238 SESA 05 E N A T O   P a r l i a m e n t a r y   A s s e m b l y POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS SPRING SESSION LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA MAY 2005 FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL SESSION COPENHAGEN, DENMARK NOVEMBER 2005 International Secretariat 15 November 2005 Assembly documents are available on its website, http://www.nato-pa.int

238 SESA 05 E i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declarations (Ljubljana) 333 on Uzbekistan 1 334 on Darfur 2 Resolutions 335 on The Protection and Integration of Minorities as a Contribution 3 to Stability in the South Caucasus 336 on Reducing National Caveats 5 337 on Enhanced Common Funding of NATO Operations 6 338 on Forging a Transatlantic Policy Towards China 8 339 on Mounting an International Defence Against Avian Influenza 10 340 on Advancing the Doha Development Agenda 11 341 on NATO Transformation and the Future of the Alliance 13 342 on Kosovo 15 343 on Belarus 17 344 on Security of WMD-Related Material in Russia 19 Declarations (Copenhagen) 345 on The Disposal of Surplus Weapons and Munitions in Ukraine 21 346 on Parliamentary Elections in Azerbaijan 22

238 SESA 05 E 1 DECLARATION 333 on UZBEKISTAN^* 1. The members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly are extremely troubled and concerned by recent events in Uzbekistan. They unanimously condemn the disproportionate use of force by Uzbek security forces against opposition protesters and civilians in Andijan and other places. 2. The  Assembly  strongly  supports  the  United  Nations’  and  NATO’s  calls  for  an  independent international  inquiry  into  these  events.  It  also  urges  the  Uzbek  authorities  to  allow  such  an investigation and assist international officials in carrying it out. 3. In  the  event  that  the  Uzbek  government  refuses  an  international  inquiry,  the  Assembly recommends that: a. the participation of Uzbekistan in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council be reconsidered, and b. all NATO nations reconsider and eventually suspend any support to the Uzbek armed forces. * presented  by  the  Standing  Committee  to  the  Plenary  Assembly  and  adopted  (Ljubljana,  Slovenia, Tuesday 31 May 2005)

238 SESA 05 E 2 DECLARATION 334 on DARFUR 1. The members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly are deeply concerned about the security situation  in  Sudan’s  western  region  of  Darfur,  which  the  United  Nations  has  described  as  the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. 2. The  Assembly  applauds  the  African  Union’s  efforts  to  help  end  the  conflict  in  Darfur  and strongly supports the international community’s efforts to achieve peace there. 3. The   NATO   Parliamentary   Assembly   therefore   unanimously   supports   the   decision,   on 24 May, by the North Atlantic Council on initial military options for possible Alliance support to the African Union’s mission AMIS II in the Darfur region of Sudan. 4. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the substantial financial assistance provided to the African Union mission AMIS II by the European Union. 5. The  NATO  Parliamentary  Assembly  encourages  the  European  Union  and  NATO  to  work together  in  a  spirit  of  cooperation  and  complementarity  to  provide  the  requisite  logistical  and financial support in areas such as strategic airlift; training in command and control, in operations planning, in the use of intelligence and in police. 6. The Assembly welcomes in that context the joint announcement by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO  Secretary  General,  and  Javier  Solana,  EU  High  Representative  for  the  Common  Foreign and  Security  Policy,  at  the  United  Nations-African  Union  donor’s  conference  in  Addis  Ababa, Ethiopia, that both the Alliance and the European Union are ready, together with other partners, to help   the   expansion   of   the   African   Union’s   presence   in   Darfur   and   calls   for   its   speedy implementation. presented  by  the  Standing  Committee  to  the  Plenary  Assembly  and  adopted  (Ljubljana,  Slovenia, Tuesday 31 May 2005)

238 SESA 05 E 3 RESOLUTION 335 on THE PROTECTION AND INTEGRATION OF MINORITIES AS A CONTRIBUTION TO STABILITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS The Assembly, 1. Reaffirming its strong commitment to peace and stability in the South Caucasus; 2. Recalling that the Atlantic Alliance has decided at the 2004 summit of Heads of States and Government in Istanbul to put “a special focus on engaging with our Partners in the strategically important regions of the Caucasus and Central Asia”; 3. Convinced  that  the  protection  and  integration  of  national  and  religious  minorities  is  a  key contribution to peace and stability; 4. Recognizing   that   the   countries   of   the   South   Caucasus   have   undergone   important demographic changes since their independence, which have sometimes led to greater vulnerability and isolation of minority populations; 5. Commending  the  encouraging  measures  taken  by  the  governments  and  parliaments  of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia towards the protection and integration of minorities; 6. Noting,  however, that further efforts are needed to ensure the integration and protection of minorities in the region according to international standards; 7. Reaffirming   that   adequate   protection   for   persons   belonging   to   national   and   religious minorities is an integral part of the protection of human rights; 8. Convinced,   therefore,  that  the  efficient  protection  and  integration  of  minorities  are  an important indicator of a government's commitment to democracy and political stability; 9. Stressing  that,  as  major  electoral  processes  and  constitutional  and  political  reforms  are currently under way in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, measures should be taken to ensure that these  processes  are  transparent  and  democratic  and  guarantee  an  adequate  participation  of minority groups; 10.    Insisting   also   that   conflicts   in   Abkhazia,   South   Ossetia   and   Nagorno-Karabakh   are fundamental obstacles to peace and stability in the region, as well as direct or indirect sources of tension in relations between majority and minority groups; 11.    Convinced,  therefore,  of  the  strong  link  between  the  resolution  of  conflicts  in  the  three regions  and  the  adequate  protection  and  integration  of  minorities  according  to  international standards; presented by the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security

238 SESA 05 E 4 12.    Persuaded that the promotion of regional and other multilateral initiatives such as the Sochi arrangements (2003) can help reinforce mutual confidence and tolerance, particularly in the case of  societies  that  have  been  torn  apart  by  conflicts,  as  well  as  address  common  challenges  in relation to the situation of minority groups; 13.    URGES governments and parliaments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia: a. to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  fully  implement  major  international  instruments  for  the protection of minorities, including, in particular, the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages; b. to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  define,  in  accordance  with  their  respective  international obligations, a clear and coherent political strategy with regard to minorities in consultation with them; c. to adopt and implement programmes to promote the political, economic and social integration of   persons   belonging   to   religious   and   national   minorities,   and   to   guarantee   adequate conditions for the preservation of minority cultures, religions and languages, as key factors to building peaceful, open and tolerant societies; d. to  facilitate,  in  particular,  the  access  by  persons  belonging  to  minorities  to  political  and administrative positions in the parliament and in national and local administrations; e. to  commit  fully  to  the  peaceful  resolution  of  the  conflicts  in  Abkhazia,  South  Ossetia  and Nagorno-Karabakh and to support fully ongoing regional and international efforts to this effect, in  particular,  in  the  framework  of  the  OSCE  Minsk  Group,  the  Group  of  Friends  of  the Secretary General, and the Joint Control Commission; f. to  intensify  programmes  for  political,  legal,  social  and  economic  reform,  as  part  of  their commitments to international institutions, including NATO; g. to  encourage  initiatives  to  improve  the  condition  of  displaced  persons  and  refugees  in  the South Caucasus region to help build confidence between societies; 14.    URGES governments and parliaments of member and partner countries of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to  encourage  initiatives  aiming  at  building  confidence  within  and  between  societies  in  the South Caucasus region; b. to integrate, whenever possible, the issue of protection and integration of minorities in their bilateral and multilateral relations with the countries of the South Caucasus; c. to  support,  to  the  extent  of  their  possibilities  and  competencies,  efforts  undertaken  by  the governments  and  parliaments  in  the  region,  together  with  international  institutions,  for  the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh; d. to  continue  the  fruitful  dialogue  within  the  Assembly  as  an  excellent  forum  for  promoting confidence and mutual trust.

238 SESA 05 E 5 RESOLUTION 336 on REDUCING NATIONAL CAVEATS The Assembly, 1. Recalling  that  national  caveats  are  defined  as  restrictions  placed  on  the  use  of  national military contingents operating as part of a multinational operation; 2. Recalling  that  national  caveats  may  be  both  declared  and  known  to  commanders,  or undeclared  and  therefore  unknown  to  commanders  until  they  actually  assign  a  mission  to  a particular unit and discover that a caveat prevents that unit from performing that mission; 3. Recalling  that such restrictions limited the ability of NATO forces in Kosovo to respond to civil unrest there in March 2004; 4. Noting that NATO has since mostly resolved this issue and the current force in Kosovo is far more flexible and capable of responding in the event of future incidents; 5. Further  noting  that  although,  in  the  case  of  Kosovo,  many  of  those  caveats  have  been eliminated, restrictions placed on the use of national military contingents in Afghanistan remain a serious issue; 6. Concerned   that  military  commanders  of  NATO  forces  in  Afghanistan  consistently  cite national caveats as a significant impediment to the planning and execution of their mission; 7. Noting that the issue was not resolved until a crisis occurred in Kosovo; 8. Concerned that the Alliance should not wait for another crisis situation to spark changes in the type and number of caveats regarding the mission in Afghanistan as this could have serious negative effects on the credibility of the Alliance; 9. Further concerned that existing national caveats will have a debilitating effect on ISAF as it continues to expand its presence in Afghanistan to the south and east of the country; 10. Recognizing  that  sovereign  nations  have  the  right  to  define  the  terms  by  which  they participate in a mission; 11. But also recognizing that such conditions should be made known to all other participants in the mission before a deployment to avoid complicating the planning process; 12. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to eliminate the use of undeclared caveats and allow the restrictions on a national contingent to be taken into consideration during the force planning process; b. to  minimize  the  use  of  declared  caveats  and  regularly  reconsider  the  specific  caveats  to determine  which  can  be  eliminated,  given  changes  in  the  operating  environment  or  in  the available resources of the national contingent. presented by the Defence and Security Committee

238 SESA 05 E 6 RESOLUTION 337 on ENHANCED COMMON FUNDING OF NATO OPERATIONS The Assembly, 1. Recognizing  that  the  NATO  Response  Force  (NRF)  is  composed  of  forces  from  member countries in rotation, but on a voluntary basis; 2. Recognizing that the Alliance relies on the national military capabilities of its members; 3. Further recognizing that some costs are borne jointly through the common budgets of the Alliance; 4. Understanding  that  those  common  budgets  pay  for  a  range  of  expenses  and  have  been increased or adjusted throughout the history of the Alliance to adapt to changing circumstances; 5. Welcoming   the  recently   agreed  “Revised   Funding   Policy   for   Non-Article   5   NATO-led Operations”, which will enhance common funding of NATO operations; 6. Concerned that the current principle of “costs lie where they fall” is problematic because it leaves  virtually  the  entire  financial  burden  of  participating  in  NRF  operations  on  the  member countries that are on-call at the time of the deployment; 7. Recognizing  that  this  is  not  a  fair  system  as  the  decision  to  deploy  is  taken  by  all 26 members of the Alliance; 8. Concerned  that  such  a  financial  impact  might  further  discourage  participation  in  the  NRF and other on-call forces; 9. Further  concerned  that  failure  to  address  this  issue  now  will  negatively  affect  NATO out-of-area  operations  in  the  future,  thus  undermining  one  of  the  key  strategic  purposes  of  the Alliance; 10. But  understanding  that  any  enhanced  common  funding  of  operations  should  be  carefully balanced between nationally-funded items and those funded commonly by the Alliance; 11. Further understanding that contributions to common budgets must be seen as part of the overall burden-sharing assessment; 12. Noting the importance that the Secretary General of NATO has attached to this issue; 13. Further noting that discussions at various levels of NATO are producing potentially viable ideas for enhanced common funding of operations; presented by the Defence and Security Committee

238 SESA 05 E 7 14. URGES  the  member  governments  of  the  Alliance  and  their  representatives  at  the  North Atlantic  Council  to  move  forward  rapidly  with  a  concrete  plan  for  enhancing  common  funding  of NATO operations: a. that  would  spread  in  part,  the  burden  of  participation  in  NATO  out-of-area  operations, across the members of the Alliance; b. that  would  be  apportioned  in  a  manner  consistent  with  the  existing  common  budget formulas; and, c. that  would  specifically  address  the  additional  transportation  costs  incurred  by  national militaries as a result of their participation in NATO on-call forces.

238 SESA 05 E 8 RESOLUTION 338 on FORGING A TRANSATLANTIC POLICY TOWARDS CHINA The Assembly, 1. Acknowledging  that  China’s  rapid  development  has  become  a  critical  factor  in  global economic  growth  and  is  changing  many  underlying  assumptions  that  long  shaped  the  post-war international system; 2. Recognizing that, by extension, China’s economic progress is having a locomotive effect on many developing countries, particularly those in Asia; 3. Yet, acknowledging that some developing countries lack the capabilities to adjust to China’s commercial  challenge  and  will  require  increased  aid  and  "special  and  differential"  treatment  to safeguard livelihoods and encourage growth; 4. Understanding that a market-oriented China has become a more open and pluralist society and  that  China’s  civil  society  today  enjoys  far  greater  latitude  for  autonomous  action,  at  least outside the realm of politics; 5. Yet,  concerned  about  the  slow  pace  of  political  reform,  the  lack  of  democratic  dialogue, pervasive  corruption,  particularly  at  the  provincial  and  local  levels,  and  ongoing  human  rights abuses, all of which are generating enormous social pressures that could ultimately limit China’s development potential and even undermine its stability;   6. Recognizing as well that China’s economic rise could further alter the strategic balance in East  Asia,  particularly  if  its  leaders  were  to  use  their  country’s  new  found  economic  strength  to underwrite a massive arms build-up; 7. Lamenting the recent transatlantic dispute over lifting the embargo on arms sales to China and the lack of a genuine transatlantic strategic dialogue on China; 8. Applauding  China’s  role  in  the  Six-Party  Talks  in  persuading  North  Korea  to  give  up  its nuclear weapons programme; 9. Commending  China’s  willingness  to  adopt  a  legal  regime  conducive  to  the  free  trade obligations it has accepted as a new member of the WTO; 10. But, regretting China’s problems in implementing some of these obligations, particularly at the provincial and local levels; 11. Applauding China’s recent decision to abandon the hard dollar peg, but recognizing that the renminbi may still be overvalued; presented by the Economics and Security Committee

238 SESA 05 E 9 12. Noting   that  China  is  both  the  world’s  second  largest  consumer  of  oil  and  producer  of greenhouse  gases,  but  that  it  is  still  significantly  behind  the  United  States  in  terms  of  overall energy use; 13. Yet,  recognizing  that  China’s  energy  consumption  is  expanding  inexorably  because  it  is growing  so  quickly,  uses  energy  inefficiently  and  has  embraced  the  norms  of  a  mass  consumer society,  and  will  thus  very  likely  surpass  the  United  States  in  terms  of  absolute  energy  use  and emissions production between 2020 and 2030; 14. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to  initiate  a  discussion  that  will  facilitate  a  coherent  and,  when  possible,  co-ordinated approach  on  strategic,  diplomatic  and  economic  issues  in  which  China  has  become  an important player; b. to make use of the North Atlantic Council to facilitate this discussion; c. to   acknowledge   that   an   approach   to   China   premised   solely   on   a   policy   of   military containment will be counterproductive and could even encourage the emergence of a more aggressive China; d. to recognize that the countries in the region and the United States are playing a critical role in preserving  peace  and  security  in  a  Pacific  region  that  is  gripped  by  a  range  of  strategic uncertainties; e. to improve the transatlantic strategic dialogue on China, including a dialogue between the EU and the United States on export control; f. to   develop   further   the   nascent   and   informal   NATO-China   dialogue   in   order   to   build confidence and identify areas of mutual interest and possible co-operation; g. to encourage deeper dialogue on a range of economic governance issues with China, under the auspices of the OECD; h. to encourage China and its people to build a more open, pluralist and ultimately democratic political system commensurate with the ever more open society and liberal economic system that  is  swiftly  emerging  in  China,  and  to  make  Western  financial  resources  and  know-how available for those purposes; i. to  encourage  China  to  integrate  fully  in  the  multilateral  trading  order  and  to  implement  its WTO obligations in areas like intellectual property rights and investment rules; j. to accept our own obligations to build a liberal trading order by acknowledging that Western states  and  industries  cannot  rely  on  protectionist  tools  to  deal  with  China’s  competitive challenge; k. and thus to respond to this challenge in ways that ultimately render our own economies and societies more competitive, productive, fiscally balanced, educated, innovative and wealthy; l. to assist the developing world in making the difficult structural adjustments needed in a world changed by China; m. to  engage  in  an  energy  dialogue  with  China  to  mitigate  the  risks  associated  with  energy rivalry; n. to develop common energy strategies that will help China and the OECD countries to reduce significantly  their  reliance  on  carbon  fuel,  further  delink  economic  growth  from  energy  use, and thus meet long-term energy needs in a sustainable manner.

238 SESA 05 E 10 RESOLUTION 339 on MOUNTING AN INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE AGAINST AVIAN INFLUENZA The Assembly, 1. Recognizing  that  influenza  poses  a  global  threat  with  possible  severe  consequences  for human  health,  the  global  economy  and  stability,  partly,  because  little  is  known  about  human immunity in the face of a mutated H5N1 strain; 2. Observing   that  mutations  of  the  H5N1  virus  may  create  the  risk  of  human-to-human transmission; 3. Noting   the  difficulties  public  health  officials  have  encountered,  in  the  past,  in  treating influenza pandemics; 4. Considering  the  acute  vulnerability  of  the  developing  countries  to  a  potential  influenza pandemic; 5. Observing the challenges in developing a vaccine against the disease; 6. Acknowledging  the  inadequacy  of  current  measures,  particularly  in  terms  of  international co-ordination of the anti-pandemic effort and of its financing; 7. Recognizing  the  need  to  correct  any  “market  failure”  that  could  prevent  pharmaceutical companies from reacting with alacrity to a potential influenza pandemic; 8. Commending  recent  US  and  EU  efforts  to  forge  an  international  response  to  a  potential influenza pandemic; 9. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance to respond to the very real threat of an influenza pandemic by: a. supporting international bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture  Organization  of  the  United  Nations  in  their  efforts  to  co-ordinate  the  world’s response to a potential influenza pandemic; b. providing  multiple  financial  resources  to  stimulate  the  speedy  development  of  a  vaccine once  the  influenza  virus  has  mutated  into  a  new  strain  with  a  pandemic  potential,  and  a global vaccination drive; c. developing national, international and multilateral public health, economic, trade, travel and military-security plans based on influenza pandemic scenarios; d. addressing   the   range  of   problems  related   to   the   inadequate   capacity   of   developing countries to deal with a potential influenza pandemic; e. creating incentives for pharmaceutical companies to increase the production of the antiviral agent – Oseltamivir – and a new vaccine, should one be developed. presented by the Economics and Security Committee

238 SESA 05 E 11 RESOLUTION 340 on ADVANCING THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA The Assembly, 1. Recognizing that 2005 has been declared the Year of Development, during which a number of  initiatives  designed  to  pull  millions  of  people  out  of  poverty  have  been  either  launched  or advanced; 2. Observing   that   these   initiatives   include:   debt   cancellation   for   the   most   impoverished countries, increased aid, formal commitments by developing countries to improve governance and transparency   and,   most   importantly,   the   Doha   Development   Agenda   of   multilateral   trade negotiations; 3. Applauding developed and developing country negotiators for agreeing to a trade negotiation framework, in which every topic under negotiation during the Doha Round has a vital development dimension; 4. Acknowledging   that  the  successful  conclusion  of  the  Doha  Agenda  would  also  bring enormous benefit to the world's wealthier countries by lowering trade barriers, increasing market depth, triggering more efficient capital allocation, slashing prices and ultimately generating greater economic activity; 5. Convinced  that  extending greater market  access  to  the  developing  world,  especially  in  the agricultural sector, represents the greatest contribution to development that Western countries can make because 70% of the world's poor live in rural areas; because 90% of the potential gains from a Doha agreement would be generated through market access reforms; and because open trading systems usually help create growth and pull people out of poverty; 6. Recognizing  that  for  many  developing  countries  participating  in  the  Doha  negotiations, agricultural trade liberalization is the highest priority; 7. But lamenting the lack of progress in the current negotiations, and most notably the failure to find   common   ground   concerning   agricultural   market   access,   tariff   peaks   and   special   and differential treatment provisions designed to ease the burden of transition for developing countries; 8. Observing  that  exempting  just  2%  of  tariff  lines  for  "sensitive  and  special  products"  would eliminate most of the gains developing countries might obtain from tariff reduction; 9. Understanding  that  the  key  to  a  successful  negotiating  round  lies  not  only  in  developed country  concessions  on  agriculture  but  also  developing  country  concessions  in  non-agricultural sectors including manufacturing and services; 10.    Noting that failure to make progress in these difficult areas by the time Ministers convene at the Hong Kong WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2005 would potentially undermine these negotiations, which must be concluded at the end of 2006; presented by the Economics and Security Committee

238 SESA 05 E 12 11.    CALLS on member parliamentarians to urge their governments and trade negotiators: a. to extend generous agricultural market access with rapid and substantial reduction of existing tariffs and sharp limits on the designation of so-called "sensitive" goods that can enjoy higher protection   rates,   a   practice   that   hitherto   has   hampered   food   exports   from   developing countries; b. to carry out earlier commitments to ensure that the Doha Agenda results in the elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies; c. to support trade facilitation policies and infrastructure projects explicitly designed to help the developing world better exploit the new opportunities that a more open trading system would bring about; d. to  ensure  that  developing  countries,  taking  into  account  special  and  differential  treatment provisions,  make  concessions  in  manufactured  goods  and  service  trading  rules  that  will ultimately benefit developed and developing countries alike; and thus, e. to make 2005 genuinely a year of development implementation and wealth creation.

238 SESA 05 E 13 RESOLUTION 341 on NATO TRANSFORMATION AND THE FUTURE OF THE ALLIANCE The Assembly, 1. Emphasizing   the  crucial  role  the  Alliance  plays  for  the  collective  defence  of  member countries and the security of the Euro-Atlantic region as a whole; 2. Acknowledging  and  welcoming  the  pragmatic  adaptations  after the  end  of the  Cold War which have made NATO an important security provider both in and out of its traditional area; 3. Recalling  that  national  caveats  should  be  considered  as  exceptional  measures,  and  that they should be justified and unambiguously known by allies and by national parliaments; 4. Deploring  that national caveats on the use of allied forces may impede the effectiveness of joint   NATO-led   operations,   particularly   in   Afghanistan,   and   noting   that   it   is   important   to reach fundamental agreement on issues like the rules of engagement and detention policy; 5. Noting that the funding of joint operations along the "costs lie where they fall" principle is no longer  appropriate  and  discourages  participation  in  NATO  operations,  particularly  those  by  the NATO Response Force (NRF); 6. Criticising   the  fact  that  some  Allies  have  not  matched  political  commitments  with  the necessary resources and stressing that all NATO member countries have a stake in a stable and secure Afghanistan; 7. Affirming   that  NATO  in  particular  can  generate,  deploy,  command  and  sustain  large, multinational military operations but underlining that the Alliance depends on close and effective co-operation with other international organizations to perform the non-military functions essential to the success of post-conflict operations, including nation-building; 8. Stressing the importance of NATO's co-operation with the European Union, but lamenting that further progress in institutional co-operation is on hold because of unresolved issues arising from the recent enlargement of the European Union; 9. Recognizing that failing states, internationally active terrorist groups and  the proliferation of weapons  of  mass  destruction  (WMD)  are  the key  threats  to  the  security  of  NATO member  and partner countries; 10.    Acknowledging that there are more crises in the world than the Allies have the political will or resources to manage, and that NATO, therefore, needs to agree on priorities and on the means to tackle crises; 11.    Stressing   that   NATO’s   potential   as   a   forum   for   political   and   strategic   dialogue   and consensus building among the Allies should be used more systematically and effectively; presented by the Political Committee

238 SESA 05 E 14 12.    Praising  the  initiative  by  NATO  Secretary  General  Jaap  de  Hoop  Scheffer  to  advance NATO's political transformation to complement its ongoing military adaptation; 13.    URGES governments and parliaments of member and partner countries of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to further improve military capabilities in order to make NATO’s military forces more mobile, more  effective,  more  interoperable  and  more  sustainable,  and  to  stimulate  debate  among national governments and parliaments on a more political role for NATO; b. to  review  urgently  declared  and  undeclared  caveats  in  order  to  minimise  their  use  in  joint operations; c. to  urgently  extend  the  review  of  pros  and  cons  of  various  funding  modalities  for  joint operations to achieve a more equitable and fair distribution of burden among the Allies; d. to match actual contributions to NATO operations with the political commitments made; e. to build and expand the role of the Alliance in humanitarian and natural disaster relief with a view to improving co-ordination of member and partner countries' activities in these areas; f. to  improve  the  co-ordination  among  Allies  and  with  international  organizations  like  the European  Union,  the  United  Nations  and  the  African  Union  in  the  fight  against  terrorism, conflict prevention and post-conflict stabilisation; g. to use NATO as a platform and as a facilitator to make multilateral non-proliferation regimes more effective; h. to engage in a dialogue on NATO's role in promoting effective conflict prevention, including through  training  and  capacity  building,  especially  in  the  case  of  failing  states,  in  close partnership with the European Union, the United Nations, and other regional organizations, in particular the African Union; i. to improve the planning and co-ordination of national contributions to the NRF, EU Headline Goal, and Battle Groups, among others, in order to avoid duplications and lack of clarity.

238 SESA 05 E 15 RESOLUTION 342 on KOSOVO The Assembly, 1. Recognizing  that  Kosovo's  current  status  quo  is  unsustainable  and  also  recognizing  that any agreement on the future status of the province will have an important impact on the stability of South-East Europe as a whole; 2. Commending  the  Alliance,  and  in  particular  the  Kosovo  Force  (KFOR),  for  successfully securing and stabilising the province;   3. Supporting  the  role  of  the  UN  in  further  stabilising  the  situation  in  Kosovo  in  line  with  UN Security Council resolution 1244; 4. Welcoming the report by the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy, Ambassador Kai Eide; 5. Welcoming the appointment of Martti Ahtisaari by the UN Secretary General as his Special Envoy on the future status of Kosovo; 6. Recognizing  that  the  joint  future  of  the  province  and  the  region  lies  in  full  European  and transatlantic  integration,  which  rules  out  any  form  of  discrimination  and  which  requires  the establishment of the rule of law; 7. URGES governments and parliaments of member and partner countries of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to remain committed to securing peace and stability in the province and South-East Europe as a whole by ensuring an international military and civilian presence as long as the situation requires; b. to monitor closely developments in Kosovo and in Serbia and Montenegro and to contribute to realizing the integration of the entire region in the Euro-Atlantic institutions, on the condition of full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY); c. to  state  that  the  preferred  outcome  of  negotiations  is  an  institutional  arrangement  that  will allow  for  the  establishment  of  a  stable  multi-ethnic  society  in  Kosovo  and  to  support  and monitor the further implementation of the standards established by the Contact Group to the Kosovo Provisional Institutions of Self-Government; d. to  underline  that  Kosovo  will  continue  for  some  time  to  need  an  international  civilian  and military presence to exercise appropriate supervision of compliance of the provisions of the Status Settlement, to ensure security and, in particular, protection of minorities, as well as to monitor and support the authorities in the continued implementation of standards; presented by the Political Committee

238 SESA 05 E 16 e. to  assist  the  Kosovo  Albanians  and  Serbs  to  reach  an  agreement  that  allows  for  further decentralisation and, if necessary, municipal and administrative adjustments within Kosovo; f. to assist further democratisation inside Kosovo; 8. URGES  the  government,  the  parliament  and  all  political  forces  in  Kosovo  and  Serbia  and Montenegro:   a. to  co-operate  pro-actively  with  the  international  community  to  achieve  an  agreement  that respects and accommodates the interests of all parties; b. to  respect  and  protect  fully  the  rights  of  Kosovo  Serbs  and  other  minorities,  as  well  as  the cultural and religious heritage of Kosovo; c. to spare no efforts in order to rebuild mutual confidence and to create conditions that would allow displaced Serbs and other minorities to return to the province and live in peace; d. to move the process of decentralisation forward.

238 SESA 05 E 17 RESOLUTION 343 on BELARUS The Assembly, 1. Recalling its decision of 30 March 2001 to continue the suspension of its relationship with the Parliament of Belarus, as well as the deliberations during the Assembly Seminar on Belarus that  took  place  in  Vilnius  23-24  September  2005,  and  considering  that  the  Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has suspended relations with the national parliament; 2. Stressing that Belarus is a central part of Europe and a direct neighbour of NATO and the European Union, and that we all have a stake in reintegrating Belarus and its people into the family of European democracies, and deeply regretting that the policies of Mr Lukashenko's government and  the  way  in  which  the  parliamentary  election  as  well  as  the  controversial  referendum  on 17 October 2004, allowing the President more than two terms in office were conducted have made this objective substantially more difficult to achieve; 3. Welcoming  the  release  of  Prof.  Bandashevsky  on  parole  in  August  2005  but  strongly condemning   all   the   tactics   of   intimidation,   harassment   and   repression   employed   against opposition candidates in the election, the non-state-owned press, representatives of independent trade  unions,  ethnic  minorities  and  other  organizations  of  Belarussian  civil  society  as  well  as independent national observers; 4. Denouncing, in particular, the difficulties experienced by the opposition in obtaining access to state-controlled media - including electronic facilities - and the presidential decrees promulgated in order to curtail the basic freedoms of expression and association; 5. Convinced that the provision of alternative information for the population of Belarus through external  broadcasting  has  become  a  top  priority,  and  recommending  that  such  broadcasting might be done from the neighbouring countries, with involvement of the independent Belarussian journalists,  and  that  the  information  should  be  broadcast  in  both  the  Belarussian  and  Russian languages; 6. Outraged by credible reports about the disappearance and murder of political opponents in 1999 and 2000 inspired by members of the government as stated in Resolution 1371 (2004) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe based on an investigation by Mr Pourgourides MP, Cyprus; 7. CALLS UPON the President of Belarus, Mr Lukashenko, and his government: a. to  reverse  the  current  deteriorating  trend  in  respect  of  democracy  and  human  rights,  to ensure  that  the  presidential  elections  in  2006  are  conducted  in  a  free  and  fair  manner  in accordance with international standards, and to abide by its commitments in the OSCE and the UN; b. to restore democracy and the rule of law in Belarus and to guarantee the protection of human rights, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of the press and free enterprise; presented by the Political Committee

238 SESA 05 E 18 c. to free all remaining political prisoners immediately and to set up promptly impartial in-depth inquiries into the fate of persons who have disappeared and to bring those responsible for the abductions and killings to justice; d. to end the “militarisation” of domestic politics, i.e. to check the increase in militia forces; e. to  ensure  that  all  eligible  candidates  are  allowed  to  register  for  next  year’s  presidential election,  to  campaign  freely,  to  enjoy  equal  access  to  state-controlled  media,  and  to  allow their representatives to participate fully in election commissions; f. to issue an early invitation to a full OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission, to which EU Member States are willing to contribute, in accordance with the 1990 Copenhagen document, and to allow it to operate unimpeded; g. to  extend  the  powers  of  parliament  so  that  it  becomes  a  democratic  institution  capable  of exercising  legislative  authority  and  political  control  over  the  government in  accordance  with the principle of the separation of powers; 8. URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to seize every possible opportunity to make clear to the Belarussian authorities that they are expected to honour all their OSCE commitments in the areas of human rights and democracy; b. to increase significantly support for independent initiatives directed towards strengthening the development of civil society and the NGO sector; c. to  encourage  bilateral  contacts  between  NGOs  in  order  to  help  overcome  the  country’s isolation; d. to  intensify  people-to-people  contacts  by  strengthening  good  neighbourly  relations  (e.g. through student and scientific exchanges, scholarships, youth travel, contacts between small- and medium-sized enterprises, training local authority officials, etc.); e. to  help  disseminate  unbiased  reporting  about  events  at  home  and  abroad  through  media inside and outside Belarus in order to overcome the government’s monopoly on information; f. to  co-ordinate  EU  and  US  programmes  for  assisting  the  development  of  civil  society  in Belarus effectively; g. to   seek   active   backing   from   the   Russian   Government   and   Parliament   in   support   of approaches  aimed  at  requiring  the  Belarussian  authorities  to  bring  their  legislation  and practices into compliance with OSCE standards; h. to emphasize to the government of Belarus that the further development of relations between NATO member and partner countries with Belarus will depend on the progress made towards democratization in the country; 9. REITERATES,  at  the  same  time,  its  willingness  to  have  closer  and  better  relations  with Belarus and its parliament once the Belarussian authorities clearly demonstrate their willingness to respect democratic values and the rule of law.

238 SESA 05 E 19 RESOLUTION 344 on SECURITY OF WMD-RELATED MATERIAL IN RUSSIA The Assembly, 1. Concerned   by  the  possibility  of  terrorist  attacks  using  nuclear,  biological  or  chemical weapons; 2. Mindful that Russia's WMD-related arsenals and stocks are one of the largest in the world, and  that  security  upgrades  of  these  stocks  are  yet  to  be  completed,  thus  posing  a  potential proliferation and environmental threat; 3. Conscious   that  the  Russian  Federation  is  not  the  only  country  posing  the  threat  of proliferation of WMD-related material; 4. Welcoming  the achievements of the Russian Federation and the international community in securing WMD and related material, especially through the US-led Co-operative Threat Reduction programme, and the G8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction; 5. Praising the recent decision of the United States and the Russian Federation to conclude an agreement  on  liability  protection  for  US  personnel  working  on  threat  reduction  programmes  in Russia; 6. Regretting  nonetheless  that  the  co-operation  is  still  hindered  by  bureaucratic  inertia,  the unresolved  question  of  access  of  international  officials  to  sensitive  sites,  and  the  lack  of  mutual trust that derives from the remaining Cold War perceptions; 7. Concerned  about  the  slow  pace  of  chemical  weapons  destruction,  which  endangers  the deadlines established by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); 8. Mindful   that   Russia’s   decommissioned   nuclear-powered   submarines   present   serious proliferation-related  and  environmental  threats,  and  that  Russia  is  far  from  having  the  means  to handle these threats without foreign assistance; 9. Deeply  concerned  that  the  Russian  biodefence  sector  remains  virtually  excluded  from co-operative threat reduction programmes; 10. Recalling Assembly Resolution 313 adopted in 2001, addressing the issue of safeguarding the Nuclear Complex in Russia and other Newly Independent States; 11. CALLS UPON member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to increase efforts to assist Russia in securing its stocks of WMD and related materials by expanding and reinforcing bilateral and G8 Global Partnership programmes; presented by the Science and Technology Committee

238 SESA 05 E 20 b. to emphasize the commonality of the security challenges of the 21^st century by promoting the benefits of co-operation and the equality of all involved parties; c. to  meet  the  commitments  under  the  G8  Global  Partnership,  particularly  with  respect  to chemical  weapons  destruction  and  dismantlement  of  Russian  nuclear  submarines  and related environmental problems; d. to help Russia complete the process of securing nuclear material storage sites by 2009; e. to  develop  a  reliable  account  mechanism  and  eventually  negotiate  with  Russia  a  verifiable agreement on the control and reduction of tactical nuclear weapons; f. to  encourage  the  Russian  government  to  expand  co-operation  with  its  partners  in  the international community to safeguard better the Russian biodefence sector; g. to expand co-operation in the international community in order to ensure full implementation and reliable control of Biological and Toxin Weapons Conventions; h. to seek an agreement with the Russian government for the removal of unnecessary technical or bureaucratic pre-conditions that hamper the pace of chemical weapons destruction; i. to increase efforts to assist Russia in improving living conditions of former weapons scientists and in further promoting their redirection to peaceful activities to avoid their being tempted to take their knowledge elsewhere; j. to  support  the  expansion  of  co-operative  threat  reduction  initiatives  to  other  countries  by using the experience gained in Russia; k. to encourage Russian authorities: i. to    maintain    favourable    conditions    for    international    assistance    and    access    to WMD-related material storage sites that require security upgrades; ii. to  sustain  Russia’s  increased  financial  contribution  in  accordance  with  its  economic possibilities; iii. to remove remaining bureaucratic obstacles and to facilitate international assistance; iv. to introduce an officially approved plan for chemical weapons destruction in accordance with international agreements.

238 SESA 05 E 21 DECLARATION 345 on THE DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS WEAPONS AND MUNITIONS IN UKRAINE The Assembly, 1. Recalling its long-standing co-operation with the Verkhovna Rada; 2. Applauding Ukraine’s programme of wide ranging political, economic, and defence reforms and the progress being made regarding their implementation; 3. Supporting Ukraine’s goal of Euro-Atlantic integration; and 4. Determined to assist Ukraine in achieving that goal; 5. Welcoming   NATO’s   programme   of  Intensified   Dialogue   with   Ukraine,   and   the  further enhancement of Alliance support for Ukraine’s defence and security sector reform process agreed by Defence Ministers during Informal High-Level Consultations in Vilnius, 23 and 24 October; 6. Strongly  supporting  the  Alliance's  €25  million  commitment  through  its  Partnership  for Peace Trust Fund to assist Ukraine in disposing of stockpiles of surplus weapons and munitions in order  to  reduce  the  physical  hazards  and  environmental  threats  posed  by  these  weapons  and munitions; 7. But concerned that this twelve-year programme represents only a partial solution to dealing with  the  stockpiles,  which  include  over  1.5  million  small  arms,  more  than  one  million  tons  of munitions, and several million anti-personnel mines; 8. And  noting  that  despite  widespread  public  support  for  reform  in  Ukraine,  large  sectors  of public opinion retain an image of NATO based on Cold War stereotypes; 9. Convinced  that  deeper  Alliance  involvement  in  assisting  Ukraine  to  dispose  of  surplus weapons and munitions stockpiles would have the additional benefit of helping to promote a more positive public perception of the Alliance; 10.     URGES member governments and parliaments of the North Atlantic Alliance: a. to examine ways in which they can provide further bilateral technical and financial assistance to Ukraine in order to accelerate the disposal of surplus weapons and munitions; b. to  increase their  commitments  to  NATO’s  Partnership for  Peace Trust Fund  dedicated  to the disposal of surplus weapons and munitions. presented by the Standing Committee to the Plenary Assembly and adopted (Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday 15 November 2005)

238 SESA 05 E 22 DECLARATION 346 on PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN The Assembly, 1. Acknowledging that the 6 November parliamentary elections represented an important test for Azerbaijan in its democratisation process; 2. Recognizing that, despite some progress and several demonstrations of goodwill on the part of  the  Azerbaijani  authorities, the  elections  did not  meet  a  number  of  international  standards for free and democratic elections; 3. Noting  that,  while  there  were  improvements  in  some  respects,  international  observers signalled   problems   with   regard   to   voter   registration   and   freedom   of   assembly   during   the pre-election period; 4. Regretting  in  particular  that  progress  noted  in  the  pre-election  period  was  undermined  by significant deficiencies in the voting count, which international observers assessed as bad or very bad  in  43%  of  counts,  and  which  included  tampering  with  results,  intimidation  of  observers,  and unauthorised persons directing the process; 5. Commending  the  work  of  the  International  Election  Observation  Mission  co-organized  by the OSCE/ODIHR, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the NATO PA, as well as the contribution of the members and staff of the NATO PA that participated in the mission; 6. Praising Azerbaijani  President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to recount votes and punish anyone who committed fraud; 7. URGES the Azerbaijani government: a. to   pursue   in   its   commitment   of   recounting   votes   and   nullifying   election   results   in constituencies where international standards have not been met; b. to  continue  to  hold  talks  with  the  opposition  aimed  at  resolving  the  disputes  over  election results; c. to work with the NATO PA and other international organizations such as the OSCE and the Council  of  Europe  on  improving  the  electoral  process  in  order  to  achieve  international democratic standards; 8. URGES governments and parliaments of member and partner countries of the North Atlantic Alliance to make clear to the Azerbaijani authorities that failure to implement the above could result in consequences for the participation of Azerbaijan in Euro-Atlantic structures. _______________ presented by the Standing Committee to the Plenary Assembly and adopted (Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday 15 November 2005)