Report

INTRODUCTION

The Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association has the honour to present its report on its participation in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s (NATO PA) 2012 Spring Session in Tallinn, Estonia, 25 – 28 May, 2012. The delegation was led by Mrs. Cheryl Gallant, M.P., and included from the Senate the Hon. Raynell Andreychuk, Chair of the NATO PA Political Committee, the Hon. Jane Cordy, Former Vice-President of the Assembly, the Hon. Joseph Day, Chair of the NATO PA Defence and Security Committee, the Hon. Pierre-Claude Nolin, Treasurer of the NATO PA and Special Rapporteur for the Science and Technology Committee, and from the House of Commons Mr. Laurie Hawn, M.P., Mr. Brent Rathgeber, M.P., Ms. Christine Moore, M.P., Ms. Isabelle Morin, M.P. and Mr. Lawrence MacAulay, M.P.  The delegation was accompanied by Melissa Radford, the association’s advisor, and association secretary James Latimer.

The Spring Session was hosted by the Estonian parliament and chaired by Parliamentary Assembly President, Dr. Karl Lamers, Member of Parliament from Germany. More than 300 parliamentarians from NATO member countries, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia participated in the session.

THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is an inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from the national parliaments of member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as 14 associate members. It is completely independent of the official NATO structure.^[1] As the Assembly’s website notes, “Its principal objective is to foster mutual understanding among Alliance parliamentarians of the key security and defence challenges facing the transatlantic partnership.”^[2]

Canadian parliamentarians draw significant benefit from their participation in NATO PA events. In addition to gaining a better understanding of strategic issues facing the Alliance and Canada, they are presented with the opportunity to promote Canadian values and interests in the course of discussions in the Assembly, its committees and during informal meetings with their counterparts from NATO member and associate member countries.

MAIN ISSUES

1.    The agenda of the 2012 Spring Session of the NATO PA included a number of topics that have been of interest to the NATO PA for some time and that are of importance to Canada, such as:

2.    NATO operations, particularly the Afghanistan mission and counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia;

3.    Discussion of the commitments made at the NATO Summit held in Chicago in May 2012;

4.    Ongoing developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and their implications for international security;

5.    NATO partnerships – with other states and international organizations;

6.    The impact of the Euro crisis on the resources available for defence operations and procurement;

7.    NATO-Russia relations;

8.    The human rights situation in Ukraine;

9.    Iran’s nuclear program; and,

10. Security issues in regions such as the South Caucasus (particularly  Georgia), the Western Balkans and the Arctic.

NATO PA BUSINESS

The first meeting of the Spring Session, the Standing Committee Meeting, is attended by Heads of Delegation, NATO PA Bureau members (President, Vice Presidents and Treasurer), Chairpersons of Committees and Subcommittees, and Rapporteurs only. Due to the key positions held by Canadian parliamentarians within the NATO PA, half of Canada’s delegates were in attendance. The purpose of the meeting is to review the NATO PA’s 2012 programme and plan for the activities of the Annual Session which will take place in Prague, Czech Repulic, from 9-12 November 2012. In addition, Senator Nolin, Treasurer of the NATO PA, presented his report which accounted for NATO PA spending in 2011. The report was approved by the Standing Committee after a period of discussion.

Members of the Canadian delegation had the opportunity to meet with Canada’s Ambassador to the Baltic states, Mr. John Morrison. He gave delegates an overview of current priorities for Canada in Europe, Canada-Estonia relations, Estonia’s defence and security responsibilities under NATO, as well as Russia-Estonia relations.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

Before the Committee meetings began, delegates had the opportunity to meet with their counterparts from their respective political groups from across the Alliance: Conservative, Christian Democrat and Associates; Alliance of Liberals and Democrats; and, Socialist.

This allows Assembly members from similar political parties to discuss issues of mutual interest to their own parties and constituents, further solidifying the nature of the democratic debate and parliamentary diplomacy that takes place within the NATO PA.

NATO PA Committees then met simultaneously for the next two days. During these meetings, Committees debated reports drafted by their respective Rapporteurs. These reports are open for amendments and will be re-considered and subsequently adopted at the Annual Session in November. In addition, these meetings were an opportunity for delegates to hear from academic experts as well as senior military and government officials from NATO member states with respect to issues of interest to the Alliance.

As Chair of the Defence and Security Committee, Senator Day presided over the Committee’s discussions. Three draft reports^[3] were presented by their respective rapporteurs and Committee members were given the opportunity to provide feedback and suggested amendments. During the discussion on the draft report on Afghanistan, one Canadian delegate suggested that the author clarify in his report whether or not a survey taken in the country included the opinions of Afghan women and emphasised that this information must be included in his analysis. In response, the author agreed and committed to making the appropriate amendments. The Committee also heard from five speakers. The first speaker was Mr. Urmas Reinsalu, Estonia’s Minister of Defence. He gave an overview of the principles behind Estonian defence policy, Estonia’s perspectives on the key decisions taken at the Chicago Summit, Smart Defence and what NATO’s future priorities should be. The Committee also heard from Brigadier General Riho Terras, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces. He gave members an overview of Estonian Defence Force contributions to NATO, EU, UN and U.S.-led military operations around the world. He noted that his organisation is facing a 37% cut to its previously planned budget due to the ongoing financial crisis but emphasised that Smart Defence should equate to better capabilities with the same money and not the same capabilities with less money. Next, the Committee participated in a panel discussion on Smart Defence with Mr. Andrew Budd, a Staff Officer with the Smart Defence Direct Support Team at NATO, and Dr. Bastien Giegerich, a Consulting Senior Fellow for European Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Both speakers affirmed the need for NATO countries, particularly the European states, to face the reality of the current economic times and work together to ensure the European defence pillar remains robust. They particularly emphasized that uncoordinated defence cuts could lead to major problems. Some Canadian delegates expressed concern that some countries may choose to specialise their forces away from frontline tasks leaving other countries to shoulder higher casualty rates.

As a result, these governments could face lower public support for deploying their forces to complex military operations abroad. Finally, the Committee heard from Rear-Admiral Hank Ort, Chief of Staff of NATO Maritime Command Northwood, who gave members an overview of ongoing NATO and EU counter-piracy operations and the challenges facing these organizations as they attempt to coordinate their efforts.^[4] The Canadian delegates who participated in these discussions were Mrs. Gallant, Mr. Hawn, Mr. MacAulay, and Ms. Moore.

As Chair of the Political Committee, Senator Andreychuk presided over the Committee’s discussions.

Three draft reports^[5] were presented by their respective rapporteurs and the floor was open to feedback from Committee members. The Committee also heard from five speakers. Mr. Urmas Paet, Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave an overview of Estonia’s political position on issues discussed at the Chicago Summit, namely: Afghanistan, defence spending, deterrence/NATO missile defence and cyber-security. The Committee then heard from Mr. Juri Luik, Estonia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council. He elaborated on some of the issues discussed at the Chicago Summit. On missile defence, he noted that the Alliance agreed on an interim missile defence capability which would transfer American assets in Europe to NATO control. On cyber-security, there is an ongoing debate as to whether the protection of critical infrastructure should be handled by NATO or by civilian agencies. On Afghanistan, NATO Heads of State and Government decided at the Summit that after 2014, all combat activities, including those conducted by special forces, will cease. Next, Iraq’s Ambassador to Finland and Estonia delivered a statement from Iraq’s Foreign Minister which gave an overview of NATO-Iraq relations and reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to cooperating with NATO on its mission and initiatives in the country. The Committee then heard from Dr. Ebtesam Al Ktbei, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University, who presented on “Security in the Gulf.” She gave an overview of how the upheaval in the MENA region has affected member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). She noted that currently, Iran is the predominant security concern for GCC countries and therefore Gulf states should be involved in all negotiations pertaining to Iran’s nuclear program. Finally, the Committee heard from Canadian Brigadier General Mike Jorgensen, Branch Head of the Joint Plans Branch at JFC Brunssum. He gave an overview of some of the regional challenges facing NATO’s mission in Afghanistan during this period of transition particularly with respect to Taliban safe havens in Pakistan and the opium trade. He also noted the gains made in the training of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and emphasized that the Afghan government needs to take the lead and address corruption within its own ranks.

One Canadian delegate clarified a misconception that Canadian troops had pulled out early from the mission in Afghanistan stating that Canada continues to have a large contingent of troops dedicated to training the ANSF.^[6] The Canadian delegates participating in these discussions included Senator Day, Mr. Hawn, Mr. MacAulay, Ms. Morin, and Mr. Rathgeber.

During the meeting of the Committee on the Civil Dimensions of Security, the Committee’s Rapporteurs presented their respective reports^[7] and opened the floor to questions, comments and amendments from other members. Delegates also participated in three presentations. The first was by Mr. Loay Kudhoon, a Middle East expert from the University of Cologne. In his presentation entitled “The Arab Spring: Democratic Transition Challenges and the Role of Europe in the Region,” he advised Western countries on what their expectations should be with respect to democratic transition in the MENA region and how best to support the process. The second presentation was entitled “Political Developments in Russia and the Implication for the Euro-Atlantic Community” given by Mr. Vladimir Yushkin, Director of the Baltic Center for Russian Studies in Tallinn. He informed members of Russia’s current strategic concerns and gave an assessment of the country’s ongoing military reforms. Lastly, Mr. Jorrit Kamminga, Director of Policy Research at the International Council on Security and Development, presented on “Counter-Narcotics in Afghanistan.” The speaker critiqued efforts made by the international community thus far and expressed concern about the future considering the planned withdrawal of coalition troops from Afghanistan by 2014. A new counter-narcotics strategy is currently being developed with the military transition in mind, but he argued that significant improvements can only be made if the international community is willing to support the process financially. During the discussion period, some Canadian delegates shared their concern with respect to the viability of a new counter-narcotics strategy post-2014 as well as issues concerning retention and rates of addiction in the Afghan National Security Forces.^[8] The Canadian delegates who attended the meeting and participated in the discussions were Senator Cordy, Senator Day, Mr. MacAulay and Ms. Moore.

During the meeting of the Science and Technology Committee, the Committee’s Rapporteurs, including Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, presented their respective reports^[9] and opened the floor to questions, comments and amendments from other members. Delegates also heard from three speakers. The first speaker was Dr. Eneken Tikk-Ringas, a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Munk School of International Affairs, University of Toronto, and Lecturer on Cyber-Security Law at Tallinn Technical University.

She gave an overview of the challenges states are facing with respect to adopting cyber security legislation. She also explained that individual states must be responsible for their own cyber security; however, NATO and other international organizations can play a role in providing states with a multinational forum where best practices can be shared. The second speaker was Mr. Pierre Goldschmidt, a non-resident Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who presented on Iran’s nuclear program, the latest developments with respect to the P5+1 negotiations and his perspective on how the United Nations Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency should deal with the issue in the near future. Lastly, the Committee heard from Mr. Rob Hewson, the editor of Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons, on the future of air power. He gave members an overview of the main fighter aircraft models used by the Alliance as well as those used by China, India and Russia. He also spoke about the future of that technology, such as the F35 and the future of the aerospace industry.^[10] Canadian delegates participating in these meetings included Senator Nolin, Senator Day and Mrs. Gallant.During the meeting of the Economics and Security Committee, the Committee’s Rapporteurs presented their respective reports^[11] and received feedback from members. The Committee also heard from two speakers. The first speaker was financial expert Mr. Peeter Koppel. He discussed some of the root causes behind the Euro crisis, Estonia’s perspective of the situation and the possible way forward for European and Baltic states. The second presentation was by Mr. Anders Aslund, a Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He spoke about Russia’s current economic health and policies. While noting that Russia’s current macroeconomic situation is enviable, weaknesses lie in the country’s dependence on oil and gas revenue. Considering recent political protests indicating that Russia’s urban middle class is demanding reforms, the speaker elaborated on the options available to the Russian government. The Sergei Magnitsky case came up in the discussion period whereby the speaker noted that although the primary individual responsible, the minister of interior, was removed from his position, the criminal justice system in Russia remains inadequate and remedies to address these shortfalls have been minimal.^[12] Canadian delegated participating in these discussions included Mr. MacAulay, Ms. Morin, Senator Nolin and Mr. Rathgeber.

PLENARY SITTING

The plenary sitting takes place on the final day of the NATO PA meetings. Dr. Karl Lamers, President of the NATO PA, opened the sitting with an overview of the key issues discussed over the course of the Session. Delegates also had the opportunity to hear from NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, the President of Estonia, and the President of the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament.

In the absence of NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, gave delegates an overview of the NATO Summit which took place in Chicago in May 2012. He noted that the Alliance’s commitment to implementing the new Strategic Concept was apparent particularly with respect to Smart Defence and enhancing NATO partnerships with other states. For example, there are now approximately 20 multinational projects from surveillance to training and planning. In addition, for the first time at a NATO Summit, non-NATO states operating with Alliance members in Afghanistan and other NATO operations around the world were invited to add their voice to relevant discussions and declarations. The President of the Riigikogu, Ms. Ene Ergma, spoke about the importance of NATO to Estonia and the country’s commitment to Afghanistan, missile defence, enlargement and smart defence. She highlighted in particular the success of the Baltic Air Policing which many speakers throughout the session had praised as a prime example of smart defence in practice. Estonia’s President, Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, also spoke to these issues and highlighted the need for member states, particularly in Europe, to continue investing in their defence capabilities so as not to overly rely on American assets.

He also discussed issues related to cyber defence. In response to a question from Senator Andreychuk, President Ilves emphasised the need for NATO to take both a leadership and coordinating role with respect to cyber defence and security. The NATO PA then took this opportunity to pay tribute to its former President and longest serving member, Mr. Loïc Bouvard from France, who had decided to retire from politics. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 1973 and had been a member of the NATO PA since 1978.

Finally, Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, Treasurer of the NATO PA, presented his report on the organization’s 2011 budget and spending record which was subsequently adopted.

SUMMARY

The NATO PA provides Canadian parliamentarians with an opportunity to learn about the broader strategic issues facing the Alliance, which have an impact on Canada’s national security and defence. It also gives them an attentive international forum in which to promote Canadian values and interests in the course of discussions and debates about future Alliance policy and strategy.

As this report indicates, the 2012 Spring Session was no exception, offering Canadian delegates many opportunities to shape the outcome of discussions, convey a Canadian perspective on key issues of concern, and gain a better understanding of strategic issues facing Canada, the Alliance and Canada’s partner countries.

First and foremost, NATO PA members had the opportunity to learn more about Estonia’s commitment to international peace and security. As was noted by many speakers, Estonia continues to contribute 2% of its GDP to defence spending and is committed to strengthening the Alliance’s cyber defence strategy and research through the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence based in Tallinn. With respect to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, its soldiers continue to fight alongside their Allies without caveats and the government has committed to continue funding the ANSF after 2014. It must be recognized that Estonia has lost nine soldiers in Afghanistan. The Canadian delegation also learned that Canada and Estonia cooperate closely in Eastern Europe, particularly in Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine, through CIDA programs that strengthen democratic governance; programs that Estonia itself had benefited from after it had gained independence from the Soviet Union.  Though small in size and population, Estonia bears its share of the heavy lifting and as a result of these meetings; the Canadian delegates gained a greater appreciation for its Baltic ally.

Overall, the NATO PA appreciates the opportunity to participate in the process of monitoring the implementation of the new strategic concept by NATO, particularly with respect to building confidence and eventually cooperating with Russia on missile defence, as well as understanding and discussing how best the Alliance can counter threats in the cyber environment. All members of the NATO PA continue to be concerned about how the economic crisis is affecting their countries’ economies and what this ultimately means for the ability of NATO to fulfill its mandate as well as its current and future responsibilities. 

NATO’s mission in Libya and the political uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa continue to be priorities for the NATO PA as it explores how it can engage with their respective transitional governments on democratic development. Afghanistan, particularly NATO’s current transition mission, continues to be a primary focus. Delegates also had the opportunity to learn more about counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and some of the solutions needed to successfully combat these activities. Closer and more effective cooperation between NATO and the EU as well as with other partners around the world is also being encouraged.

Canada continues to have important interests in all these issues.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,