Together Reducing Unsafe
Surplus Tools of War
Summary Report
1 May 2005

Seated at the head table, L to R: Amb. Hans Ola Urstad (Norway), Defense Min. Prvoslav Davinic (Serbia & Montenegro), Amb. Michael Polt (USA), Anne C. Bader (Fund for Peace), Vladan Zivulovic (Atlantic Council of Serbia & Montenegro), Mark Gaillard (Canadian Joint Delegation to NATO)

The second TRUST workshop [photo essay] took place in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, on April 11, 2005. "TRUST: Together Reducing Surplus Tools of War: PfP Trust Fund Projects: Focus on South East Europe" was developed by The Fund for Peace (FfP) of Washington DC and its Serbian NGO partner The Atlantic Council of Serbia and Montenegro. Fund for Peace Executive Vice President Anne Bader chaired the event, along with Atlantic Council President Vladan Zivulovic.

"The hope for success of the government's work in the TRUST disarmament program is tied up with its relations with the press, and that is tied up with democratizing its media laws," said Richard N. Winfield, Chair of the Fund for Peace Board of Trustees. "One of the outcomes of liberalizing media laws may be the development of a relationship between the government and all elements of the press that is characterized by candor, maturity, openness and fairness." [Click to read the full text of Mr. Winfield's speech.]

The workshop was opened by the Minister of Defense of Serbia and Montenegro, Prvoslav Davinic. He described Serbia's defense reform program and emphasized its importance for the region. Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad of Norway, the NATO contact embassy in Serbia, delivered an opening message from Ambassador Gunther Altenburg, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Military Security. More than 70 leaders from 22 nations, NATO, international organizations, and donor countries met with nongovernmental leaders and journalists from across the Balkan region.

Keynote speakers included, US Ambassador Michael Polt; Lt. Col. John MacBride, Military Advisor to the Ambassador of Canada for Mine Action; Graham Goodrum of NAMSA, the Counsellor for Mine Action to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia, Dr. Dijana Plestina; FfP Board of Trustees Chair Richard Winfield; Susan Pond, Head of PfP Trust Fund and Cooperation Programmes Section, NATO; and Marcus Tanner of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.

The day began as a forum on policy. Speakers talked about the importance of the work of disarmament. The upcoming PfP Trust Fund destruction project of 1.4 million landmines in Serbia and Montenegro was hailed as a model; upon completion, it will make Southeast Europe the first region in the world to destroy all its stockpiles of antipersonnel landmines. Canada and Austria are co-lead countries for this project, with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Montenegro, and Switzerland also contributing.

In the afternoon, participants from the non-governmental sector began to think about how civil society is and is not engaged in disarmament issues. Marko Kovacevic of the Atlantic Council of Serbia and Montenegro spoke of the organization's projects to assist different audiences in understanding the importance of disarmament and of Euro-Atlantic integration. Participants from throughout Southeast Europe spoke of a widespread feeling of insecurity, despite major advances in the region. Veran Matic, CEO of B92 television and radio, remarked: "It is not enough to melt a few weapons. Almost all Serbs are armed." He and other local journalists spoke of the role of investigative journalism in forming public debate on disarmament issues and the state of journalism in the Western Balkans.

Participants from every group represented remarked that the workshop helped them learn about important issues in governance and the free press. Recommendations included furthering regional cooperation and international coordination, the creation of economic incentives for disarmament, and the promotion of an atmosphere within Serbia and Montenegro that enhances press standards. Participants expressed their appreciation for an opportunity to explore the complexities of disarmament, and to understand better the perspectives of differing sectors on the issue.

[ Click here to see a photo essay of the Belgrade workshop.]

The TRUST workshop in Belgrade concluded with the following major recommendations:

For international bodies, organizations, and donor countries:

• Donor governments should try to avoid creating negative competition over funding for disarmament
• Disarmament projects should support an integrated and holistic national small arms and light weapons control strategy
• Assistance for destruction should be given only if there is transparency as to the size of stockpiles
• Destruction priorities should be based on humanitarian, security, or economic priorities, rather than allowing nations to choose priorities based on what seems most interesting at the moment
• International standards and best practices should be followed and should be referred to in project documentation
• Projects should be designed with clear, measurable, verifiable, and achievable performance indicators
• Donors should commit to multi-year funding, but implementation should be seen as a national responsibility
• Ammunition destruction should be given a higher profile in international politics
• The international community should put pressure on media to disseminate a high-quality product, and should assist independent media in finding ways to fund investigative journalists and to find outlets for the stories produced by those journalists
• High-quality video and audio clips on matters of international importance should be shared freely with and among the press in Southeast Europe
• Economic incentives should be tied to disarmament, and the economic advantages of disarmament made clear to the general public
• Cooperation with regard to disarmament projects should increase among the international community
• Discussion with the security sector on how disarmament contributes to overall security should continue
• International players should address the state of Kosovo stockpiles as a measure to make the Serbian public feel secure about disarmament

For non-governmental organizations:

• The policy and NGO sectors should not shy away from feeding journalists conflict and drama in order to publicize important issues
• Awareness should always cover advocacy and risk education and public information - none of these in isolation
• Youth from the region should continue to be exposed to the workings of international institutions such as NATO through visits and educational initiatives

For the press:

• Problems should be clearly identified both by the press and by policy makers so that genuine solutions may be found to common problems
• The general public should be informed as to the meaning and progress of security sector reform

For specialists involved in security sector reform and members of the government:

• The press and the public should be integral to anticorruption measures
• Economic incentives should be tied to disarmament, and the economic advantages of disarmament made clear to the general public
• Problems should be clearly identified both by the press and by policy makers so that genuine solutions may be found to common problems
• Serbia and Montenegro should be cautious of enacting state secrets and libel legislation that is not in accordance with international standards and might endanger press freedom
• Regional cooperation in disarmament should be both strong and visible
• Government should become a source of reliable briefings to the press
• Governments should continue to support the Ottawa Convention, including giving assistance to countries that ask for it and maintaining momentum in landmine destruction projects

Anne C. Bader
Executive Vice President
The Fund for Peace
Project Director