Forsvarsudvalget 2015-16, Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2015-16
FOU Alm.del Bilag 107, UPN Alm.del Bilag 178
Offentligt
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Programme of the Danish
NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016
“Promoting security through cooperation”
 FOU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 107: Orientering om NORDECO-forsvarsministermødet den 30-31. marts 2016, fra forsvarsministeren
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PROGRAMME OF THE DANISH
NORDEFCO CHAIRMANSHIP 2016
This programme sets the tasks and priorities for the Nordic defence cooperation 2016, in accordance
to the agreed Vision 2020, other decisions taken at political level as well as new initiatives of the
Danish chairmanship 2016.
The chairmanship is responsible for driving forward the work within NORDEFCO, ensuring the
continuity of the agenda, maintaining orderly processes and promoting cooperation among the Nordic
countries in relation to defence and thus “promoting security through cooperation”.
FOCUS AREAS FOR 2016
The NORDEFCO defence cooperation is progressing, and important steps have been taken the past
years, developing closer cooperation between the Nordic countries.
The Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship encourages Nordic cooperation building on lessons learned with
regard to environmental protection, surveillance and search and rescue, while taking into
consideration existing work.
The Danish Chairmanship will continue the important work from the previous chairmanships, including
the ongoing NORDEFCO Action Plans (NAP). As the NORDEFCO secretariat changes hands every year
with the rotating Chairmanship, we intend to introduce a system for a systematic and structured
hand-over of tasks maintaining institutional continuity.
The Danish Chairmanship will continue to work to strengthen our Nordic cooperation and adaptability
in order to promote security and face security challenges in our region and internationally. While
maintaining a peaceful, secure and collaborative Arctic, we intend to exchange views and discuss
aspects concerning the security and safety challenges in the Arctic region, and paying close attention
to potential for bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
We intend to work to improve situational awareness in the Baltic Sea Region and common
understanding of the regional security situation through closer cooperation and through specific
initiatives.
We will work to foster closer political dialogue on security matters, not least at the bi-ministerial
meetings. We will seek possibilities for deepening regional and multinational cooperation, and develop
the necessary contacts to and dialogue with third countries and international frameworks in order to
strengthen defence cooperation. We will maintain focus on the developments in the Baltic Sea area,
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Programme of the Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016
 FOU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 107: Orientering om NORDECO-forsvarsministermødet den 30-31. marts 2016, fra forsvarsministeren
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and work to further develop cooperation with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as stated in the Nordic-
Baltic Declaration agreed upon in November 2015 in Stockholm.
The Danish chairmanship will encourage further deepening of the Nordic cooperation through
unilateral declarations on easy access. We will present a new concept of ”easy access declarations”
enabling easy access of the Nordic countries’ military capacities to each other’s territories in
peacetime, while not affecting national sovereignty or enabling any jurisdictional powers in each
other’s territories.
We will work to strengthen peace and stability through international engagements and work to further
develop our Nordic coordination and cooperation in the international arena. In respect of national
competences, we will work to encourage contributions to international operations, in UN missions as
well as in our joint fight against ISIL. We will explore possibilities for coordinating contributions e.g. in
support of the UN as well as seek to develop our cooperation and support to the East African Standby
Force further.
The Danish Chairmanship will maintain focus on the important work in relation to the Nordic-Baltic
capacity building projects in Ukraine and Georgia, considering possible new areas in need of focus and
cooperation.
The communication strategy during the Danish chairmanship will follow that of previous chairs
through the www.nordefco.org webpage. The webpage will be used in an active manner with updated
achievements and ongoing NORDEFCO work as a source of information for external audiences. Each
nation will continue to plan its own communication activities according to own needs.
Two ministerial meetings will take place in March and November 2016 in Denmark, including the
Autumn Nordic-Baltic (NB8) and Northern Group ministerial meetings.
Further activities during 2016 are being prepared at the moment e.g. arranging a conference on
promoting security and facing security challenges in the Nordic region in close cooperation with the
Nordic Council.
In the following section new initiatives as well as a list of already existing NAPs and projects, which
will be continued during the Danish chairmanship, will be presented.
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Programme of the Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016
 FOU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 107: Orientering om NORDECO-forsvarsministermødet den 30-31. marts 2016, fra forsvarsministeren
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NEW NORDEFCO INITIATIVES 2016
Besides the ongoing NAPs and other taskings, the Danish chairmanship intends to step-up cooperation
in the near region and in international engagements.
In the near region:
1.
Easy Access Declarations
entail enhanced cooperation enabled through streamlining and
simplification of procedures regarding access to each other’s territories.
Building on existing work regarding reducing bureaucracy, air- and sea cooperation
etc. a new concept of unilateral declarations will allow military aircraft, warships or
military vehicles from NORDEFCO members enhanced access to the territory of
another NORDEFCO country by requirering some specific procedures to be fulfilled.
The aim is to enhance and deepen Nordic defence cooperation by removing obstacles
and through non-bureaucratic ways to allow easier access to other NORDEFCO
countries’ territory in peacetime.
2.
Follow-up on regional security challenges,
concerning overview of security related
activities in the region.
This area of focus concerns a paper from the Political Steering Committee (PSC). A
paper on regional security challenges will be presented and discussed at the
ministerial meeting in March 2016.
International engagements:
3.
Explore possibilities for better coordinated contributions from the Nordic countries
to international military missions and in particular UN missions with a view to
strengthen the sustainability of contributions.
Building on previous work we will explore possibilities for establishing new approaches
to how Nordic contributions to the UN could be best coordinated. Concretely we will
explore the possibility for the Nordic countries to provide an airborne transport
capacity to UN missions on a rotational basis.
Furthermore, it might also be taken into consideration whether the Nordic countries
could offer contributions on a rotational basis to the newly established United Nations
Peacekeeping Capabilities Readiness System (PCRS).
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Programme of the Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016
 FOU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 107: Orientering om NORDECO-forsvarsministermødet den 30-31. marts 2016, fra forsvarsministeren
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4.
Continue the joint Nordic support to the East African Standby Force
(EASF) in its
further development and fulfillment of its mission of contributing to regional and continental
peace, security, stability and enhanced regional integration. We will invite an EASF high level
representative to join a PSC-meeting to discuss further developments of the EASF as well as
take into account the report from the Nordic Advisory and Coordination Staff (NACS).
The EASF was declared ready for operational use at the end of 2014. In 2016 Nordic
focus will be directed towards providing assistance that will support and enable the
EASF to deploy in support of African Union (AU) peace operations if and when
decided by the AU.
5.
Investigate possibilities for stronger Nordic cooperation with regard to
strengthening the UN’s efforts within Security and Defence Sector Reforms.
With the increasing complexity of the UN Peace Operations follows an increased role
for Security and Defence Sector Reform. It will be examined if the Nordic countries
together could enhance the UN’s work with such reforms, e.g. through financial
pledges or the deployment of mentor teams or advisors.
Photo from operation RECSYR 2014
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Programme of the Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016
 FOU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 107: Orientering om NORDECO-forsvarsministermødet den 30-31. marts 2016, fra forsvarsministeren
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FOSTER CONTINUITY TO THE ONGOING NAPs AND PROJECTS
At the ministerial meeting in Stockholm on 10 November 2015, ministers agreed to take work forward
on the different NORDEFCO Action Plans and other projects.
Several NAPs and other taskings will be brought forward during 2016. We intend to work towards
enhancing and continuing work on several areas of cooperation.
Implement the
Secure Communications System
in the first half 2016 and explore
opportunities to extend the secure communications to the Baltic countries.
Continue to develop cooperation on
Air Surveillance
(NORECAS), including signing of the
Memorandum of Understanding in early 2016.
Develop work on
Alternate Landing Base
exploring the possibility to extend to armed
aircraft and include Iceland.
Continue to develop the concept of a possible
Northern flag exercise
with the precondition
of the US and third country participation.
Facilitate a Nordic meeting on exchange of best practices related to
national contingency
and readiness planning,
taking into consideration previous work.
Continue to exchange experiences and best practices, and develop cooperation within
international operations.
Follow-up to the
Nordic-Baltic Declaration
concerning areas of enhanced cooperation
between the Nordic and the Baltic countries.
Further develop the
Nordic-Baltic capacity building
projects in Georgia and Ukraine.
Continue coordination of initiatives within the
Northern Group on capacity building
projects
in Ukraine.
Facilitate the further development of the
Nordic Tactical Air Transport
(NORTAT).
Explore possibilities of extended collaboration with the US in
training and excercises
up to
2017.
Maintain a focus on the
Cross Border Training
agreement including third party
participation.
Continue to exchange of experience on
long term defence planning.
Continue to discuss initiatives for recognizing and safeguarding our
veterans.
Continue to identify areas of Nordic cooperation within the framework of
Open Skies.
Ensure promotion of environmental and economical
sustainability in defence
regarding
Nordic defence and consider relevant initiatives and further work.
Continue to focus on Nordic cooperation within
Cyber,
including political dialogue.
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Programme of the Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016
 FOU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 107: Orientering om NORDECO-forsvarsministermødet den 30-31. marts 2016, fra forsvarsministeren
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Continue to emphasize close dialogue between the Nordic countries and the
Nordic defence
industry.
The areas of cooperation in accordance to the “NORDEFCO Vision 2020” will be the main basis for
developing the Nordic defence cooperation as well as changes to the regional and international
security environment.
Initiatives and achievements will be presented in accordance to procedure at the different levels
within the NORDEFCO framework. Two “production lines” are planned for 2016:
First half 2016:
MCC/NAD/CHOD; January-February 2016
PSC; 3-4 March 2016
Ministerial; 30-31 March 2016.
Second half 2016:
MCC/NAD/CHOD; April-September 2016
PSC; 29-30 September 2016
Ministerial; 8-9 November 2016.
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Programme of the Danish NORDEFCO Chairmanship 2016