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RESOLUTION 299




on




DEFENCE RESOURCES FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM

The Assembly,

1. Recognising that the end of the Cold War precipitated large and sustained reductions in the defence budgets of virtually all NATO members including the United States and Canada;
2. Noting as well that the new strategic environment required all Alliance governments to reassess the structure and capabilities of their armed forces in order to properly respond to the new challenges and to ensure the most efficient and cost effective use of available resources;
3. Observing that procurement budgets bore the greatest brunt of these cuts and, as a result, equipment investment, essential to force restructuring, declined precipitously over the past decade, particularly in Europe;
4. Noting that NATO’s operations in Kosovo highlighted serious deficiencies in European defence capabilities, particularly in advanced all-weather target acquisition systems, secure communications, smart weaponry and force mobility;

5. Concerned that during the Kosovo campaign, European capabilities deficiencies gave rise to an undue reliance on US forces to carry out certain critical missions;

6. Recognising that European defence spending is far less efficient than US spending because Europe has no single defence market and because its many national defence establishments, by definition, cannot exploit the level of integration enjoyed by their American counterparts;

7. Noting that despite this natural advantage, the United States also confronts serious budgetary and political obstacles to restructuring its own forces to meet post-Cold War contingencies;

8. Applauding NATO’s Defence Capabilities Initiative, which has joined Allies and Partners in a common endeavour to redress the shortcomings that the Kosovo campaign exposed;

9. Welcoming the European Union’s development of a European Security and Defence Policy and the adoption of the Headline Goal outlined in Helsinki which should address many of these problems at a European level;

10. Acknowledging the need to avoid unnecessary duplication between NATO and the EU in order to maximise the return on scarce defence resources;

11. Welcoming the efforts of certain European countries to implement a joint procurement policy, particularly through the Joint Armaments Cooperation Structure (OCCAR);


12. Recognising that agreements and mergers currently taking place between the largest European defence companies play a positive role towards maintaining the competitiveness of European products and their technological excellence while promoting the integration of the European defence market;
13. Noting that such a market is well-positioned to exploit scale economies, to foster greater transnational competition and to ensure lower final prices to the benefit of all our taxpayers;

14. Recognising that given the current lack of public enthusiasm for large defence spending increases, achieving genuine improvement in NATO and EU capabilities will require not only greater defence outlays but also more cost-effective use of limited resources;

15. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:

a. to ensure that European Union efforts in the defence field reinforce European crisis management capabilities and at the same time complement NATO’s joint capacity;

b. to exploit new opportunities to bolster European defence spending efficiencies by moving toward a more unified market for equipment which will facilitate sustained co-operation from the planning to the procurement stages; and at the same time,

c. to reinvigorate trans-Atlantic defence trade in order to better exploit scale economies and encourage competition among large defence firms both of which are essential to keeping military equipment prices low and the level of innovation high; and along these lines,

d. to eradicate the many barriers in place that hinder the emergence of such a market;

e. to keep alive the prospect for transatlantic defence mergers by ensuring that such companies will enjoy unhindered access to markets on both sides of the Atlantic;

f. to guarantee the most favourable return on scarce defence resources by ensuring that force structures are appropriate to current and future strategic realities;

g. to look creatively at ways in which the private sector can be engaged in the non-military aspects of defence spending although not in security-sensitive areas;

h. to acknowledge that the so-called "peace dividend" has been spent and that further spending cuts in Europe could lead to a capabilities gap between the United States and Europe with disquieting trans-Atlantic political and strategic implications; and therefore,

i. to recognise the need to win public support for reversing the decade-long decline in Allied defence budgets.


RESOLUTION 300

on
FURTHERING STABILITY, PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN



SOUTH‑EASTERN EUROPE

The Assembly,




  1. Welcoming the recent political changes in Serbia and the democratic election of a new President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as the announcement of parliamentary elections in Serbia on 23 December;




  1. Praising the decisions of the European Union to lift the sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and to offer a substantial aid package for Serbia;




  1. Applauding Croatia for its dramatic progress towards democracy achieved since early 2000, as well as its co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and for joining the Partnership for Peace Programme;




  1. Acknowledging Montenegro’s skillful management of its relations with Serbia which was instrumental to the onset of a peaceful transition in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;




  1. Welcoming the successful completion of negotiation in the framework of the EU’s stabilization and association process and forthcoming initializing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at the Zagreb Summit;




  1. Stressing the contribution of countries to regional stability at a critical moment, particularly the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Romania;




  1. Applauding NATO members and Partner States for their continued peace support operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo;




  1. Acknowledging the important contribution the Russian Federation is making to stability in South-Eastern Europe particularly through participation in SFOR and KFOR;




  1. Encouraged by the peaceful conduct of communal elections in Kosovo in October 2000;

10. Concerned, at the same time, that the Serb population and other minorities did not participate in the elections;


11. Concerned about the continuing level of violence, particularly against ethnic minorities, in Kosovo;
12. Recognising the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe as a key forum for developing a comprehensive and concerted approach to revitalise the region’s economies and to deepen co‑operation among the countries of the region;
13. Highly valuing the results of the recent Skopje Summit of Heads of State and Government of the countries participating in the South-East European Co-operation Process;
14. Emphasising the need to assist the countries in the region by all means available to tackle the economic crisis, keeping in mind that additional pledges necessary to meet Serbia’s needs must not reduce funding for others in the region;

15. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:


a. to affirm the urgency of consolidating South-Eastern Europe as a region of peace, security, democracy, co-operation, economic development, promotion of good neighbourly relations and observance of human rights, thus contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security and enhancing the prospects for sustained development and prosperity for all peoples in the region as an integral part of Europe;
b. to help the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and other countries of the region rebuild their economies by providing emergency aid – unencumbered by red tape – to overcome the immediate economic shortages, as well as medium- and longer-term financial and economic assistance;
c. to facilitate the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’s rejoining the international community;

d. to support the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’s democratic transition process while reminding its political leadership that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia must meet the same criteria for international support as the other countries of the region, including bringing to justice those of its citizens accused of committing war crimes;

e. to strongly encourage the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia;

f. to strongly encourage the commitment of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to follow a policy of good neighbourly relations, reconciliation and mutual understanding in the region, as well as respect for the principle of equality of all the successor states of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

g. to advocate an amnesty for Serbian conscientious objectors, and in the meantime grant them asylum and provide protection against deportation and political persecution;

h. to assist Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia to settle their differences in a peaceful and constructive manner and discourage all sides from any unilateral action;

i. to be prepared for a long term military and civilian engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo in order to achieve stability and respect for human rights in the region;

j. to maintain the goal of a multi-ethnic Kosovo, by supporting projects aimed at developing inter-ethnic cooperation and dialogue;

k. to provide sufficient support for KFOR to protect ethnic minorities in Kosovo and to provide incentives for the return of prisoners and refugees, in particular from Serbia;
l. to recognise the important contribution the creation of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) has made to the demilitarisation of the Kosovo Liberation Army and the constructive role the KPC is playing as a civil support organisation in the field of reconstruction and environmental protection;

m. to signal to the Kosovar Albanian leaders that ethnic violence and discrimination are unacceptable, and that achieving international respectability and garnering assistance will require bringing promptly to justice those responsible for ethnic violence;


n. to prevent Kosovar Albanian groups from destabilising Southern Serbia by infiltrating that region with weapons and militias;

o. to supply the UN Mission in Kosovo with sufficient financial support to ensure the successful implementation of its task;


p. to comply with the financial pledges made at the Stability Pact`s donor conference and to increase support, which would generate the positive momentum necessary to achieve success;

q. to support the association strategy directed at countries from the region wishing to join the EU in the future, understanding that admission of each will be based on their respective achievements;


r. to improve co-operation to allow for better coordination of international organisations in crisis management and conflict prevention;

s. to consider how best to refine the instrument of political and economic sanctions to ensure that sanctions are targeted as effectively as possible;

t. to strengthen civilian capabilities for crisis management and conflict prevention;
u. to assist European efforts to build a European capability which would supplement the United Nations Security Council and NATO capabilities for effective conflict prevention.

RESOLUTION 301
on
NATO ENLARGEMENT

The Assembly,




  1. Emphasising the positive impact of the Alliance’s last enlargement round for peace and stability in the whole Euro-Atlantic region;




  1. Applauding the military and political contributions of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, NATO’s newest members, to the Alliance’s peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo;




  1. Welcoming the efforts undertaken by NATO applicant countries to prepare for membership of the Alliance;




  1. Encouraging applicant countries to continue their preparations and participate in existing programmes which help prepare to meet the criteria for membership;




  1. Welcoming the further strengthening of the Alliance’s outreach programmes by the Membership Action Plan (MAP);




  1. Applauding the overwhelming success of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme;




  1. Welcoming the support of the Alliance and partner countries to the PfP;




  1. Recalling firmly that continuity in our partnership with the Russian Federation and Ukraine is strengthening security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area;




  1. Reaffirming its strongest commitment to an undivided democratic Europe and to the completion of a Europe whole and free;

10. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:




  1. to keep further NATO enlargement as one of the top priorities for the Alliance, and to consider seriously the possibility of inviting new members at the next NATO summit;

b. to further develop existing co‑operation and outreach programmes, taking into consideration the interests and contributions of NATO’s partner countries;


c. to help NATO applicant countries prepare for membership by all appropriate means of co‑operation, in particular advice and assistance with defence sector reform and restructuring;
d. to continue and, where possible, increase support for the Alliance’s outreach programmes, such as the MAP, as well as PfP and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC);
e. to continue keeping Russia, as well as Ukraine, actively engaged in the creation of a stable Euro-Atlantic security network via, among others, the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the NATO-Ukraine Charter;
f. to actively engage Russia in a dialogue on the benefits of further enlargement for Russian as well as Euro-Atlantic security interests, and work actively towards adoption of joint initiatives on arms control, non‑proliferation and counter-terrorism as outlined in the Founding Act;

11. CALLS upon the North Atlantic Council to issue no later than during its Summit meeting in 2002 invitations to NATO accession negotiations to any European democracy that seeks membership in the Alliance and that has met the criteria for NATO membership as established in the Alliance’s 1995 Study on NATO Enlargement.



RESOLUTION 302

on

ENERGY

The Assembly,
1. Aware that energy is a major concern for all countries and that a reliable and affordable supply of energy is an economic resource and a significant key to achieving economic growth, and a major factor in improving the lives, health, and freedom of people;
2. Conscious that energy consumption, driven by the demand of both developed and developing countries, is steadily increasing and that more energy services will be needed to sustain the world’s socio-economic growth and bring prosperity to billions of people;
3. Concerned that energy systems, and fossil fuels in particular, are the principal sources of greenhouse-gas emissions and that energy use is regarded by many as the human activity most closely linked to climate change;
4. Persuaded that energy is closely related to international security for several reasons, among which:

a. fossil fuel resources, on which the world relies heavily at present, are unevenly distributed and largely located in politically unstable regions,


b. domestic and regional political crises, conflicts, terrorism and sabotage may disrupt trade and reduce the flow of fossil fuels to Western countries,
c. serious safety concerns arise from nuclear power generation, which is also related to nuclear weapons proliferation;
5. Convinced that an increasingly more efficient use of energy together with the development and use of renewable energy resources will enhance diversity in energy supplies, contribute to securing long-term sustainable energy supplies, make a contribution to the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, provide commercially attractive options to meet specific needs for energy services, particularly in developing countries and rural areas;

6. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:


a. to adopt policies encouraging energy savings designed to address not only environmental problems, such as greenhouse-gas emissions, but also to improve economic efficiency, energy security, industrial competitiveness and consumer well-being;
b. to include emission requirements for all nations in the Kyoto Protocol and urge its ratification;
c. to significantly increase R&D in the energy field, especially in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable resources and advanced energy technologies;

d. to create a genuinely competitive energy market, phasing out subsidies for traditional fossil fuels and reflecting environmental costs in market conditions;


e. to encourage supportive financial and credit arrangements or even transparent subsidies for realistic renewable energy technology projects, in order to help bring them to commercialisation;
f. to create targeted programmes to accelerate the rate of cost reductions for new technologies; these programmes should concentrate on technologies that could enhance energy efficiency in buildings, household appliances, manufacturing and transportation; increase the penetration of renewables; and encourage cleaner fossil fuels;
g. to encourage developing countries to install modern, environment-friendly technologies and equipment, in order to increase both economic and energy efficiencies;
h. to foster international co-operation and agreements among energy importing countries and between them and exporting countries;
i. to address energy security concerns within the NATO context, in order to encourage the diversification of energy suppliers and sources and a more efficient use of energy.


RESOLUTION 303
on
SMALL ARMS CONTROL

The Assembly,


1. Aware that small arms and light weapons have been the most preferred combat tools in most conflicts that have broken out since the end of the Cold War, and that approximately 50% of those killed or wounded by these weapons are civilians;
2. Conscious that small arms, although highly lethal, are very cheap, highly mobile, easy to acquire, use, trade and conceal, and extremely durable;
3. Concerned that, until recently, most initiatives to control small arms diffusion, curb illegal trafficking and promote transparency in international transfers have not been very successful, and that the existing volume of small arms stocks in uncontrolled circulation throughout the world, and especially in crisis areas, constitutes an even greater problem than their production and trade;
4. Convinced that the increasing use and acquisition of military-style weapons by civilians cannot be justified by sports-related or self-defence purposes;
5. Disturbed by the fact that the light weight and small size of modern weapons has made it possible for combatants, especially in developing countries, to force children to become soldiers;
6. Welcoming all the initiatives of the United Nations to address the problem of small arms diffusion – at both global and regional levels – as well as the efforts of various international organisations, such as the European Union, OSCE, the Council of Europe and OECD, and of non‑governmental organisations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross;


  1. Praising the role of NATO, through SFOR and KFOR, in the control, seizure and destruction of small arms in the Balkans, and the adoption by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) of a programme for small arms control;

8. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:


a. to support international efforts to control the diffusion of small arms, to avoid duplication and overlaps, and to identify possible gaps not covered by current initiatives on the global, regional and subregional level;


  1. to strengthen existing national export‑control legislation to prevent resale of small arms;




  1. to restrict licence for small arms manufactures in certain non‑Allied countries;




  1. to harmonise national approaches through wider acceptance and application of guidelines and codes of conduct – such as the EU Code of Conduct – effective application of arms embargoes, and enhanced evaluation of recipient States' records with regard to adherence to international humanitarian law and control over stocks and flows of small arms;

  2. to consider indelible marking of small arms or other technologies to enhance their identification and traceability and to work towards the preparation of an international agreement on the subject;




  1. to increase transparency in small arms manufacture and trade weapons by:

  1. enlarging the UN Register of Conventional Arms in order to give an indication of flows and excessive accumulation of small arms;

  1. creating, in a context that can guarantee commercial discretion, a system of prior notification and consultation on arms transfers: both the UN Register and the EU notification systems should be strengthened in this sense;

  2. improving data and information sharing among States on illegal manufacturing and trafficking of small arms, eventually centralising information in an appropriate forum, such as Interpol or Europol;




  1. to identify existing stocks and surplus by requiring from States more transparency with regard to holdings of small arms;




  1. to enhance the capacity, in certain crisis regions, to monitor illicit production and trafficking of small arms, and to assist State authorities and police forces in these regions;




  1. to improve storage and security of their own weapons stocks and assist other States to do so;




  1. to develop programmes for the collection and destruction of small arms in States or regions emerging from conflict;




  1. to establish legislation prohibiting civilian possession of military-style weapons;




  1. to encourage concerted efforts and co-operation between the different activities and fora dealing with small arms in the Balkans, notably the United Nations, the European Union, OSCE, NATO, EAPC, and the Stability Pact. The regional approach to small arms diffusion in the Balkans should include:

  1. promoting the EU Code of Conduct and inviting countries in the region to accept it and incorporate its provisions into their national control systems;

  2. intensifying law enforcement activities (especially in Kosovo) including searches, seizures and destruction of arms deposits and caches;

  3. providing the countries in the region with financial and technical assistance for activities and projects in the field of small arms control;




  1. to encourage all possible efforts and international co‑operation to avoid the recruitment of children as soldiers in armed conflicts;




  1. to report back to the Science and Technology Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly what steps individual member governments have taken to comply with sub‑paragraphs b., e., i. and k., of this resolution.


RESOLUTION 304

on


BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENCE

The Assembly,





  1. Reaffirming that, first and foremost, NATO is an Alliance committed to the collective defence of all its members;

  2. Recalling that Article 6 of the Washington Treaty States that NATO’s guarantee of collective defence extends to both Europe and North America;

  3. Recognising that each Alliance member must take all necessary steps to defend its territory, citizens, and armed forces;

  4. Believing that nuclear weapons still play a role as the ultimate deterrent against threats to the security of the Alliance;

  5. Confident that a responsible reduction in the world’s nuclear arsenals will enhance international security;

  6. Convinced that the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty is a cornerstone of strategic arms reduction and of maintaining the strategic stability ;

  7. Applauding the United States and Russia for negotiating, ratifying, and implementing a series of strategic arms control treaties that have greatly reduced the nuclear threat;

  8. Endorsing negotiations to continue these reductions through a START III Treaty;

  9. Understanding that the proliferation of technology for ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction poses new threats to Alliance members and other friendly nations in Europe, North America, and other regions;

10. Accepting that the National Missile Defence system being proposed by the United States government is a limited system that would not undermine the Russian nuclear deterrent;

11. Concerned, nevertheless, that strategic missile defences could lead other States to increase their strategic missile arsenals so as to overcome those defences, leading to a nuclear arms race;

12. Optimistic that improved Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) systems could help address ballistic missile threats without negatively affecting arms control efforts;

13. Convinced that priority should be given to an improved non-proliferation and arms control policy to reduce threats to Alliance and international security posed by weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles;

14. Fearing that misunderstandings over missile defence may erode the unity of the Alliance;

15. Welcoming the consultations that the government of the United States has undertaken with Allied governments and with the Assembly;

16. URGES the member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance:

a. to undertake an Alliance-wide comprehensive review in order to reach a common understanding of the strategic ballistic missile threat to all member nations, appropriate responses to that threat, and the possible consequences of those responses;

b. to take into account the overall security of the entire Alliance when making decisions about their national defence;

c. to work together to retain the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with a view to enhancing the security of the States party to the Treaty, all Alliance members and the Euro-Atlantic region, taking into account possible reactions in the Asia-Pacific region, also by promoting where necessary a renegotiation of the most controversial clauses of the ABM Treaty;

d. to endeavour to maintain strategic stability and to continue arms control efforts, particularly through START II and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;

e. to continue research into Theatre Missile Defence systems, which would protect Allied forces and the territory of European Allies, and boost-phase systems, which may have the potential to defend against missile attacks without jeopardising the strategic balance;

f. to strengthen fair transatlantic co-operation in Theatre Missile Defence development, including technology transfers within the Alliance, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and overlap and to study the possibility of co-operation with Russia in TMD development;

g. to preserve the Allies’ cohesion in international arms control and disarmament negotiations;

h. to promote efforts to halt the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction, as well as improving and strengthening the Missile Technology Control Regime and continuing the discussion about a Global System of Missile Control and Missile Technology Control;

i. to encourage other countries to respect existing non-proliferation and arms control agreements, including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Missile Technology Control Regime, as well as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;

j. to take measures to prevent space militarisation;

k. to strengthen co-operative efforts to protect populations against attacks by weapons of mass destruction delivered by non-missile means;

l. to work toward elimination of tactical nuclear weapons;

m. to work actively and with urgency on implementing the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the decisions taken during the Non-Proliferation Treaty review in May 2000 and to ensure that these commitments form part of the Alliance’s work after the conclusion of the study on options for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation; and that the results of this review shall be published.



____________________

 presented by the Committee on the Civilian Dimension of Security

 presented by the Committee on the Civilian Dimension of Security

 presented by the Defence and Security Committee

 presented by the Economics and Security Committee

 presented by the Political Committee

 presented by the Political Committee

 presented by the Science and Technology Committee

 presented by the Science and Technology Committee

 presented jointly by the Defence and Security Committee and the Political Committee


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