STANDING COMMITTEE 204 SC 05 E   Original: English NAT O   Pa rl ia me n ta ry  As s e mb l y THE SECRETARY GENERAL’S REPORT ON PRIORITIES AND ACTIVITIES International Secretariat     October 2005

204 SC 05 E i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES IN 2005 1 III. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2006 4 Appendix. THE AIMS OF THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY 9

204 SC 05 E 1 I. INTRODUCTION 1. A  key  role  of  the  Standing  Committee  is  to  review  Assembly  activities  in  their  entirety.   Although  the  Committees  are  sovereign  in  terms  of  the  subjects  they  choose  to  address,  the Standing Committee is the only body which can look at the total picture and identify unnecessary duplication and any gaps in coverage. It cannot dictate changes but it can request that Committees adjust their subject coverage. 2. Regarding  activities,  it  is  the  responsibility  of  the  Standing  Committee  to  approve  all activities, in particular those which involve the creation of new relationships. II. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES IN 2005 3. During the Standing Committee meeting in Reykjavik in early April, the Standing Committee discussed  the  Assembly’s  priorities  and  activities  for  2005.    Concerns  were  expressed  about “gaps” in coverage or the relative emphasis being given to particular topics. 4. The  key  subject  areas  where  proposals  were  made  concerning  their  coverage  by  the Assembly were: The future of NATO Improving the operational effectiveness of NATO forces The potential lifting of the European Union’s arms embargo on China Dealing with Iran’s nuclear programme Moldova Belarus Russia 5. Regarding the future of NATO, it was agreed that the many aspects of this subject would be addressed in the reports of the PC and DSC as appropriate, and this has been the case. 6. Questions  regarding  NATO  operations  and  missions  –  national  caveats,  improving  the usability  of  NATO  forces,  and  developing  a  new  approach  to  funding  NATO  operations  -  are  all being  addressed  in  detail  by  the  DSC.    The  PC  also  intends  to  address  some  aspects  of  these topics. 7. The  debate  about  the  potential  lifting  of  the  European  Union’s  arms  embargo  on  China  is addressed in the report of the ESC’s Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Economic Relations which focuses on China.  The Political Committee’s General Report also makes reference to this issue. 8. The problems posed by Iran’s nuclear programme have been addressed in detail by both the PC and the STC in recent years.  Currently, this subject is dealt with in the report of the PC’s Sub- Committee  on  Transatlantic  Relations  which  addresses  security  in  the  Persian  Gulf.  On  present plans, both the PC and STC intend to address Iran in detail in 2006. 9. On Moldova, a visit took place in 2004 by the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance, and  two  members  of  the  Moldovan  Parliament  participated  in  the  2005  New  Parliamentarians Programme.  It was under consideration as a location for a visit by the President and the Bureau, but  this  will  be  reconsidered  in  view  of  the  fact  that  a  Rose-Roth  seminar  is  scheduled  there  in 2006. 10. On  Belarus,  the  Standing  Committee  agreed  that  direct  contacts  with  the  current  regime should be avoided, but that some way should be found to indicate the Assembly’s concern about the situation there, and its support for those who are still striving to establish a pluralist, democratic country.  It was therefore decided to accept an offer by the Lithuanian delegation to hold a seminar

204 SC 04 E 2 in  Vilnius  to  which  selected  Belarussians  would  be  invited.    This  seminar  took  place  in  late September, and Belarus features as a separate item on the Standing Committee agenda. 11. Regarding Russia, the Standing Committee agreed that no joint Committee meetings should take  place  there  this  year  in  view  of  the  already  crowded  Assembly  calendar  and  the  general dissatisfaction expressed by participants about the value of dialogue within that format. 12. The Standing Committee also expressed deep concern about Russia’s failure to implement its  border  agreement  with  Lithuania,  and  to  sign  and  ratify  border  agreements  with  Estonia  and Latvia.    The  Standing  Committee  authorized  the  Assembly’s  President  to  write  to  the  Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to voice those concerns.  No response was received. 13. No joint meetings are planned for Russia in 2006, but a Rose-Roth seminar will take place in southern Russia 14. Table 1 summarizes the subjects addressed by the Committees and Sub-committees during 2005. Table 1: Committee and Sub-Committee Report Subjects 2005 Democratic Governance NATO and Kazakhstan Future Security and Defence Capabilities NATO’s Role in Balkan Security Transatlantic Defence and Security Co-operation Progress on the Prague Capabilities Commitments East-West Economic Co-operation and Convergence Economic Transition in the Middle East and North Africa Transatlantic Economic Relations China's Economic Emergence: The Implications for the Trans-Atlantic and Global Economies NATO Partnerships NATO-EU Security Co-operation Transatlantic Relations NATO and Persian Gulf Security Proliferation of Military Technology The Security Implications of Nanotechnology

204 SC 04 E 3 15. During  the  course  of  2005,  Committee  and  Sub-Committee  activities  took  place  in  the following locations: CDS Kazakhstan, the United States, Azerbaijan DSC The United States, Brussels (February meetings), Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic   of   Macedonia¹,   Serbia   and   Montenegro,   Norway   and   Sweden,   and Canada. ESC Brussels  (February  meetings),  Paris  (OECD),  China,  Latvia,  Morocco,  and  the United Kingdom PC Brussels  (February  meetings),  the  United  States,  Abu  Dhabi,  Austria  and  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, and Spain and Portugal STC Russia, Germany and a visit to French Guyana is planned for December 16. Other Assembly groups met as follows: GSM² Jordan, Italy, Qatar UNIC³ Ukraine (in conjunction with the PC Sub-Committee on NATO Partnerships) NRPC⁴ Slovenia and Denmark (in the context of the sessions) 17. Rose-Roth Seminars took place in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro and Armenia. A further special seminar on Decentralization in Kosovo, organized in conjunction with the Italian Parliament took place in Rome, Italy on 28 October. The Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum will take place in the United States on 5-6 December. The Standing Committee took place in Iceland, and the Sessions in Slovenia and Denmark.   18. In addition to these meetings, members of the Standing Committee visited Afghanistan with SACEUR in March. The meeting with the Standing Committee and the Permanent Representatives to the North Atlantic Council was postponed until 11 April. 19. The Assembly also undertook election observation mission to Afghanistan from 16 to 21 September to cover the legislative elections on 18 September. 20. Presidential  visits,  to  which  members  of  the  Bureau  are  invited,  have  included  Poland, Afghanistan, and Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Ukraine and the United States 21. The  sixth  New  Parliamentarians  Programme  took  place  in  July  with  the  Centre  for  the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) again providing financial support for this event.  The Assembly  also  organized,  in  conjunction  with  NATO,  a  Defence  Institutions  Building  Training Program for senior Georgian officials and parliamentarians which took place from 27 June to 1 July in Brussels. A training programme for parliamentarians and parliamentary staff from Armenia took place in Brussels in October, and a similar programme for Serbia and Montenegro is scheduled for November.  These programmes are supported by DCAF and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. 22. Presenting these meetings regionally, 22 took place in NATO member nations (of these, six in North America), four took place in the Balkans, five in the “broader Middle East”, one in Russia, two in Ukraine, two in the Caucasus, two in Afghanistan, and one each in China and Central Asia, and by the close of the year one to South America. 1 Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name. 2 Mediterranean Special Group 3 The Ukraine – NATO Interparliamentary Council 4 The NATO – Russia Parliamentary Committee

204 SC 04 E 4 23. This  large  range  of  meetings  enabled  to  the  Assembly  to  address  a  very  broad  range  of subjects.  The list below is not comprehensive but provides a good indication of the scope of the Assembly’s subject coverage. The Transatlantic relationship The role and relevance of the Alliance Alliance operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo The war in Iraq and its consequences for the Alliance Terrorism The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction Alliance capabilities NATO enlargement Deepening and Broadening Partnerships o   The European Union o   Russia o   Ukraine o   The South Caucasus o   The Balkans o   The Southern Mediterranean and the Middle East Examples of other current topics o   Belarus o   China o   The Northern Region o   Climate change o III. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2006 24. Assembly activities planned for 2006 will follow a similar pattern to those of 2005, as can be seen from Tables 3 and 4.  Table 3 also shows the subjects that are likely to be addressed by the Committees and Sub-Committees during 2006. 25. It  must  be  stressed,  of  course,  that  the  subjects  and  locations  of  certain  meetings  will  be adjusted during the course of the Copenhagen session.  A special meeting of the Bureau and the Committee  chairmen  will  take  place  in  order  to  identify  possible  gaps  in  coverage,  areas  of duplication, and options for joint visits.  The Committees themselves will also clearly have their say.   Consequently, updated versions of Tables 3 and 4 will be presented to the Standing Committee.   26. On present plans, a major theme, particularly for the DSC and the PC will be the relevance of the Alliance to current security challenges and its ability to remain the primary forum for continuing consultation among Allies on key strategic issues.  Both Committees will address this central issue through their respective dimensions.  They will also assess, when it is made available, the internal study set in hand by the NATO Secretary General to assess what further changes are needed to ensure NATO's effectiveness, as well as the military transformation that is already underway. Of particular interest will be the measures that address the question of NATO's political centrality and the problem of ensuring that NATO's military capabilities match its political aspirations.   27. The major themes for the Assembly's five Committees will be a continuation from 2005 with several minor adjustments in emphasis: 28. The ESC plans to strengthen its focus on China, including a return visit in the latter part of 2006.  A Presidential visit to China is also foreseen. 29. The  PC  plans  to  continue  its focus  on  the Gulf,  particularly  the  problem  with  Iran,  and the potential  for  new  Alliance  partnerships  in  the  Gulf.  It  is  important  that  these  activities  are

204 SC 04 E 5 coordinated  with  the  work  of  the  Mediterranean  Special  Group  in  order  to  avoid  unnecessary duplication of effort. 30. The CDS will continue to address the South Caucasus, but rather less intensely than in 2005 in order to devote attention to co-operation in the Black Sea region.  However, the DSC will pay more attention to the South Caucasus while decreasing its emphasis on the Balkans. 31. Despite these and other shifts of focus in the work of the Committees, in terms of regional focus, the Assembly's priorities will continue to be: The   Balkans:   the   "Adriatic   Three",   the   countries   recognized   to   be   next-in-line   for membership,  continue  their  preparations  through  the  implementation  of  their  Membership Action  Plans; for  Kosovo,  2006  should  be  a key  year  for  the  negotiations  on final  status. Representatives   of   the   Kosovo   Assembly   will   be   associated   with   certain   Assembly functions;  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  will  move  closer  to  full  autonomy,  and  together  with Serbia  and  Montenegro  will  continue  to  press  for  membership  of  NATO’s  Partnership  for Peace (PfP), conditional still on full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The Assembly will continue to assist the various parliaments in  the  region  through  its  various  activities.  Again,  coordination  among  the  respective Committees will be important. A Rose-Roth Seminar for the region is planned for Albania. The  South  Caucasus:   The DSC and CDS are planning visits to the region, and a Rose- Roth  seminar  on  security  and  stability  in  the  south  Caucasus  is  planned  for  southern Russia.    A  Presidential  visit  to  the  region  is  also  foreseen.    Two  parliamentary  training programmes are also expected to focus on the region. Central  Asia: Thus far, Assembly  activities  have  been  limited  to  a joint Committee  visit  to Uzbekistan, and more recently a CDS visit to Kazakhstan which led to that country being granted Parliamentary Observer status. A Presidential visit to the region is foreseen, and the  PC  is  considering  making  a  visit  to  Central  Asia.  Because  of  the  unfavourable democratic and human rights situation in several of these countries, their relationship with the Assembly is kept under review by the Standing Committee. The Southern Mediterranean and the Middle East.  This "region" is now well covered by the combined efforts of various Committees and principally by the Mediterranean Group.  It should  be  noted  that  Iran  features  more  prominently  during  2006  reflecting  concerns expressed by the Standing Committee at its first meeting in 2005 and the ongoing concerns about developments there. Afghanistan.  Visits by Assembly members during 2006 should be foreseen. Belarus: following the seminar in Vilnius on the internal situation in Belarus, Assembly policy towards that country will be determined by the Standing Committee in Copenhagen. Russia: The Assembly will continue to work at improving relations with the Russian Federal Parliament.  A seminar on the situation in the Caucasus is planned for southern Russia to be organized in conjunction with the Russian parliament. Ukraine:   Likewise,   the   Assembly   will   render   all   possible   assistance   to   the   Ukraine Verkhovna Rada in carrying out the reforms necessary to qualify for a Membership Action Plan.  Several Committees are considering making a joint visit to Ukraine, and the Standing Committee  will  be  asked  to  approve  Assembly  involvement  in  monitoring  parliamentary elections which will take place at the end of March.

204 SC 04 E 6 Moldova: During 2005, members of the Standing Committee expressed the view that more attention  should  be  devoted  to  Moldova.    A  Rose-Roth  seminar  is  now  planned  to  take place there in 2006 NATO  and  the  European  Parliament.  Further  comment  on  the  development  of  relations between  the  Assembly  and  the  European  Parliament  must  await  the  consideration  of  a paper  assessing  relations  with  the  European  Parliament  [208  SC  05  E]  by  the  Standing Committee in Copenhagen. Election  monitoring:  it  has  become  Assembly  policy  that  the  Assembly  does  not  itself organize election monitoring, except under exceptional circumstances. However, Assembly members are able to participate in election monitoring in cooperation with the OSCE PA for certain agreed elections.  As noted earlier, Ukraine will be one such occasion in 2006.

204 SC 04 E 7 TABLE 2: COMMITTEE AND SUB-COMMITTEE PROPOSED REPORT SUBJECTS AND VISITS 2006 Democratic Governance Regional cooperation in the Black Sea Region Turkey Azerbaijan or Armenia or Romania Ukraine (with ESC and STC) Transatlantic Security and Defence Co- operation Transatlantic Relations and Changes in US Forward Deployment Bulgaria and Romania Allied Command Transformation Future Security and Defence Capabilities NATO’s Role in South Caucasus Security Georgia Azerbaijan East-West Economic Co-operation and Convergence The Transition Crisis in Ukraine Ukraine (with CDS and STC) Canada or Poland Transatlantic Economic Relations Economic Development in China's Western Regions Western China Geneva (WTO) NATO Partnerships NATO’s changing role for Euro- Atlantic Stability Oman (Iran?) NATO   partner   country   (Balkans   or Central Asia) Transatlantic Relations Iran – a challenge for transatlantic co-operation United States (Washington DC & other location) Washington DC with STC? Italy or Greece Proliferation of Military Technology The Nuclear Policy of Iran United States (Washington DC and Boston or Monterey) Washington DC with PC? Vienna (IAEA) and/or Geneva Israel and Palestinian Authority (Spring Visit – April / May) Naples seminar (Mid-June) Mediterranean seminar (location tbc)

204 SC 04 E 8 TABLE 3 : OTHER ASSEMBLY MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES Sessions 26-30 May Paris 13-17 November Quebec Standing Committee 24-26 March Gdynia, Poland Rose Roth Seminars March (2^nd half): Albania or other location in the Balkans or Budapest (on the Balkans) 29 June – 1 July Sochi or other location in Southern Russia (on the South Caucasus) September/October    Moldova NATO-Russia Parliamentary Committee 26 May Paris (during the spring session) 13 November Quebec (during the annual session) Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council Dates tbd Kiev (with CDS, ESC and STC) Dates tbd Brussels Annual Study Visit August/September Romania Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum Early December Washington DC Presidential Visits Dates tbd The South Caucasus Dates tbd Central Asia Dates tbd China Dates tbd Iraq Election Monitoring 26 March Ukraine: parliamentary elections September Other  options  could  include  the  Belarus Presidential elections. Hearings at the European Parliament Programme to be determined Possible Special Meetings Dates tbd Seminar on Belarus Dates tbd Visits to Afghanistan New Parliamentarians Programme Mid-July Brussels Parliamentary Staff Training Dates tbd Three    programmes    in    Brussels.    On present plans, programmes will take place for Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Balkans

204 SC 04 E 9 Appendix THE AIMS OF THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY 32.     The  aims  of  the  NATO PA  are  directly  related to  the  role  of members of  parliament  in  the field of defence and security, taking due account of the Assembly’s inter-parliamentary character.   33.     The aims of the NATO PA can be defined as including the following: to foster dialogue among parliamentarians on major security issues; to  facilitate  parliamentary  awareness  and  understanding  of  key  security  issues  and Alliance policies; to   provide   NATO   and   its   member   governments   with   an   indication   of   collective parliamentary opinion; to  provide  greater  transparency  of  NATO  policies,  and  thereby  a  degree  of  collective accountability; to strengthen the transatlantic relationship. 34.     These have been longstanding goals of the Assembly. Since 1989, the following have been added: to  assist  in the  development  of  parliamentary  democracy  throughout the  Euro-Atlantic area  by  integrating  parliamentarians  from  non-member  nations  into  the  Assembly’s work; to assist directly those parliaments actively seeking Alliance membership; to increase co-operation with countries who seek co-operation rather than membership, including those of the Caucasus, Central Asia and southern Mediterranean regions; to  assist  in  the  development  of  parliamentary  mechanisms,  practices  and  ‘know  how’ essential for the effective democratic control of armed forces. 35.     The changing nature of security and NATO’s transformation have given a new salience to the role  of  parliaments  in  defence  and  security.  The  traditional  parliamentary  tasks  -  oversight  of defence  and  the  armed  forces,  including  authorising  expenditure  and  deployments  "overseas", building consensus, ensuring transparency, and generating and sustaining public support - are well established in member countries, albeit with different degrees of application and emphasis. Today, these  tasks  are  carried  out  in  a  more  demanding  environment.  The  new  roles  and  missions  for armed  forces,  the  widespread  need  for  defence  reform  and  restructuring,  and  the  pervasive influence  of  the  revolution  in  information  technology,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  media,  all suggest a higher profile for parliamentary involvement. 36.     Furthermore,   the   commitment   of   candidate   and   partner   countries   to   establish   the mechanisms and priorities for democratic control of armed forces has also meant greater attention be given to parliamentary practices. 37.     The  increasing  scope  and  intensity  of  the  Assembly’s  activities  during  the  past  decade reflects these developments. ___________________