The signing of a peace agreement
for Darfur represents a clear step forward, and the initiatives now
being taken to deploy a UN force in the area is greatly welcomed by
the Nordic defence ministers.
The defence ministers discussed
ways in which the Nordic countries acting together could contribute
to the strengthening of the UN’s ability to plan and lead
increasingly complex peace operations. A joint Nordic package of
measures has been devised to identify areas in which the Nordic
countries can assist the UN in the ongoing process of reform. This
involves a range of areas including the planning, the development
of a better command and control structure, intelligence and aspects
of personnel safety.
Another theme addressed at the
meeting was that referred to as ‘defence and security sector
reform’ in unstable states and partner countries where democratic
control of the armed forces is a central issue.
The defence ministers discussed a
Nordic-Baltic initiative towards Ukraine involving cooperation in
three areas: an offer of an Internet-based learning system (already
used in the training of Baltic officers and officials), expert
professional help in such areas as defence policy, judicial
questions, budgetary control and financial management, and teaching
support for the National Defence Academy in Kiev.
The Nordic defence ministers
pledged their support for the work now being done to revise the
overall framework, as well as the appointed tasks, for NORDCAPS
(Nordic Coordinated Arrangement for Military Peace Support) which
is an instrument for the coordination of Nordic contributions to
peace support operations. The changes include increased focus on
support for the UN and security sector reform, including joint
Nordic support for Ukraine and countries in the Balkans. The
changes also mean that the joint Nordic force register will be
discontinued as will work on a joint Nordic brigade staff. This
will make NORDCAPS more flexible and more relevant to today’s
challenges, which in turn will result in a strengthening of Nordic
defence cooperation.
This was the first time that the
Nordic defence ministers had met on Svalbard and the actual meeting
in Longyearbyen was preceded by a visit to the world’s most
northerly permanent settlement in Ny-Ålesund. The delegations were
also given a briefing on board CGV Svalbard on the work of the
Norwegian Coast Guard in the northern areas.
Pictures from the meeting on Svalbard can be obtained free of
charge from Scanpix.
