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2018

ANNUAL

PRESIDENTIAL

REPORT

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

CONTENTS

Foreword by the President

Preface

Executive Summary

The Assembly Explained

2018 at a Glance

The Assembly’s Work – Perspectives from the Committees

The 2018 NATO Summit

Tackling Russia’s Multifaceted Challenge

Instability in NATO’s Southern Neighbourhood

Burden Sharing and Transatlantic Relations

Modernising Security and Defence

NATO’s Eastern Partners

The Western Balkans

The High North

North-East Asia

Afghanistan

Strengthening Women’s Role in Peace and Security

Education and Communication about NATO

The NATO PA’s Budget and Finances for 2017-2018

Appendix 1: 2018 Reports and Policy Recommendations

Appendix 2: The Assembly’s Elected Officers

A Year in Pictures

Original publication: February 2019

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018 ANNUAL

PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

FOREWORD BY THE PRESIDENT

Dear reader,

For many citizens in Europe and North America the choices our governments make about defence seem remote from

their daily preoccupations. As a member of the UK House of Commons’ Defence Committee for almost a decade, one of

my main missions has been to address this gap in perception.

Our nations face an unprecedented set of challenges and threats. Having turned its back on cooperation with the West,

Russia is using every opportunity to undermine our societies and values, sow division, and challenge long-standing

rules of international law. It has sought to interfere in elections in an increasing number of countries and used a deadly

military-grade prohibited chemical weapon on UK soil. These actions pose a direct threat to the security of our people.

The same is true of the terrorists of Daesh – some of them our own citizens, brainwashed by Daesh’s hateful ideology to

turn against their own state and nation. Daesh has certainly been weakened, but many of the factors which have allowed

it to prosper – including within our own societies – must still be addressed.

This is why defence matters, and this is why it is essential that legislators, as the elected representatives of the people,

are directly involved in shaping defence policies. Domestically, as members of their national parliaments, but also

through multilateral institutions, such as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA).

No country can address challenges such as Russia or terrorism on its own. Europe and North America have long recognised

that they are each other’s best allies and that, by joining forces, they can make their citizens safer and serve as a pillar

of stability in the world. This was the premise behind the creation of NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – in

1949, and of the NATO PA in 1955. While NATO brings together the governments of its 29 member states, the NATO PA

gives parliamentarians a say in decisions affecting our common security.

This report illustrates how members of the Assembly have sought to enhance citizens’ awareness of today’s threats and

NATO’s role in addressing them, while representing their constituents’ concerns and interests in discussions over NATO’s

future course.

Much of the credit for the achievements described in this report go to my two immediate predecessors: Paolo Alli of Italy,

who served as the Assembly’s President until the expiration of his mandate with the Italian delegation to the Assembly

on 22 September, and Rasa Jukneviciene of Lithuania, who very ably fulfilled the remainder of Paolo Alli’s mandate until

my election on 19 November. Mr Alli represented the Assembly at the important Summit of NATO Heads of State and

Government in July where he presented the recommendations prepared by the Assembly’s 266 members of parliament

from Europe and North America. Ms Jukneviciene in turn was the first Assembly President to travel to Eastern Ukraine,

right up to the line of contact separating Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed so-called separatists, to express our

solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.

I am determined to build on their achievements and to continue to give national legislators, through our Assembly, a voice

in debates about our common challenges and the best way to defend our citizens. Our nations must be prepared to respond

to challenges wherever they come from – the North, the South, the East or the West, in a 360-degree approach. To do this,

our governments and parliaments must spend more and better on defence, and they must ensure that Europe and North

America share the burden for our common security equitably. We should also continue to promote stability in Europe’s

immediate neighbourhood, from Ukraine and Georgia to the Western Balkans, as these regions’ security affects ours too.

Several of these nations are seeking to join NATO and we should encourage them to implement the necessary reforms.

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Then President Paolo Alli (Italy) and

then Vice-President Rasa Jukneviciene

(Lithuania) during the 2017 Spring Session

in Tbilisi, Georgia, 29 May 2017

President Madeleine Moon (United Kingdom) and

outgoing President Rasa Jukneviciene (Lithuania)

at the end of the Assembly’s 64

Annual Session in

Halifax, Canada, 19 November 2018

2019 will mark NATO’s 70

anniversary. This will be an important opportunity for all members of the Assembly to

redouble efforts to explain to our citizens why defence matters to them and how NATO makes them safer. Many

of our citizens think of the NATO Alliance only in terms of our political, defence, and security responsibilities in hard

kinetic forms of deterrence. We need to build awareness of the vital role NATO and the Parliamentary Assembly play in

promoting science and technology, environmental, economic, and civilian aspects of security. I want us to do more to

demonstrate those aspects of our work by extending and widening the distribution of all of our reports, including this one.

Opportunities for outreach and educational work in 2019 when we celebrate the 70

anniversary of our Alliance must

be part of our forward planning.

As the first woman elected President of our Assembly for a full term, I also want to promote awareness of the invaluable

work a growing number of women do in defence.

Our Assembly includes immense talent among both the more experienced and the younger generation, and I will give

each and every member the maximum opportunity to contribute to our important work, at the service of our citizens.

Madeleine Moon

(United Kingdom)*

President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

* Madeleine Moon has been a member of the British House of Commons since 2005 and joined the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in 2010. She was elected President

of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Halifax, Canada, in November 2018.

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PREFACE

NATO is a remarkable success story. For 70 years, it has remained the cornerstone of its members’ security, successfully

adapting to successive transformations in the political, security, economic, and technological landscape.

The reason for NATO’s success is that it is based upon values and principles: the values of democracy, individual liberty,

and the rule of law, and the principle of collective defence.

That principle of collective defence – enshrined in Article 5 of the NATO Treaty – is probably the best-known aspect

of NATO, but it is the lesser-known founding values which define NATO as a community, provide its guiding compass,

and have enabled it to navigate through the various strategic upheavals that have taken place over the last

seven decades.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly – while being distinct from NATO itself – symbolises and embodies the Alliance’s

democratic credentials, and as an independent parliamentary body it has the freedom to address issues which do not

feature directly on NATO’s agenda - for sound institutional reasons – but which the Assembly deems of importance to

the NATO community of nations.

The Assembly’s reports are, of course, the most obvious method for the Assembly to discuss a particular subject, and

each year the Assembly’s Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Groups prepare, discuss and usually adopt reports

on about 15 topics. These reports – which are intended to be both accessible and informed – enjoy a readership which

extends well beyond the Assembly’s members, and they represent a valuable contribution to thinking on and analysing

many of today’s key international challenges.

Valuable as they are, they are but one tool among many that the Assembly provides to its members. The Assembly’s

various bodies hold up to 40 meetings per year, some involving just a few members, while others count participants in

the hundreds.

These meetings enable the Assembly’s members to engage with the full spectrum of policy makers and shapers, ranging

from Heads of State and Government and military and civilian officials to academics and analysts, as well as with fellow

parliamentarians from more than 30 non-member parliaments and interparliamentary assemblies.

Information about most of the Assembly’s activities is available on the Assembly’s website and through various forms of

social media, but this cannot do justice to the rich detail and many personal interactions that underlie the Assembly’s work.

It is through such activities that the Assembly’s members were alerted to the growing unease in the United States

Congress about burden sharing, well before it received new prominence in the 2014 Wales Summit Declaration and then

an even higher profile under the current United States administration.

Similarly, the Assembly’s engagement with non-member delegations from the Middle East and North Africa achieves far

more in promoting cooperation and understanding than any number of texts.

These are just two examples of where parliamentary diplomacy augments and complements other channels of

international engagement.

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

This annual report on the Assembly’s work is intended to illustrate the broad scope of the Assembly’s work and open a

window on the Assembly, particularly for those who are less familiar with its role and activities.

The Assembly provides its members - regardless of their political orientation or experience - with useful substantive

information and invaluable opportunities for exchanging views with fellow parliamentarians, NATO officials, and other

members of the policy community. In brief, the Assembly serves as a source of information, a forum for exchanging

views, and a crucible for developing and challenging new ideas. It thus adds a crucial parliamentary dimension to

international interactions. As a result, the Assembly not only enhances the ability of its members to conduct their national

parliamentary responsibilities related to foreign affairs and defence, it also serves to promote Alliance solidarity by

building indispensable parliamentary and public support for what the Alliance represents.

David Hobbs*

Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly

* David Hobbs (United Kingdom) has served as the Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly since January 2008. He first joined the NATO Parliamentary

Assembly’s International Secretariat in 1983 as Director of the Science and Technology Committee.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Presidential Annual Report serves as an introduction

to the NATO PA, presents the Assembly’s key activities in

2018, and supports institutional transparency.

NATO Heads of State and Government came together in

Brussels in July for an important Summit meeting, which,

despite some harsh rhetoric and publicly aired grievances,

reaffirmed Allies’ common vision of today’s threats

and NATO’s role in addressing them. The NATO PA was

represented at the Summit by its President – accompanied

for the first time by the Vice-Presidents – who presented

Allied legislators’ perspectives about the key priorities for

NATO.

(The 2018 NATO Summit)

Russia continues to challenge NATO and NATO Allies with

a range of aggressive actions. In 2018, it used a military-

grade nerve agent on UK soil, attempted to hack the

computer network of the Organisation for the Prohibition

of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and seized three Ukrainian

navy ships in the Kerch Strait. Throughout 2018 and across

all activities, the NATO PA continued to raise awareness

and build consensus among parliamentarians on ways to

counter the multifaceted challenge posed by this difficult

neighbour. The Assembly especially sought to highlight

Russia’s attempts to undermine Western democratic

institutions.

(Tackling Russia’s Multifaceted Challenge)

The volatile security situation in NATO’s southern

neighbourhood remains a central preoccupation for the

Alliance. Consequently, the region featured prominently

on the 2018 NATO PA agenda. In particular, Assembly

lawmakers focused on the main drivers of instability

in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and in the

Gulf, the fight against Daesh and other terrorist groups,

and the political and security situations in key countries.

(Instability in NATO’s Southern Neighbourhood)

New complex challenges from all directions have

challenged previous assumptions and forced governments

in Europe and North America to reassess previous cuts in

defence spending, investment, and troop deployments.

This in turn has reignited transatlantic tensions over the

perceived imbalance in the resources invested in defence

on the two sides of the Atlantic. In 2018, Assembly

members reaffirmed their support for the commitments

undertaken by NATO Heads of State and Government in

the 2014 Defence Investment Pledge.

(Burden Sharing

and Transatlantic Relations)

The combination of an increasingly volatile and unsettling

international situation and a changing global science

and technology (S&T) landscape makes Allied military

modernisation an urgent priority. In 2018, the Assembly

thus devoted considerable attention to defence S&T,

the challenges of cyber security and defence, and force

modernisation.

(Modernising Security and Defence)

In 2018, the Assembly continued to champion the

Euro-Atlantic and/or European integration of its Eastern

European partners Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and

Ukraine. The Assembly maintains special partnerships

with Georgia and Ukraine – two countries in part occupied

by Russia. The Assembly fully respects the Republic

of Moldova’s neutrality enshrined in its constitution,

and supports the country’s reform efforts.

(NATO’s

Eastern Partners)

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Stability in the Western Balkans remains crucial for Europe

and North America. The countries of the region have

come a long way in overcoming the difficult legacy of

the past. However they still confront a range of internal

and external challenges. Developments in recent years

have shown that NATO and the European Union cannot

take steady progress for granted. Assembly outreach

to the region thus remained a political priority in 2018,

which saw in particular a landmark agreement between

Skopje and Athens on the long-standing name issue.

(The Western Balkans)

As climate change opens new communication routes and

allows for greater exploitation of natural resources in the High

North, Russian military activity has increased significantly. In

2018, Assembly lawmakers continued to chart a course to

ensure the region remains an area of predictability, stability,

and cooperation, despite the potential for greater competition

and heightened tension.

(The High North)

Stability in North-East Asia is crucial beyond the region,

including for Europe’s and North America’s security

interests. 2018 Assembly activities focused, in particular,

on the behaviour of the Democratic People’s Republic of

Korea (North Korea), China’s rise on the international stage,

and strengthening the Assembly’s strong partnerships

with Japan and South Korea.

(North-East Asia)

Throughout 2018, the Assembly has continued to follow

developments in Afghanistan closely. All Allied nations

have a significant interest in enduring peace and stability

in the country and the broader region. Despite renewed

international attention and commitment to Afghanistan

in 2018, this has been a violent and challenging year for

the country at all levels. Assembly members urged Allied

governments to remain engaged and continue to assist

Afghan authorities to build a durable democracy. After

the many challenges which affected the parliamentary

elections held in 2018, the country is due to hold

presidential elections in 2019.

(Afghanistan)

The NATO PA has been an avid champion of the principle

that women are equal partners in the pursuit of peace

and security. Members continue to ensure that issues of

gender and security are mainstreamed into Assembly

activities. In 2018, the Assembly elected its first woman

President. It also released its fourth survey of national

implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS)

agenda, as laid out in United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1325. Encouragingly, parliaments reported a

greater and more diverse spectrum of contributions to the

WPS agenda.

(Strengthening Women’s Role in Peace

and Security)

The Assembly serves as a vital link between NATO and

its citizens. A long-standing commitment to help clarify

what NATO is and why it matters goes hand in hand with

this mission. Today, opinion polls show that young people

in most NATO countries have limited knowledge of the

Alliance and often take peace and security for granted.

As a consequence, the Assembly created a Working Group

on Education and Communication about NATO in late

2017. In 2018, the Working Group moved beyond “needs

assessment” and towards several recommendations and

concrete projects.

(Education and Communication

about NATO)

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THE ASSEMBLY EXPLAINED

WHY?

Since its creation in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary

Assembly (PA) has brought together members of parliament

from all Allied nations. The Assembly serves as a unique

parliamentary forum to discuss and influence decisions on

Alliance security.

The Assembly – made up of representatives of national

parliaments – is institutionally separate from NATO,

where decisions are made by representatives of national

governments. As such, the Assembly’s views are not legally

binding on NATO or its governments. However, the NATO PA

serves as an essential link between NATO and the parliaments

of its member nations, and it thus maintains a constructive and

active dialogue and cooperation with NATO.

The NATO PA:

•

facilitates parliamentary awareness and understanding

of the key issues affecting the security of the Euro-Atlantic

area;

•

supports national parliamentary oversight over defence

and security;

•

helps strengthen the transatlantic relationship;

•

promotes the values underpinning the Alliance;

•

provides greater transparency to NATO policies;

•

fosters better understanding of the Alliance’s objectives

and missions among legislators and citizens of the Alliance.

The Assembly brings together 266 members of parliament

from the 29 NATO national parliaments. Each delegation’s

size is related to its country’s population, and each delegation

must reflect the political composition of its parliament.

The Assembly’s membership, therefore, represents a broad

spectrum of political opinion within the Alliance.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly continuously responds

to the changing security environment. Partnerships with

lawmakers from countries seeking a closer association with

NATO are therefore essential. Even before the Cold War ended,

the Assembly reached out to members of parliaments from

the Warsaw Pact, and today the Assembly’s partnerships

are wide and deep. The NATO PA welcomes delegates from

12 associate countries and four Mediterranean associate

countries. Observers from eight other countries take part in

its activities. Thus, the Assembly complements and reinforces

NATO’s own programme of partnership and cooperation.

1. This includes the Chairman of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group.

Partnerships with international institutions are of

paramount importance as well. Therefore, the Organization

for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary

Assembly (OSCE PA), the Council of Europe Parliamentary

Assembly (PACE), and the European Parliament also

send delegates.

Other parliamentary delegations are invited on an ad hoc

basis. In the past, these have notably included delegations

from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Parliamentary

Assembly of the Mediterranean.

WHAT?

The Assembly’s governing body is the Standing Committee.

It performs a wide range of political, administrative, and

financial tasks; it also coordinates the overall work of the

Assembly. It is composed of the Head of each member

delegation, the President, the Vice-Presidents, the

Treasurer, and the Secretary General, and the Chairmen of

all the Committees

The President is elected by his/her peers to represent

the Assembly and act as its leading political officer. The

five Vice-Presidents, the President, and the Treasurer

collectively form the Assembly’s Bureau. The Bureau’s

main function is to ensure the overall guidance and

coherence of the Assembly’s policies and activities in the

interval between meetings of the Standing Committee; it

also acts as the “first responder” when internal or external

events require a decision or statement by the Assembly.

Five Committees (including their eight Sub-Committees)

are charged with examining the security and policy

challenges confronting Allied countries and are responsible

for most of the Assembly’s substantive work:

• the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security

• the Defence and Security Committee

• the Economics and Security Committee

• the Political Committee

• the Science and Technology Committee

Other Assembly bodies include:

• the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group

• the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council

• the Georgia-NATO Interparliamentary Council

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

NATO-Russia Parliamentary Committee

was discontinued

in April 2014 following Russia’s military intervention in

Ukraine and its decision to annex the Ukrainian province of

Crimea in March 2014.

The

International Secretariat,

under its Secretary General,

is responsible for the bulk of research and analysis that

supports the Assembly’s Committees, Sub-Committees and

other groups, as well as all the practical and administrative

arrangements for all its activities and meetings.

HOW?

The Assembly organises some 40 activities every year,

bringing together between ten and 350 members of

parliament in various formats.

The Committees and Sub-Committees meet several

times during the year and organise visits to both NATO

and non-NATO countries. In these meetings, they receive

briefings from leading government and parliamentary

representatives as well as senior academics and experts.

Two particularly

large-scale meetings

are organised

each year: the Spring and Annual Sessions. During the

Spring Session, elected Committee and Sub-Committee

rapporteurs present draft reports for a first discussion.

The reports are then revised and updated for further

discussion, amendment, and adoption at the Annual

Session in the autumn.

At the Annual Session, the Committees also produce policy

recommendations. Once adopted in the plenary sitting,

these are forwarded to the NATO Secretary General and

to national governments and parliaments. Although these

policy recommendations are not binding, NATO’s Secretary

General provides a written reaction to them, and they are

widely seen as important indications of political sentiment

on key topics within the Alliance.

The NATO PA’s activities do not stop here, however:

• The Rose-Roth Programme

is an outreach effort to assist

partner countries in the Euro-Atlantic region, mainly in the

Balkans and the South Caucasus, as they continue to face

challenging transition processes. Particular attention is paid

to promoting the principles of democratic control of armed

forces and to the development of effective parliamentary

oversight of defence and the military.

•

The NATO Orientation Programme is focused primarily on

young or newly elected members of parliament from NATO

and partner nations, as well as those newly assigned to

security or foreign affairs responsibilities. The programme

aims at providing an in-depth overview of NATO and its

evolving partnerships.

• The Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum

in Washington DC

aims to provide an annual discussion of the state of the

transatlantic relationship.

•

The President and the Bureau regularly represent the

Assembly at external events and conferences; they can

also hold separate high-level visits as a way to signal the

Assembly’s particular interest in a specific topic or location,

or in response to significant international events which call

for a quick Assembly reaction.

WHO? - MEMBERSHIP AND NUMBER OF SEATS

7 18

Member States = 29

Delegates = 266

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2018 AT A GLANCE

THE FIVE LARGEST ASSEMBLY ACTIVITIES

800+

733

2,540+

delegates

participated in

Assembly activities

390+

Participants at the

Annual Session in

Halifax, Canada

Participants at

the Spring Session in

Warsaw, Poland

244

160

Participants at the Joint

Committee Meetings in

Brussels, Belgium

Participants at the

Rose-Roth

Seminar in Skopje

female members

of the Assembly

(18.8 %)

323

male members

of the Assembly

(81.2 %)

CURRENT MEMBERS’ LENGTH OF SERVICE AT THE NATO PA

(IN YEARS)

women hold

elected positions

in the Assembly

(25.3 %)

men hold elected

positions in the

Assembly

(74.7 %)

0-1

1-2

2-3

3-4

4-5

5-6

6-7

7-8

8-9

SOCIAL MEDIA/COMMUNICATION (AS OF 18/12/2018)

4,728

followers

on Twitter

(@natopapress)

6,070

people like the NATO

Parliamentary Assembly /

Assemblée parlementaire

de l’OTAN on Facebook

335

NATO PA

members active

on Twitter

photo

albums

published

(on Flickr)

official press

releases

published on the

NATO PA website

Participants at the 97

Rose-Roth Seminar in

Batumi, Georgia

9-10

10+

members of

parliament participated

in Assembly activities

146

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

PLACES VISITED

3 22

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Canada

Czech Republic

Estonia

France

Finland

Georgia

10.

Hungary

11.

Iceland

12.

Japan

13.

Lithuania

14.

Montenegro

15.

Norway

16.

Poland

17.

Portugal

18.

Qatar

19.

Republic of Korea

20.

Republic of Moldova

21.

Saudi Arabia

22.

Serbia

23.

Spain

24.

Republic of North Macedonia

25.

Ukraine

26.

United Arab Emirates

27.

United States

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THE ASSEMBLY’S WORK – PERSPECTIVES

FROM THE COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL DIMENSION

OF SECURITY

“The work of our NATO PA Committee on the Civil Dimension

of Security has been invaluable within the framework of

our duties as parliamentarians in a changing multipolar

world which has become more dangerous than ever. The

exchange of ideas and experience with our colleagues from

the European and transatlantic communities has allowed us

a much better collective geostrategic awareness of multiple

hybrid and often hidden threats, with tools and models to

try and deal with them, most notably in the fields of cyber

security, sovereignty and the fight against terrorism.”

Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam (France), Chairperson since October 2017

DEFENCE AND SECURITY COMMITTEE

“The NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as a clearing

house for information about issues directly related to

the peace and security of NATO member states and their

partners. With direct access to NATO decision makers

and national leaders in meetings and on parliamentary

missions, as well as via an excellent in-house research

staff at the international secretariat in Brussels, NATO PA

members are well equipped to inform and shape debates

about critical issues in their home parliaments.”

Hon. Michael R. Turner (United States), Chairperson since

November 2018

ECONOMICS AND SECURITY COMMITTEE

“Participation in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly gives me

the opportunity to acquire information on the most recent

scientific advances, the introduction of new technologies, the

development of new types of armaments, and the latest

methods and resources used in combating terrorism. The

annual parliamentary meetings with the OECD provide an

excellent outlook on the global financial situation and on

developments in the education sector, as well as an objective

view on Latvia’s position among other developed countries. All

these aspects contribute to improving our national legislation.”

Ivans Klementjevs (Latvia), Chairperson since October 2017

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

POLITICAL COMMITTEE

“Although NATO is a defensive alliance, the political

dimension is never far away from our considerations.

The opportunity to share opinions with parliamentarians

of all the NATO nations is extremely valuable to me in

directing the activities of my Committee.”

Rt. Hon. Lord Campbell Of Pittenweem (United Kingdom),

Chairperson since November 2018

“Parliaments not only oversee the policies and activities of

their defence and foreign ministries, they can both supplement

and enact those policies. The NATO PA provides a dynamic

platform for active parliamentary diplomacy, information

exchange, and cooperation. Thanks to the NATO PA staff, the

Political Committee has been an invaluable resource for every

MP involved in defence and security matters.”

Ojars Eriks Kalnins (Latvia), Chairperson from October 2015 to

November 2018

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

“Being a member of the NATO PA helps me to be a better

parliamentarian at home. Through my membership of the

Assembly, I have access to more information than just what

I receive from my government. And I have been able to build

up an international network of contacts, which is very useful.

Especially being a member of the Science and Technology

Committee is very useful. The Committee deals with topics

that are not often on the agenda of national parliaments

and governments. It follows trends and new technologies in

defence and cyber security and looks at how the global S&T

world is changing. For NATO countries it is very important to

stay abreast on the S&T edge and collaborate in this field.”

Maria Martens (Netherlands), Chairperson since October 2018

MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE EAST

SPECIAL GROUP

“Given the strategic challenges to the Alliance’s security on

its Southern Flank as well as in the Mediterranean and the

Middle East, the GSM – which it is an honour to chair – is a

unique forum for dialogue and exchange, where challenges

are shared and solutions are pursued collectively.”

Philippe Folliot (France), Chairperson since September 2018

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THE 2018 NATO SUMMIT

Opening Ceremony of the Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government, Brussels, 11 July 2018

Photo Credit: NATO

A key milestone for NATO – and the Assembly – in 2018

was the Summit meeting of NATO Heads of State and

Government held in Brussels on 11-12 July. NATO is strictly

an intergovernmental organisation, meaning that all its

policies are decided collectively by its 29 member states,

each represented on a daily basis by an ambassador and

several times a year by ministers. Every other year, generally,

the Heads of State and Government of the 29 also get

together to review NATO’s strategic priorities. On these

occasions, the Assembly – represented by its President – is

invited to present parliamentarians’ perspectives.

The 2018 NATO Summit came amid a period of serious

transatlantic differences: over trade, with the United

States and the European Union on the one hand and the

United States and Canada on the other engaged in difficult

re-negotiations; over the Iranian nuclear deal, which the

United States renounced but which European parties

continued to support; over international agreements

on climate change, from which the United States is

withdrawing; and, most directly relevant for NATO, over

Washington’s sharp criticism of the ongoing gap in defence

spending between the United States and the other Allies.

“In many countries we take freedom and peace for granted

[…] Our Assembly [is] working to educate and convince our

publics that spending for defence is investing for the future.”

Paolo Alli (Italy), President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (November 2016-September 2018)

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ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

These heavy political clouds loomed over the NATO

Summit, which took place just a few days after a difficult

G7 meeting and shortly before a bilateral summit

between the United States and Russian Presidents in

Saint Petersburg. All experts addressing the

special

meeting

of the Assembly convened the day before the

opening of the NATO Summit spoke of unprecedented

uncertainty about the Summit’s outcome.

Indeed, the Summit did see harsh rethoric and publicly-

aired grievances over burden sharing and energy deals

with Russia, but the decisions taken by NATO leaders

affirmed Allied unity and strengthened NATO’s response

to the entire range of challenges facing Allies. As such,

it confirmed the adaptation initiated in 2014 following

Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s province of Crimea

and the global threat then posed by Daesh.

Addressing NATO leaders on the first day of the

Summit,

then NATO PA President Paolo Alli (Italy) stressed that

“the NATO PA has long recognised unfair burden sharing

as a threat to Allied unity” and “urge[d] parliaments and

governments to close the transatlantic gap on spending,

capabilities, and contributions to operations”. For the

first time, the Assembly’s Vice-Presidents were invited

to witness the President’s address. The President also

spoke at a public conference organised on the margins

of the Summit, where, together with United States

Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis, he affirmed the

unwavering support of parliaments on both sides of the

Atlantic for NATO.

The special

declaration

on “Affirming NATO’s Unity and

Credibility at the Brussels Summit” authored by then

Vice-President Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (United

Kingdom) and adopted by the Assembly ahead of the

NATO Summit in turn noted “the continuing need to

modernise NATO’s structures and processes to ensure

that it adapts to evolving security challenges” and “the

importance of explaining and demonstrating to citizens in

Europe and North America how the resources invested in

defence – including NATO – contribute to their security”.

As the next chapters illustrate, the Brussels Summit

featured prominently across many of the Assembly’s

discussions throughout 2018.

Members of the NATO PA Bureau attending the Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government,

Brussels, 11 July 2018

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TACKLING RUSSIA’S

MULTIFACETED CHALLENGE

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addressing the NATO PA during the Spring Session in Warsaw,

Poland, on 28 May 2018

Photo Credit: NATO

Russia continues to challenge NATO’s will with a range of

aggressive actions – from conventional sabre rattling to

destabilising hybrid tactics. In 2018, Russia’s reckless and

aggressive behaviour in defiance of international norms

included some striking examples. In the United Kingdom,

Russia used a military-grade nerve agent to poison Sergei

and Yulia Skripal, leading to the death of a British citizen.

In the Netherlands, Moscow attempted to hack the

computer network of the Organisation for the Prohibition

of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and in Ukraine, its navy

seized three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait.

At NATO’s Brussels Summit, Allied leaders made it clear

there can be no return to ‘business as usual’ until Russia

changes this pattern of behaviour.

The Assembly continues to support NATO’s dual-track

approach to Russia based on strong defence and

deterrence on the one hand and meaningful dialogue

on the other. In their

declaration

ahead of the Brussels

Summit and at the Annual Session in Halifax, Assembly

lawmakers reiterated their backing of current sanctions

against the Russian regime.

“We must continue to

strengthen the deterrence

on the eastern ﬂank

because we don’t see,

up to now, any change

in the behaviour of the

Russian Federation.”

Paolo Alli (Italy), President of the NATO

Parliamentary Assembly (November 2016 –

September 2018)

Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and its armed

support to separatist militants in Eastern Ukraine, the

Assembly expelled the Russian parliament from the NATO

PA. The NATO PA remains open to resuming parliamentary

dialogue once Russia demonstrates willingness to respect

international laws and norms.

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ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Colonel István Topor, Commander of the NATO Force

Integration Unit (NFIU) in Székesfehérvár, Hungary,

welcoming members of the Sub-Committees on

Democratic Governance and on Transatlantic Defence

and Security Cooperation, 1 October 2018

Photo Credit: NFIU HUN PAO

Ausrine Armonaite (Lithuania), Rapporteur of the

Sub-Committee on Transition and Development,

presenting her report

The Energy Security

Challenge in Central and Eastern Europe

during

the Assembly’s 64

Annual Session in Halifax,

Canada, 17 November 2018

Throughout the year, the NATO PA continued to raise

awareness and build consensus among parliamentarians

on ways to counter the challenges posed by this difficult

neighbour. The Assembly has expressed its solidarity with the

United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Georgia, and other

countries targeted by the Kremlin and its proxies.

In his 2018

report

and

resolution,

Joseph A. Day (Canada)

called for stronger defences on the Alliance’s eastern

borders to counter a Russian military build-up. “The current

configuration of conventional forces in the Alliance’s

eastern territories remains insufficient”, he argues. “A

robust and effective defence of all of NATO’s territories

and populations is essential”.

In June, then President Paolo Alli (Italy) and a delegation of

Assembly members visited troops deployed under NATO’s

enhanced Forward Presence in

Estonia.

The delegates

strongly supported initiatives to ensure the availability

and mobility of NATO deployable forces if Russia were to

attempt any military reaction inside of Alliance territory.

The Assembly’s

declaration

ahead of the NATO Summit in

Brussels thus called on NATO governments “to continue to

ensure the sustainability and readiness” of troops deployed

in the East, and “to remove […] legal and regulatory

impediments to the mobility of Allied forces in Europe”.

The Summit endorsed important measures to address

these issues, including a NATO Readiness Initiative, the

establishment of two new military commands – one for the

Atlantic and another to oversee troop movements across

Europe – and a timeline for enhancing military mobility in

close cooperation with the European Union.

Ahead of the Annual Session in Halifax, then President

Rasa Jukneviciene (Lithuania) noted that Russia was

using hybrid tactics to undermine Western democratic

institutions from within. Therefore, “parliaments and

elections are the new frontlines of our security,” she said.

In her 2018

report

and

resolution,

Susan Davis (United

States) tackled Russia’s use of cyber and information

operations to undermine democratic processes in Allied

countries. She told her peers that “like a vicious virus,

disinformation campaigns and c yberattack s have

exploited our weaknesses and vulnerabilities”. She thus

calls on Allies to strengthen their election infrastructure

and democratic institutions.

Lord Jopling (United Kingdom) delved deeper into Russian

tactics in a 2018

report

and

resolution.

“Moscow’s use

of hybrid techniques is neither random nor spontaneous.

It is a manifestation of a well-thought out, well-funded,

and coordinated strategy,” he writes. He therefore remains

“convinced that the Allied leaders should initiate the drafting

of the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept” (the last one dates

back from 2010, before Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea).

Moscow also continues to wield its energy resources as

a political weapon. “We need to understand the links

between Russia’s energy business and its aggressive

geopolitical posture,” said Ausrine Armonaite (Lithuania),

author of a

report

and

resolution

on energy security. While

visiting

Azerbaijan,

an Assembly delegation discussed the

prospect of the Southern Gas Corridor as a major step in

diversifying the energy supply base of southern Europe.

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INSTABILITY IN NATO’S SOUTHERN

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Julio Miranda

Calha (Portugal),

General Rapporteur

of the Political

Committee,

presenting the

PC’s resolution

Reinforcing NATO’s

contribution to

Tackling Challenges

from the South

during the

Assembly’s 64

Annual Session in

Halifax, Canada,

19 November 2018

The volatile security situation in NATO’s southern

neighbourhood remains a preoccupation for the Alliance.

Consequently, the region featured prominently on the

2018 NATO PA agenda. In particular, Assembly lawmakers

focused on the main drivers of instability in the Middle

East and North Africa (MENA), the fight against Daesh

and other terrorist groups, and the political and security

situations in key countries.

In his

report

and

resolution

on the Alliance’ southern

neighbourhood, Julio Miranda Calha (Portugal) argues

that economic, social, and environmental problems are

key drivers feeding the unstable security situation in

the MENA region. Violent extremists and armed political

groups exploit these problems to operate with ease and

recruit freely.

The fight against Daesh and other terrorist groups

remains a top priority. When then President Paolo Alli

(Italy) addressed the

2018 Brussels Summit,

he offered

words of caution. While Daesh is being defeated in Iraq

and Syria, “[…] terrorism is not dying: it will find new and

unpredictable ways of reappearing”. Thus, he added, “we

must increase our attention to the Southern Flank and the

commitment against terrorism”.

Military and security responses remain essential. NATO

governments played their part by supporting the Global

Coalition Against Daesh. President Madeleine Moon

(United Kingdom) highlighted in a

report

the important

role that Special Operation Forces in particular play

in counterterrorism.

At the same time, in their

declaration

for the Brussels

Summit, Assembly members called on NATO governments

“to strengthen support to defence capacity-building in the

partner countries of the southern shores” so they can better

address security challenges. They highlighted the essential

role of NATO’s Hub for the South as a platform for dialogue

and cooperation with southern partners on common

security challenges. In Brussels, Allied Heads of State and

Government officially declared the Hub’s full capability.

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Sur veying the security situation across the MENA

region, Mr Calha notes, “the Libyan civil war resulted in

unregulated proliferation of weapons, explosives, and

military equipment”, with al-Qaeda and Daesh being the

clear beneficiaries.

Iraq remains a vulnerable – potentially unstable – country.

Many of the root causes that led to the emergence of

Daesh are still present. In 2018, the Iraqi government thus

asked NATO to launch a training and capacity-building

mission. Speaking at a special meeting on Iraq and Syria

at the Annual Session in Halifax, the Deputy Speaker of

the Iraqi Parliament, Basher Khalil Tofiq, called on his

colleagues “to support Iraq economically and security-

wise in order to restore the infrastructure that has been

destroyed in the battles while fighting terrorism”.

The war in Syria fuels radicalisation and the refugee and

migrant crisis. Support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah has

enabled the Assad regime to regain control of large parts

of the country. Consequently, Syria’s war has mutated into

a largely geopolitical conflict between outside powers.

Mr Calha stresses that only a diplomatic solution between

all responsible stakeholders can lead to success.

To tackle the refugee and migrant crisis, the Assembly urges

the international community to encourage the countries

of origin to address the factors making people leave their

homes. NATO has been assisting with the management of

refugee flows in the Mediterranean, hand in hand with the

EU. However, NATO Allies must further increase support for

adequate search and rescue capabilities in the Mediterranean

Sea, urges Jane Cordy (Canada) in another

report.

The Gulf region remains another area of concern for the

Assembly. The Assembly thus drafted a GSM report on

recent developments and visited the

United Arab Emirates,

Saudi Arabia

and

Qatar

to gain first-hand impressions.

Carlos Costa Neves (Portugal) – the report’s author –

notes the region represents an important challenge for the

Alliance. “Conflicting national interests, the Iranian issue,

the Qatar crisis, and the war in Yemen constitute major

barriers to substantial progress”.

NATO Allies and Gulf countries can do more to strengthen

their cooperation. “The NATO PA has a great role to play in

that regard and should help foster dialogue between all

actors involved in the Gulf region,” Mr Costa Neves argues.

H.E. Ms Amal Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) of the United Arab Emirates, briefing

members of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group and of the Sub-Committee on Technology Trends

and Security during a meeting with members of the FNC in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 10 January 2018

“If the Alliance wants to stabilise its southern neighbourhood

it needs to continue, and indeed increase, its attention and

support for its partners in the Mediterranean.”

Julio Miranda Calha (Portugal), General Rapporteur of the Political Committee

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BURDEN SHARING AND

TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

Attila Mesterhazy (Hungary), then Rapporteur of the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Defence and Security

Cooperation, presenting his report

Burden Sharing: New Commitments in a New Era

during the 64

Annual

Session in Halifax, Canada, 17 November 2018

New complex challenges from all directions, particularly the

East and the South, have challenged previous assumptions

and forced governments in Europe and North America to

reassess previous cuts in defence spending, investment,

and troop deployments. This in turn has reignited

discussions over the perceived imbalance in the resources

invested in defence on the two sides of the Atlantic.

Due to the critical role parliaments play in determining

resource allocation to defence budgets and in the deployment

of forces, burden sharing – as this issue is referred to – is a key

focus of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Members of the United States Congress – from both sides

of the aisle – have consistently called on their European

counterparts to take the measure of the current imbalance

and its impact on transatlantic solidarity. Brett Guthrie

(United States) thus stressed at the Assembly’s Annual

Session in Halifax “the strong bipartisan congressional

support for NATO and for a robust US role in NATO” while

noting that “[a]s politicians, we should also be acutely

aware that strong and sustained political support for

NATO depends on there being a fair and equitable sharing

of the burden in the Alliance.” Assembly Presidents and

members heard this same message consistently during

their multiple visits to the United States throughout 2018.

In his

report

on the topic, Attila Mesterhazy (Hungary) noted

the substantive shift in the long-standing burden sharing

debate that was made at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales,

when Allies committed to moving towards dedicating 2 %

of their GDP for defence spending by 2024 – 20 % of which

would fund new equipment and R&D. Parliaments should

think about the burden sharing debate in terms of “the needs

for a unified Allied commitment to fulfilling the political goals

they have set for themselves to tackle the new security

environment and thereby continue to guarantee the peace

and security of NATO populations and territory”, he stressed.

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ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

“There is a new sense of urgency for all Allies to invest

the resources necessary to make our defence forces and

societies capable of handling the complex and disparate

security challenges facing them today.”

Attila Mesterhazy (Hungary), outgoing Rapporteur of the Defence and Security Committee Sub-Committee on Transatlantic

Defence and Security Cooperation

The United States is redoubling its investments in

European security via the European Deterrence Initiative

(EDI), resulting in an increased United States presence in

Eastern Europe as well as more exercising, infrastructure,

equipment prepositioning, and capacity building. Europe

and Canada are also doing more, increasing their defence

spending by USD 87 billion since 2014 and expanding their

participation in missions, operations, and exercises. Many

Allies, however, still have far to go to reach the objectives

set in the Wales Defence Investment Pledge.

The Assembly’s

declaration

ahead of the Brussels Summit

as well as resolutions sponsored by

Mr Mesterhazy

and

Leona Alleslev

(Canada) at the Annual Session in Halifax

encourage Allied parliamentarians to lead their national

parliamentary debates about defence spending and ensure

that their countries fulfil the Wales commitments.

In her acceptance speech, President Madeleine Moon

(United Kingdom) further stressed that this discussion

required “tough decisions and honesty”. “I know that

moving towards the 2 % target is a struggle for a number

of countries and for delegates to this Assembly, but,

given the threats that we face, we all know that this is an

objective that we need to meet”, she stated.

The year 2018 was marked by other differences in

transatlantic relations, notably over the Iranian nuclear

deal, climate change, and trade. While these have not

directly affected NATO as such, Faik Oztrak (Turkey), author

of a

report

on trade, warned that “[o]ur Alliance’s long-

term success hinges not only on our military readiness and

shared values, but also our capacity to maintain vibrant

economies and to resolve economic disputes in a calm and

effective manner”.

DEFENCE EXPENDITURE AS A SHARE OF GDP (%)

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

Poland**

Greece

United Kingdom

Lithuania**

United States

Netherlands

Romania**

2.27

2.24

3.50

(Based on 2010 prices and exchange rates)

2.10

2.00

1.98

1.96

1.93

1.81

1.68

1.61

1.58

1.56

1.36

1.35

1.30

1.24

1.23

1.21

1.20

1.19

1.15

1.11

NATO guideline 2%

1.08

1.01

0.93

0.55

Slovakia

Latvia**

Estonia

Portugal

Norway

Canada

France

Italy

Czech Republic

Denmark

Montenegro

Hungary

Slovenia

Bulgaria

Croatia

Albania

Turkey

Germany

Spain

Notes: Figures for 2018 are estimates

* Defence expenditure does not include pensions.

** With regard to 2018, these countries have either national laws or political agreements which call for at least 2 %

of GDP to be spent on defence annually, consequently these estimates are expected to change accordingly.

2014

2018e

Defence expenditure, NATO July 2018.

Credit: NATO

Luxembourg

Belgium

0.0

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MODERNISING SECURITY

AND DEFENCE

Leona Alleslev (Canada), Special Rapporteur of the Science and Technology Committee, presenting

her report

NATO Science and Technology: Maintaining the Edge and Enhancing Alliance Agility

during

the Assembly’s 64

Annual Session in Halifax, Canada, 18 November 2018

NATO faces an increasingly volatile and unsettling

international situation, and a changing global science and

technology (S&T) landscape presents new challenges to

Allied armed forces. In combination, these trends make

Allied military modernisation an urgent priority. In 2018,

the Assembly thus devoted considerable time and effort

to defence S&T, the challenges of cyber security and

defence, and force modernisation.

report

by Leona Alleslev (Canada) points to the real

possibility that the Alliance could fall behind in defence S&T

in the coming years. She therefore calls on Allies to live up

to their defence spending commitments under the Wales

Defence Investment Pledge, modernise defence innovation

and S&T policies, and make NATO fit for purpose. If they

fail to do so, “the Alliance could face a capability gap so

significant it would be challenging to remedy”.

The Assembly also adopted Ms Alleslev’s

resolution

send a strong signal to NATO senior leadership as well as

Allied governments and parliaments: the Alliance must

maintain the S&T edge and enhance its agility.

Throughout 2018, Jean-Marie Bockel (France) examined

how the ongoing revolution in the space industry could

lead to increased interstate rivalry. His

report

welcomes

NATO’s new 2018 Space Policy and its commitment to

promote the non-militarisation of space. Consequently,

the Assembly adopted his

resolution

urging Allies “to

work to ensure that space remains an arena of global

cooperation despite its importance to national military

and intelligence establishments”.

President Madeleine Moon (United Kingdom) authored

report

on the need to increase investment in special

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ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

operation forces, as they are better suited to deal with

asymmetrical threats from Russia, terrorist groups,

and lone-wolf attacks. Calling on Allies to step up, she

says NATO must “pay far more attention to how our

governments are funding, outfitting, and structuring

our armed forces”. Allied special operations forces “are

increasingly overtasked, under resourced, or insufficiently

built up for today’s requirements”.

Threats in the cyber and information space are becoming

absolutely critical. In a

report

focused on Russian

interference in democratic processes, Susan Davis (United

States) stresses the Assembly “cannot relent and must

continue to keep a sharp eye on cyber and information

threats”. She thus urges the Alliance to “become quicker

in analysing cyber threats and better in responding in a

coordinated, multidisciplinary way”.

In another cyber-related

report,

Matej Tonin (Slovenia)

examined how Daesh and other groups use encrypted

messaging, the dark web, and cryptocurrencies. For such groups,

these technologies play an important role in communications,

command and control, financing, and illicit acquisitions.

Mr Tonin urges Allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies

to “better understand the evolving use of cryptographic

technologies as well as their opportunities and risks”.

Enhanced coordination between NATO and the EU on

disinformation, cyber, and hybrid threats is helping enhance

national and collective responses. Assembly members

exchanged on these issues with their colleagues from the

European Parliament at a joint

high-level event

in June,

and the Assembly’s declaration ahead of the NATO Summit

called for “the development of NATO-EU cooperation

and coordination (…) to enhance NATO and EU members’

response to common challenges and prevent duplication”.

In 2018, Assembly delegations also had excellent

opportunities to learn about the impact of rapidly changing

technology on international security. A visit to

Boston and

New York

provided useful insights on cyber security and

robotics, while in

San Diego and Silicon Valley,

members

learnt that artificial intelligence will be at the heart of

most – if not all – future cutting-edge technologies. In

addition, in

Paris and Toulouse,

members examined how

new commercial space vistas will transform the global

economy and could affect security relations.

Allied and partner efforts to bolster defensive capabilities

and drive military modernisation were in focus on visits to

Estonia, Finland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, Japan,

Portugal and Spain, and

the United States.

“NATO’s unrivalled defence

science and technology

(S&T) edge remains the

lifeblood of current and

future capabilities.”

Leona Alleslev (Canada), Special Rapporteur of the

Science and Technology Committee

Demonstration

at a robotics

company in

Chelmsford,

United States,

during the

Sub-Committee

on Transatlantic

Relations’ visit,

23 October 2018

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NATO’S EASTERN PARTNERS

Ulla Schmidt

(Germany), General

Rapporteur of the

Committee on the

Civil Dimension of

Security, presenting

her report

Fostering

Democracy and

Human Rights

in the Black Sea

Region

at the

Spring Session in

Warsaw, Poland,

26 May 2018

Photo Credit:

Chancellery of the Sejm

Krzysztof Białoskórski

In 2018, the Assembly continued to champion the Euro-

Atlantic and/or European integration of its Eastern European

partners Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

The Assembly remains a leading voice in promoting NATO’s

Open Door and partnership policies. Both Georgia and

Ukraine aspire to become members of the Alliance. While

constitutionally neutral, the Republic of Moldova seeks to

draw closer to Euro-Atlantic standards and institutions. The

Assembly and NATO fully respect the Republic of Moldova’s

neutrality and support the country’s reform efforts.

NATO and Ukrainian lawmakers continued their dialogue

in the framework of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary

Council (UNIC), which met in

Odesa

in March 2018.

Members reaffirmed the condemnation of Russia’s

illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory, its military

build-up in the Black Sea, and its ongoing violations of

the fundamental rights of local populations in Crimea.

UNIC co-chairs Iryna Gerashchenko, Vice-Speaker of the

Verkhovna Rada,

and Raynell Andreychuk (Canada) called

on Allied parliamentarians to continue to build solidarity

and support for Ukraine in their respective parliaments.

Then President Rasa Jukneviciene visited Ukraine twice.

This included a historic visit to

Eastern Ukraine.

In the

frontline village of Shyrokyne, she conveyed a message

of solidarity to Ukrainian soldiers in the face of Russia’s

ongoing aggression. In Kyiv, during a meeting with

President Petro Poroshenko, she praised efforts to anchor

Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration progress through

constitutional changes.

In November 2018, Russia seized three Ukrainian Navy

ships. President Madeleine Moon (United Kingdom)

immediately

called upon

Russia to release the captured

vessels and allow Ukraine to exercise its right to free

navigation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov.

In her 2018

report,

Ulla Schmidt (Germany) examined

the implementation of urgent reforms in Ukraine. She

praised the adoption of numerous legislative packages

but highlighted the need to strengthen administrative

capacities to ensure efficient implementation. The 2019

presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine will

be another test of the country’s continued commitment

to reforms.

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ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

In April in Batumi, the Assembly reiterated its support to

the Euro-Atlantic integration and territorial integrity of

Georgia at a high-level

Rose-Roth Seminar

and a meeting

of the Georgia-NATO Interparliamentary Council (GNIC).

In the Black Sea town, Georgia’s then President Giorgi

Margvelashvili urged Assembly members to “lock down the

area of freedom” in Eastern Europe. Otherwise, he argued,

these countries would be lost due to Russia’s persistent

campaign to chip away at pro-Western sentiments.

The Assembly also facilitated a series of meetings

between a high-level Georgian parliamentary delegation

and senior NATO officials in Brussels in February 2018.

Georgia remains a leader of democratic transformation

in its region. However, Ms Schmidt’s report and the

Assembly’s election observer delegation

expressed

concern

that the 2018 Presidential elections were

characterised by excessive polarisation, the abuse of

administrative resources, and an imbalance in resources

that created an unlevel playing field in Georgia.

Then President Jukneviciene also visited

the Republic of

Moldova

and met with the country’s senior political leaders

to highlight common security challenges and continued

partnership. The Republic of Moldova’s vector towards

European integration will face a very serious test in the 2019

parliamentary elections.

In her report, Ms Schmidt expresses concern about the

situation in the Republic of Moldova. She notes a polarised

society, under-reformed economy and political institutions,

as well as the unresolved dispute over the breakaway region

of Transnistria.

Then President Rasa Jukneviciene (Lithuania) with Andriy Parubiy,

Chairman of the

Verkhovna Rada

of Ukraine, during a joint press briefing

at Gnutove checkpoint in Eastern Ukraine, 9 November 2018

“We must make

a ﬁrm political

commitment

to ensure

[Georgia’s

and Ukraine’s]

transformation

into fully ﬂedged

members of

our community.

We have all

the resources

and experience

needed to

do this.”

Rasa Jukneviciene (Lithuania),

President of NATO Parliamentary

Assembly (September 2018 –

November 2018)

Shelled building in the strategically located village

of Shyrokyne, Eastern Ukraine, 9 November 2018

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THE WESTERN BALKANS

Senator Raynell

Andreychuk

(Canada),

Rapporteur of the

Sub-Committee on

NATO Partnerships,

presenting her

report

Security

in the Western

Balkans

at the

Annual Session

in Halifax, Canada,

18 November 2018

Stability in the Western Balkans remains crucial for Europe

and North America. The countries of the region have

come a long way in overcoming the difficult legacy of

the past. However, they still confront a range of internal

and external challenges. Developments in recent years

have shown that NATO and the EU cannot take steady

progress for granted. Assembly outreach to the region thus

remained a political priority in 2018.

Raynell Andreychuk (Canada) takes a hard look at the

challenges in her 2018

report.

Socio-economic progress

is limited, she argues. Nationalism, populism, and

radicalism are rising. Old and new forms of corruption

endure. Outside powers attempt to interfere in democratic

processes. Migration and refugee movements continue.

Ms Andreychuk therefore urges NATO and the EU to “become

more engaged and encourage the countries of the region to

continue their reforms with tangible and achievable goals”.

However, in 2018, the Assembly also saw encouraging signs

the region should continue to build on, and its

declaration

ahead of the Brussels Summit called on NATO governments

“to reaffirm NATO’s Open Door policy” and “to outline a clear

membership perspective for aspiring countries”.

Montenegro, which joined NATO in 2017, offers an

excellent model for the region. During the

visit

by then

President Rasa Jukneviciene (Lithuania) to the country in

October, Montenegrin officials stressed the benefits which

NATO membership had already brought to the country and

its people, including increased appeal for foreign direct

investment and tourism. At the same time, Montenegro

“The security of the

Western Balkans is

crucial for European and

Euro-Atlantic security.

What happens there

affects us all.”

Raynell Andreychuk (Canada), Rapporteur

of the Political Committee’s Sub-Committee

on NATO Partnerships

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Opening Session of

the 98

Rose-Roth

Seminar held in

Skopje, 27 June 2018

had significantly increased its own contributions to NATO

and Allied defence, and was actively supporting its

neighbours’ path towards NATO and EU membership.

The name dispute with Greece had blocked the former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s bids to join NATO and

the EU for many years. 2018 saw the historic signing of

the

Prespa agreement,

which establishes the name of the

Republic of North Macedonia and has opened the way for

Skopje to begin accession negotiations with NATO.

At the

Rose-Roth Seminar

held just days after the

agreement, Assembly lawmakers felt a palpable surge

of optimism in Skopje and commended the country’s

progress. Addressing the Assembly at the Annual Session

in Halifax, the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic

of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, stressed the benefits

and significance of the name agreement, stating that “we

are all winners because we opened the way for reason to

reach an acceptable solution for both sides […] we have

proved that when there is will, when there is a vision for

the future, everything is possible”. His words were echoed

by Christos Karagiannidis, Head of the Greek delegation

to the Assembly, who responded that “our wish, our will,

our hope is to live in peace with solidarity”. The Prespa

agreement, he said, can serve as a “paradigm for the

whole world”.

In the fall of 2018, NATO declared its readiness to accept

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first Annual National Programme,

if the country chooses to take the step. When Assembly

members visited

Sarajevo,

President Alli told fellow

lawmakers that the Assembly has always been consistent

in its support of a NATO Membership Action Plan for

the country. Members agreed that further Euro-Atlantic

integration helps equip governments in the region with the

tools to address ongoing political and economic challenges.

During

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s

October general elections,

Assembly observers saw genuinely competitive elections,

despite continuing segmentation along ethnic lines.

Then President Rasa Jukneviciene insisted that “[t]he

fundamental issues with the constitutional and legal

framework must be addressed”, while at the same time

saluting the “many election administration officials

committed to making the system work and many voters

committed to shaping their country’s future”.

Serbia-NATO cooperation is at an unprecedented level. In

Belgrade,

an Assembly delegation stressed the NATO PA’s

respect for the choice Serbia has made with regards to

both NATO and the EU.

Then President Alli also visited

Pristina,

where he told the

political leadership that “the European project will not

be complete without the full integration of the Western

Balkans, and that includes Kosovo”. He noted the progress

made by Pristina on its European path and encouraged

Kosovo authorities to continue implementing reforms

and strengthening the rule of law. However, he also

urged prudence and warned of the dangers of unilateral

approaches, particularly in connection with Pristina’s desire

to transform the Kosovo Security Force into an armed force.

Earlier in 2018, the Assembly also organised a parliamentary

training programme for lawmakers from the Assembly of

Kosovo with NATO PA and NATO officials in Brussels.

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THE HIGH NORTH

Senator Jane

Cordy (Canada),

Rapporteur of the

Sub-Committee

on Democratic

Governance,

presenting the

Committee on the

Civil Dimension

of Security’s

resolution

Security

and Cooperation

in the High North

at the 64

Annual

Session in Halifax,

Canada, 19

November 2018

As climate change risks triggering greater competition for

natural resources and communication routes in the High

North, Russian military activity has increased significantly.

In 2018, Assembly lawmakers continued to chart a course

to ensure the region remains an area of predictability,

stability, and cooperation.

An Assembly

resolution

adopted at the Annual Session

in Canada – one of NATO’s Arctic members – expressed

concern over the scale and scope of Russia’s military build-

up in the Arctic. Moscow is revamping its Northern Fleet,

establishing military infrastructure across the region, and

dramatically increasing air and submarine movement.

The Assembly urged member states to adapt NATO’s

strategic posture in the High North to the new security

realities. The Alliance should, for example, support Allied

Arctic littoral states in developing adequate defensive

capabilities. Assembly members also called for more

joint exercises in the High North. They welcomed NATO’s

Trident Juncture

exercise, hosted by Norway in 2018, as

a manifestation of renewed commitment to the collective

defence of the region.

At the same time, the NATO PA advised governments

to pursue a cooperative approach. All stakeholders

must work hard to prevent competition from becoming

insurmountable. “NATO’s involvement in the Arctic must

be carefully calibrated to ensure that the Arctic remains

an area of cooperation and low tension,” writes Jane Cordy

(Canada) in her

report.

Ms Cordy identifies search and rescue (SAR), scientific

research, and fisheries as areas where Arctic states could

further develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation with

Russia. She also underlines the need for additional SAR

assets to cope with a significant rise in human activities

in the region.

NATO PA lawmakers underscored the importance of

consulting indigenous communities on policies concerning

the Arctic. “When you talk about the Arctic, you are talking

about our homeland, you are talking about people. Security

in the North not only requires Inuit involvement, it requires

Inuit direction and oversight”, said Udloriak Hanson, a

government official from Canada’s northernmost territory,

Nunavut, at the Annual Session.

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

To acquire first-hand knowledge of the political, security,

and environmental situation, the Assembly organised

several visits to the High North. During the joint visit to

Oslo, Bodo and Evenes,

Norwegian officials and Assembly

members discussed the need to strengthen NATO’s northern

flank. Interlocutors stressed the imperative of enhancing

preparedness, supporting Allied assets on Norway’s

territory, and improving Alliance situational awareness.

Helsinki,

NATO parliamentarians learned how Arctic

Finland is coping with the new global and regional security

situation. Helsinki emphasised its commitment to the

principle of self-reliance and its role as a valuable security

partner in the Euro-Atlantic community.

In May 2018, then President Paolo Alli (Italy) also travelled

Iceland

to discuss security in the North Atlantic in the

run-up to the NATO Summit in Brussels.

In Norway, experts underlined that climate change has

caused the Artic to warm up twice as fast as other parts

of the world. In 2015, the Assembly recognised climate

change related risks as significant threat multipliers,

as well as climate change’s potential impact on NATO

planning and operations.

“Arctic Allies need to be

reassured in the face

of the ongoing Russian

military build-up.”

Jane Cordy (Canada), Rapporteur of the

Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security’s

Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance

Members of the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Defence and Security Cooperation and then President Paoli Alli

(Italy) during their visit to the Kaarti Jaeger Regiment on Santahamina Island, Helsinki, Finland, 13 June 2018

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NORTH-EAST ASIA

Congressman

Gerald E. Connolly

(United States),

Rapporteur of the

Sub-Committee

on Transatlantic

Relations,

presenting his

report

North

Korea’s Challenge

to International

Security:

Implications for

NATO

at the 64

Annual Session in

Halifax, Canada,

17 November 2018

Stability in North-East Asia is crucial beyond the region,

including for Europe’s and North America’s security

interests. Indeed, deepening tensions in North-East Asia

have important repercussions for NATO member states.

Consequently, NATO has global partnerships with Japan

and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Both remain

crucial interlocutors for the Assembly as well.

In recent years, the NATO PA has followed security

developments in this area closely. 2018 Assembly

activities focused, in particular, on the behaviour of the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea),

China’s rise on the international stage, and Alliance

partnerships in the region.

North Korea is a source of considerable concern for

international security, particularly because of its nuclear and

ballistic missile programmes. However, the past year saw

welcome diplomatic activities on this issue. Following the

June Summit between United States President Donald Trump

and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un in Singapore,

then President Paolo Alli (Italy)

stated

that this “historic

meeting brings new hope of peace and denuclearisation on

the Korean peninsula”.

“The developments on

the Korean peninsula

and the policies

pursued by the regime

in Pyongyang pose a

serious security threat to

NATO and its partners.”

Gerald E. Connolly (United States), Rapporteur

of the Political Committee’s Sub-Committee on

Transatlantic Relations

T he issue was also central to interparliamentar y

exchanges with lawmakers from

South Korea

and

Japan

2018. Indeed, an Assembly delegation visited South Korea

at the time of the intra-Korean Summit in Pyongyang

in September. Members gat hered timely insight s

into the latest developments and explored avenues

for strengthening cooperation between the National

Assembly and the NATO PA.

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Members of the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during their

visit to Seoul, Republic of Korea, 19 September 2018

Although Assembly parliamentarians and their colleagues

in Korea and Japan welcomed progress in the North

Korean nuclear talks, scepticism remained as to whether

Pyongyang is serious about abandoning its nuclear

programme. “North Korea’s steady advance towards a

nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile constitutes

a global threat that demands the engagement of NATO

and its member states”, warned Gerald E. Connolly (United

States) when presenting his

report.

Mr Connolly argues that sanctions have had a limited

effect because of the North’s isolated economy. Moreover,

Pyongyang has developed methods of evasion like shell

companies, foreign-flagged ships, and criminal activities.

“We can’t develop amnesia about North Korea. We can’t

pretend the past did not occur,” he stressed. Pointing

to previous empty promises by Pyongyang, he told his

colleagues: “We need to manage expectations”.

Mr Connolly’s report emphasises the importance of

enforcing existing sanctions and, if necessary, adding new

ones. He suggests that NATO, through cooperation with

regional partners and maritime interdiction, could support

their enforcement.

The implications of the rise of China for regional and

global security were another important topic of discussion

during the visits to South Korea and Japan. In both

countries, there is recognition that China can exercise a

moderating role with North Korea. However, interlocutors

and Assembly members also voiced considerable concern

about China’s increasingly assertive approach towards

Japan and other countries in the region, particularly

Beijing’s territorial claims in t he Sout h and Ea st

China Seas.

The visits to Japan and South Korea strengthened

the existing dialogue between the Assembly and the

Japanese Diet – the Assembly’s longest-standing partner

outside Europe – and the National Assembly of Korea.

Both South Korea and Japan are interested in developing

their partnerships with NATO further, members learned in

Tokyo. Japanese Minister of State Tomohiro Yamamoto

said that Japan plans to upgrade its representation at

NATO HQ by designating its embassy to Belgium as its

Mission to NATO. Tokyo also wants to cooperate with NATO

in the area of cyber security, NATO delegates learned.

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AFGHANISTAN

Wolfgang Hellmich

(Germany), then

Special Rapporteur

of the Defence

and Security

Committee,

presenting his

report

Afghanistan:

The Nexus of

Local and Regional

Security

during the

Spring Session in

Warsaw, Poland,

27 May 2018

Photo Credit: Chancellery

of the Sejm Krzysztof

Białoskórski

Increasing violence causing significant attrition of the Afghan

National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) is heightening

international attention on Afghanistan. The Assembly follows

developments in Afghanistan closely given the significant

interests all Allied nations have in enduring peace and

stability in the country and broader region.

Twenty-seven of 39 Allies and partners increased their

contributions to NATO’s training and assistance

Resolute

Support Mission

in Afghanistan in 2018, growing its personnel

to over 16,000. International efforts focus on key issues

undermining the Afghan security environment, particularly

sustainable, professional, and well-trained national forces

unhindered by the drain of institutional corruption. In parallel,

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s ANDSF Road Map is working

to do the same, as insufficient training, high rates of attrition

and desertion, and corruption are eroding the public’s trust in

the nation’s security forces.

President Madeleine Moon urged her colleagues to “remain

engaged with Afghanistan by following political and

security developments in the country, as well as finding

ways to assist our peers in the Afghan parliament as they

work to build a durable democracy in the country.”

Despite renewed international attention, 2018 has been

violent and challenging for the country at all levels. The

year has been replete with high-profile attacks in Kabul

and other urban areas, alongside almost constant fighting

in vast areas of the countryside. As a result, casualty

rates among civilians and government forces remain at

unacceptably high rates, and the Taliban now control the

largest amount of territory since their initial defeat in 2001.

As the

report

authored by Wolfgang Hellmich (Germany)

stresses, regional dynamics are essential to build lasting

peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. As long as the

Taliban find sanctuary in Pakistan, the war will continue

in Afghanistan. In the absence of Afghanistan’s regional

partners incorporating the country into a functioning

regional economy, no chance for economic prosperity and

opportunity will arise in Afghanistan.

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

“Our collective goal is to prevent Afghanistan from

ever again becoming a wellspring for international

terrorism. To achieve this goal, we will need a

functioning state to build a stronger nation capable

of handling the challenges it faces in a difﬁcult region.”

Wolfgang Hellmich (Germany), outgoing Special Rapporteur of the Defence and Security Committee

At the Assembly’s Spring Session in Warsaw in May, Khalid

Pashtoon (Afghanistan) had warned his colleagues that “the

security situation has absolutely deteriorated” and raised

his concern that “the disruption and disturbance” caused by

the Taliban insurgency would negatively impact the holding

of parliamentary elections planned for October. Indeed,

despite strong international financial and security assistance,

these long-awaited parliamentary elections were plagued

with problems, including low turnout, poor organisation,

and widespread violence. NATO parliamentarians at the

Assembly’s Annual Session in Halifax, Canada, stressed the

need to learn the lessons from this experience ahead of the

presidential elections planned for 2019. Initially scheduled for

April, these have been postponed to July.

The Assembly will continue to examine these and other

political and security developments in Afghanistan

throughout 2019.

Soldiers in the Afghan mountains

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STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S ROLE

IN PEACE AND SECURITY

NATO’s Deputy

Secretary

General Rose

E. Gottemoeller

addressing the

NATO PA at the 64

Annual Session in

Halifax, Canada,

19 November 2018

Photo Credit: NATO

For more than a decade, the NATO PA has been an

avid champion of the principle that women must be

equal partners in the pursuit of peace and security.

Parliamentarians can make an important contribution to

promoting the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda

as laid out in United Nations Security Council Resolution

(UNSCR) 1325.

In 2017, the Assembly

adopted

a set of measures to

mainstream gender in its work and promote a fairer

representation of women among Assembly members

and officers. In the same year, the Assembly’s Secretary

General published the first review of the progress achieved.

The second review will be presented in March 2019. Currently,

the President, two of the five Committee chairpersons, and

the designated Secretary General are all women.

Assembly members continue to ensure that issues related

to gender and security remain high on the NATO PA’s

agenda. However, during Assembly deliberations, several

NATO parliamentarians warned that recent achievements

are not irreversible.

In 2018, the Assembly also conducted – in cooperation

with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control

of Armed Forces – its fourth survey of parliamentary

implementation of UNSCR 1325. Dr Audrey Reeves of

the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

was commissioned to analyse national responses and

presented the

results

at the Annual Session in Halifax.

“I want to ensure that we

remain in the vanguard

of promoting awareness

of the invaluable work

women do for our

collective security.”

Madeleine Moon (United Kingdom), President of the

NATO Parliamentary Assembly

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Encouragingly, Allied parliaments reported a greater

and more diverse spectrum of contributions to the WPS

agenda than they did in the two previous surveys. Joëlle

Garriaud-Maylam (France) urged parliamentarians to

replicate some of the best practices identified in the study.

In her

report

on democracy and human rights in the Black

Sea area, Ulla Schmidt (Germany) includes overviews on

the rights of women in the region. A visit to Qatar included

a specific discussion on women’s rights. Women are

assuming important leadership positions in Qatari society.

This is reflected in the high proportion of women studying

at universities. In Abu Dhabi, members learned of women

empowerment in the United Arab Emirates from Dr Amal

Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council. She

told her NATO PA peers that “no society can fly with only

one wing”.

In her

report

and

resolution

on NATO’s science and

technology edge, Leona Alleslev (Canada) urges NATO’s

Science and Technology Organization to improve the

gender balance in its network of scientists and engineers.

She considers this an important element in reversing the

erosion of the West’s leadership in science and technology.

The Assembly continues to engage NATO officials as

well. At the Annual Session, Clare Hutchinson, the NATO

Secretary General’s Special Representative for WPS,

discussed NATO’s new Policy and Action Plan, adopted by

Allied leaders in July 2018. Currently, 12 % of personnel

in NATO deployments are women. “This is not enough,

but we are getting there”, Ms Hutchinson told the

parliamentarians. “We need to mainstream gender in all

aspects of our work.”

Also addressing the Annual Session, NATO Deputy

Secretary General Rose E. Gottemoeller highlighted

the importance of pragmatic projects, such as NATO’s

support for the construction of Afghanistan’s Women’s

Police Town, which is a complex designed to ensure that

policewomen have a safe and secure environment to fully

integrate into the police force.

Assembly members, including President Madeleine Moon (United Kingdom) and outgoing President Rasa

Jukneviciene (Lithuania), at the conclusion of the 64

Annual Session in Halifax, Canada, 19 November 2018

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EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION

ABOUT NATO

Dr Karl A. Lamers (Germany), Chairman of the Working Group on Education and Communication about NATO,

speaking alongside Robert Pszczel from NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division during the Working Group’s meeting

in Warsaw, Poland, 26 May 2018

“The Cold War ended in 1991 –

this is now almost a generation

ago. Then many, or perhaps

most, schoolchildren had at

least a general idea about what

NATO was. […] Of course, the

world has changed – and so

has the Alliance. […] As NATO

moves toward its seventh

decade, engagement with our

young generation is essential.”

Karl A. Lamers (Germany), Chairperson of the Working Group

on Education and Communication about NATO and of the Political

Committee’s Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations

The Assembly serves as a vital link between NATO

and its citizens. A long-standing commitment to

help explain what NATO is and why it matters goes

hand in hand with this mission.

Today, opinion polls show that young people in

most NATO countries have limited knowledge of

the Alliance and often take peace and security for

granted. In an era where “fake news” can spread far

and fast, NATO is often the target of disinformation

campaigns by state and non-state actors alike. As a

consequence, the Assembly created a Working Group

on Education and Communication about NATO in late

2017, led by Dr Karl A. Lamers (Germany).

In the course of 2018, the Working Group moved

beyond “needs assessment ”. T he Group has

already generated several recommendations and

concrete projects. Early in the year, it introduced

the Assembly’s initiative to

NATO communications

experts

and discussed common strategies to reach

out to younger generations.

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2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

High school

students

from Turkey

participating in

an educational

exercise

simulating

the NATO

Parliamentary

Assembly

(“Model

NATO PA”),

Izmir, Turkey,

December 2018

A workshop with NATO’s Public Diplomacy’s Division (PDD)

provided a good opportunity to brainstorm on ways to

generate synergies between the Working Group and PDD’s

own programmes. NATO PDD representatives welcomed

the creation of the Assembly’s Working Group and agreed

to cooperate as closely as possible.

The Working Group has argued that any successful

initiative to inform about NATO and related security issues

requires the inclusion of these issues in school curricula. “If

it’s not in the text book, it’s not a priority – and teachers do

not have authority to talk about it,” a NATO official agreed.

The Working Group’s 2018 meetings have been very

productive. Among others, the Group compiled an initial

package of best national practices on teaching about

NATO and related security topics. The compilation, along

with an in-depth review of best practices, led to several

possible leads. These include:

•

more frequent visits of young people to NATO HQ;

•

the launch of an international competition among

schoolchildren about NATO;

•

more frequent visits to universities by NATO PA

delegates;

•

the establishment of an equivalent of the Erasmus

programme on NATO and security issues;

•

proactive use of YouTube by, for example, inviting

popular YouTubers to interview NATO leaders.

Assembly members urged an emphasis on NATO as a

values-based Alliance. NATO PDD and the Working Group

agreed that education and information about NATO should

be conducted in a prudent manner. It cannot be – or even

be seen as – propaganda. Peter Juel Jensen, Head of the

Danish delegation, stressed the “importance of teaching

young people to think critically”.

The Assembly’s

declaration

for the Brussels Summit

called on NATO governments “to enhance efforts […] to

promote […] citizens’ understanding of the challenges and

requirements of our shared security with a particular focus

on the next generation”.

During its meeting at the 2018 Annual Session, the Working

Group decided to continue its work with a dual track

approach. First, it will complete its compilation of best

practices on school education and recommend concrete

projects for national consideration. The Working Group will

make this compilation available to NATO PDD. Second,

the Working Group decided to support NATO PDD’s project

NATO@70 in the framework of the 70

anniversary of

NATO’s founding in 2019. The Group will also evaluate how

to help promote this project in member countries.

In parallel to the efforts of the Working Group, several

Turkish schools, in cooperation with NATO Allied Land

Command in Izmir, organised an educational simulation of

the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s proceedings.

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THE NATO PA’S BUDGET AND

FINANCES FOR 2017-2018

Funding sources

Most of the Assembly’s funding is provided by contributions

from the parliaments or governments of member nations.

National contributions are determined according to the

same budget key used for the NATO civil budget (see the

repartition below). The Assembly also receives a subsidy

from NATO.

Over the past 20 years special contributions have been

made at various points by the United States Agency for

International Development, the Geneva Centre for the

Democratic Control of Armed forces, the Government of

Switzerland, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, and NATO to

support the Assembly’s Rose-Roth programme.

The Assembly’s budget

The annual

budget

presented below is used to cover

the International Secretariat’s operating costs. National

delegations are responsible for funding the participation

of their members in Assembly activities.

The Assembly’s budget amounted to EUR 3.8 million in

2017 and EUR 3.9 million in 2018. Execution of the budget

led to a surplus of EUR 94,000 at the end of 2017.

Budgetary process and audit

The Assembly’s Treasurer, a parliamentarian who is an

elected officer of the Assembly, and who ensures that

the budget is consistent with the Assembly’s political

objectives, is responsible for drafting the Assembly’s

budget. The Treasurer submits the draft budget to

the Standing Committee and the full Assembly for

consideration and adoption. The Secretary General

i m p le m e n t s t h e b u d g e t u n d er t h e over sig h t of

the Treasurer.

The Assembly’s finances are audited by the International

Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN). In its audit, IBAN

considers whether, in accordance with the Financial

Reporting Framework adopted by the Assembly’s Standing

Committee, the information in the financial statements

fairly presents the financial position at the year-end and

the financial performance and cash flows for the year

then ended, and whether accounts are properly supported

by underlying records and source documentation. In

addition, IBAN also considers whether transactions are

in compliance with budgetary authorisations and the

applicable NATO regulations.

Because the audit takes place in the spring of the year

following the execution of each annual budget, the figures

below are the audited financial statements for 2017. The

2018 audited finances will be made public on the NATO PA

website in June 2019.

2017 contributions from member countries

Based on the NATO Civil budget key

Member countries

Albania

Belgium

Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

Montenegro

New Key %

Contribution

0,0837%

€ 3 152

1,9336%

€ 72 816

0,3262%

€ 12 284

6,6092%

€ 248 891

0,2893%

€ 10 895

0,9389%

€ 35 357

1,1829%

€ 44 546

0,1085%

€ 4 086

10,6339%

€ 400 455

14,6500%

€ 551 694

1,0874%

€ 40 950

0,6911%

€ 26 026

0,0519%

€ 1 955

8,4109%

€ 316 740

0,1490%

€ 5 611

0,2281%

€ 8 590

0,1399%

€ 5 268

3,1804%

€ 119 769

1,6993%

€ 63 993

2,7117%

€ 102 118

0,9798%

€ 36 898

1,0726%

€ 40 392

0,4681%

€ 17 628

0,2122%

€ 7 991

5,7804%

€ 217 680

4,3879%

€ 165 241

9,8485%

€ 370 878

22,1446%

€ 833 928

100,0000 %

€ 3 765 832

€ 593 (pro-rata contribution)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

Statement of Financial Performance for the year ending 31

December 2017

INCOME

ANNUAL BUDGET

Contributions

Contributions from Member Countries

NATO Subsidy

€ 3 765 832,00

€ 51 600,00

2017

Expenditure

Chapter 1

Personnel Costs

Chapter 2

Operational Costs

Chapter 3

Sessions

Chapter 4

Missions, Seminars, External

Relations

€ 3 817 432,00

Financed By Provisions and Prior Year Surplus

Update of the budget

Use of provisions

Funding Outreach Programme

Swiss Ministry of Defence

Total Budget for the Year

Other Income

Investment Income

Interest on Term Deposits

Gains (Losses) on Exchange

Other Income

Total Income

€ 1 593,83

€ 692,19

€ -5 894,22

€ 611,06

€ -2 997,14

€ 3 865 151,76

Total Expenditure

Excess of Receipts over Expenditure

€ 3 771 130,15

€ 94 021,61

€ 30 000,00

€ 50 716,90

€ 3 868 148,90

€ 20 716,90

€ 0,00

€ 2 754 584,23

€ 352 602,47

€ 336 334,93

€ 327 608,52

€ 3 771 130,15

EXPENDITURE

2017

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

APPENDIX 1: 2018 REPORTS AND

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

REPORTS

COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL

DIMENSION OF SECURITY (CDS)

• General Report

Fostering Democracy and Human

Rights in the Black Sea Region

Ulla Schmidt (Germany)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on Democratic Governance

Civil Protection in the High North

and in the Mediterranean

Jane Cordy (Canada)

• Special Report

Countering Russia’s Hybrid Threats:

An Update

Lord Jopling (United Kingdom)

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

COMMITTEE (DSC)

• General Report

Reinforcing NATO’s Deterrence in

the East

Joseph A. Day (Canada)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on Future Security and Defence

Capabilities

NATO Special Operations Forces in

the Modern Security Environment

Madeleine Moon

(United Kingdom)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on Transatlantic Defence and

Security Cooperation

Burden Sharing: New Commitments

in a New Era

Attila Mesterhazy (Hungary)

• Special Report

Afghanistan: The Nexus of Local

and Regional Security

Wolfgang Hellmich (Germany)

ECONOMICS AND SECURITY

COMMITTEE (ESC)

• General Report

The Future of the Space Industry

Jean-Marie Bockel (France)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on Transatlantic Economic

Relations

The International Trading System

at Risk and the Need to Return to

First Principles

Faik Oztrak (Turkey)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on Transition and Development

The Energy Security Challenge in

Central and Eastern Europe

Ausrine Armonaite (Lithuania)

POLITICAL COMMITTEE (PC)

• General Report

Instability in the South

Julio Miranda Calha (Portugal)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on NATO Partnerships

Security in the Western Balkans

Raynell Andreychuk (Canada)

• Report of the Sub-Committee

on Transatlantic Relations

North Korea’s Challenge to

International Security: Implications

for NATO

Gerald E. Connolly

(United States)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

COMMITTEE (STC)

• General Report

Russian Meddling in Elections and

Referenda in the Alliance

Susan Davis (United States)

• Report of the Sub-Committee on

Technology Trends and Security

Dark Dealings: How Terrorists Use

Encrypted Messaging, the Dark

Web and Cryptocurrencies

Matej Tonin (Slovenia)

• Special Report

NATO Science and Technology:

Maintaining the Edge and

Enhancing Alliance Agility

Leona Alleslev (Canada)

MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE

EAST SPECIAL GROUP (GSM)

Change and Continuity in the Gulf

Carlos Costa Neves (Portugal)

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

•

Affirming NATO’s Credibility and

Unity at the Brussels Summit

Standing Committee

•

Updating the Responses to Russia’s

Hybrid Tactics

CDS

•

Security and Cooperation in the

High North

CDS

•

Burden Sharing: New Commitments

in a New Era

DSC

•

Reinforcing NATO’s Deterrence in

the East

DSC

•

Opportunities and Challenges in a

Changing Space Arena

ESC

•

Energy Security: A Strategic

Challenge For The Alliance

ESC

•

Reinforcing NATO’s Contribution to

Tackling the Challenges from the

South

•

Safeguarding Elections in the

Alliance

STC

•

Maintaining the Science &

Technology Edge and Enhancing

Alliance Agility

STC

All Assembly reports and policy recommendations are available on the NATO PA’s website

www.nato-pa.int.

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

APPENDIX 2: THE ASSEMBLY’S

ELECTED OFFICERS

BUREAU OF THE ASSEMBLY

PRESIDENT

Madeleine

MOON

(United Kingdom)

VICE-PRESIDENTS

Vitalino

CANAS

(Portugal)

The Rt Hon. Richard

BENYON

(United Kingdom)

Osman Askin

BAK

(Turkey)

Hon. Michael R.

TURNER

(United States)

Franklin

van KAPPEN

(Netherlands)

TREASURER

SECRETARY GENERAL

Marc ANGEL

(Luxembourg)

David HOBBS

1. As of February 2019, following the elections held at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Halifax, Canada, in November 2018.

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL

DIMENSION OF SECURITY

Chairperson

•

Joëlle GARRIAUD-MAYLAM

(France)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Marc ANGEL (Luxembourg)

•

James SENSENBRENNER

(United States)

•

Mary Helen CREAGH

(United Kingdom)

General Rapporteur

•

Ulla SCHMIDT (Germany)

Special Rapporteur

•

The Rt Hon. Lord JOPLING

(United Kingdom)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE

Chairperson

•

Vitalino CANAS (Portugal)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Brett GUTHRIE (United States)

•

Linda SANCHEZ (United States)

•

Brigitte GROUWELS (Belgium)

Rapporteur

•

Jane CORDY (Canada)

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

COMMITTEE

Chairperson

•

Michael R. TURNER (United States)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Paul COOK (United States)

•

Pierre PAUL-HUS (Canada)

•

Andreas LOVERDOS (Greece)

General Rapporteur

•

Joseph A. DAY (Canada)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON FUTURE

SECURITY AND DEFENCE

CAPABILITIES

Chairperson

•

Joao REBELO (Portugal)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Rob BISHOP (United States)

•

Juozas OLEKAS (Lithuania)

Rapporteur

•

Lara MARTINHO (Portugal)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON

TRANSATLANTIC DEFENCE AND

SECURITY COOPERATION

Chairperson

•

Attila MESTERHAZY (Hungary)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Marko MIHKELSON (Estonia)

•

Rick LARSEN (United States)

•

Franklin van KAPPEN

(Netherlands)

Rapporteur

•

Sir Nicholas SOAMES

(United Kingdom)

ECONOMICS AND SECURITY

COMMITTEE

Chairperson

•

Ivans KLEMENTJEVS (Latvia)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Richard BENYON

(United Kingdom)

•

Joe WILSON (United States)

•

Menno KNIP (Netherlands)

General Rapporteur

•

Christian TYBRING-GJEDDE

(Norway)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

SUB-COMMITTEE ON

TRANSITION AND

DEVELOPMENT

Chairperson

•

Michal SZCZERBA (Poland)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Luk VAN BIESEN (Belgium)

•

James COSTA (United States)

•

Matteo Luigi BIANCHI (Italy)

Rapporteur

•

Ausrine ARMONAITE (Lithuania)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON

TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC

RELATIONS

Chairperson

•

Faik OZTRAK (Turkey)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Jean-Luc REITZER (France)

•

John SPELLAR (United Kingdom)

•

Lois FRANKEL (United States)

Rapporteur

•

Jean-Marie BOCKEL (France)

POLITICAL COMMITTEE

Chairperson

•

The Rt. Hon. Lord CAMPBELL OF

PITTENWEEM (United Kingdom)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Thomas MARINO (United States)

•

Plamen MANUSHEV (Bulgaria)

•

Liv Signe NAVARSETE (Norway)

General Rapporteur

•

Julio MIRANDA CALHA (Portugal)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON NATO

PARTNERSHIPS

Chairperson

•

Miro KOVAC (Croatia)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Ahmet Berat CONKAR (Turkey)

•

Rasa JUKNEVICIENE (Lithuania)

•

Adam BIELAN (Poland)

Rapporteur

•

Raynell ANDREYCHUK (Canada)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON

TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

Chairperson

•

Prof. h. c. Dr Karl A. LAMERS

(Germany)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Michael GAPES (United Kingdom)

•

Vergil CHITAC (Romania)

•

Ahmet Berat CONKAR (Turkey)

Rapporteur

•

Gerald E. CONNOLLY

(United States)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

COMMITTEE

Chairperson

•

Maria MARTENS (Netherlands)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Njall Trausti FRIDBERTSSON

(Iceland)

•

Jean-Christophe LAGARDE

(France)

•

Kevan JONES (United Kingdom)

General Rapporteur

•

Susan DAVIS (United States)

Special Rapporteur

•

Leona ALLESLEV (Canada)

SUB-COMMITTEE ON

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

AND SECURITY

Chairperson

•

Hannes HANSO (Estonia)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Marta DEMETER (Hungary)

•

Dr Karl-Heinz BRUNNER

(Germany)

•

Bruno VITORINO (Portugal)

Rapporteur

•

Matej TONIN (Slovenia)

MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE

EAST SPECIAL GROUP

Chairperson

•

Philippe FOLLIOT (France)

Vice-Chairpersons

•

Luis RODRIGUEZ-COMENDADOR

(Spain)

•

Bob STEWART (United Kingdom)

•

Gilbert ROGER (France)

Rapporteur

•

Ahmet Berat CONKAR (Turkey)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

A YEAR IN

PICTURES

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

PRESIDENCY OF MADELEINE MOON (UNITED KINGDOM) (SINCE NOVEMBER 2018)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

PRESIDENCY OF RASA JUKNEVICIENE (LITHUANIA) (SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2018)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

PRESIDENCY OF PAOLO ALLI (ITALY) (JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2018)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

COMMITTEE ON THE CIVIL DIMENSION OF SECURITY (CDS)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

DEFENCE AND SECURITY COMMITTEE (DSC)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

ECONOMICS AND SECURITY COMMITTEE (ESC)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

POLITICAL COMMITTEE (PC)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE (STC)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL GROUP (GSM)

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GEORGIA-NATO INTERPARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL (GNIC)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

UKRAINE-NATO INTERPARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL (UNIC)

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident

2018

ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

NPA, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 5: Årsrapport 2018 fra NATO PAs præsident