ABSTRACT
The NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) Trust Funds originated in September 2000 and now cover destruction of all types of weapons and conventional ammunition. Trust Fund projects originally were developed in countries of the Balkans and the Former Soviet Union, which possessed very large surplus stocks of weapons and munitions, difficult to maintain safely and securely. This article focuses on projects involving demilitarization, especially small arms and ammunition, rather than those involving wider defence reform objectives, such as retraining former military personnel.
There are four fundamental elements of Trust Fund programmes: an appeal for assistance from the host country; fundraising by the lead nation; development and signing of legal and financial agreements; and the execution of the project. The last is normally entrusted to the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA). Demilitarization of munitions is part of its core business and it has the necessary contracting, project management, and financial management capabilities. There are now 34 eligible countries of the PfP, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiatives. Projects have been completed or are planned in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Tajikistan, Serbia, and Ukraine. The NATO Trust Fund process has viiibeen a successful vehicle for international cooperation. It is likely to continue for several years. There is scope for other international organizations to cooperate with NATO in developing and executing projects of this type.
