarian Law. Thank you for your attention.