Mines, small arms and light weapons and ammunition
The trust funds were first developed under NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme, which promotes bilateral cooperation with non-member countries in Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. . However, over the years, use of the NATO Trust Fund/PfP mechanism has been open to all NATO partners, including countries in the southern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East region. , as well as partners around the world. Some partners are beneficiaries of trust funds, others contribute as donors.
Launched in September 2000, the initial objective of the NATO/PfP Trust Funds was to provide the Alliance with a practical mechanism to assist its partners in the safe destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel landmines. This helped countries fulfill their obligations under the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction. The first project of this type was launched in Ukraine, followed by others in several Balkan countries as well as other countries in the European neighborhood.
Early successes in safely destroying antipersonnel landmines led to an expansion of the use of trust funds to include projects aimed at destroying conventional munitions, as well as small arms and light weapons (SALW). These include the largest demilitarization project of its kind in the world – a 12-year project still underway in Ukraine, with an expected cost of around €25 million. The destruction of excess stockpiles of weapons and ammunition reduces the threat to individual partner countries as well as the region as a whole. This also ensures that these materials are kept out of the reach of terrorists and criminals.
Destruction of SALW, mines and ammunition
- 164.4 million SALW cartridges
- 5.65 million antipersonnel landmines
- 2 million hand grenades
- 642,000 unexploded ordnance
- 626,000 small arms and light weapons
- 46,750 tons of various munitions
- 83,000 surface-to-air missiles and rockets
- 1,635 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS)
- 2,620 tonnes of melanj
- 4,120 hectares cleared of mines or unexploded ordnance
(information in February 2021)
Broader defense transformation and capacity building
Over the past few years, the scope of NATO/PfP trust funds has been further expanded to support broader defense transformation initiatives. Projects for the resettlement of former military personnel have, for example, been supported in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Ukraine. By early 2015, some 12,000 ex-military personnel had received retraining assistance through Trust Fund projects.
Currently, 16 countries benefit from a trust fund created to support the implementation of the Integrity Building (BI) Program. This capacity building program aims to provide practical tools and tailored assistance to nations – Allies and partners – to strengthen integrity, transparency and accountability and embed good governance in the defense and security sector . In this regard, it helps reduce the risk of corruption in defense institutions.
Over the past decade, Afghanistan has been one of the largest recipients of support provided through trust funds. Allies and partners committed to contribute approximately $450 million per year to the NATO-Afghan National Army Trust Fund until the end of 2017. Additionally – until the suspension of practical cooperation with Russia in April 2014 , following its intervention in Ukraine – two trust funds the NATO-Russia Council provided valuable assistance to two important initiatives in Afghanistan: one provided support for the operation and maintenance of helicopters; another helped build the capacity of mid-level personnel from Afghanistan and six Central Asian countries to address threats posed by Afghan narcotics trafficking.
As part of their response to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, NATO member states decided at the Wales Summit in September 2014 to launch five trust funds to assist Ukraine in five critical areas: command, control , communications and computers (C4); logistics and standardization; cyber defense; military career transition; and medical rehabilitation. Another trust fund is currently being considered to build capacity in mine clearance and countering improvised explosive devices.
Finally, a NATO Trust Fund has been established to contribute to the implementation of capacity building support packages in a number of countries under the new Defense Capacity Building Initiative and related security issues, also launched at the 2014 summit. Currently, programs offering tailored support, advice, assistance, training and mentoring are being developed with Georgia, Iraq, Jordan and the Republic of Moldova.