Following the SEECP Ministers of Defence decision (March 2005) to give a special role to the Zagreb-based Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC) in developing an integrated regional approach towards Defence Conversion, the first  (‘launching’) meetings of the three Working Groups took place 5-7 December 2005 in RACVIAC/Croatia.

Almost 70 experts in defence conversion from the SEE region, supporting organisations (incl. the Greek/SEECP Presidency, NATO, OSCE, DCAF, BICC, Council of Europe Development Bank) and individual donor countries actively participated in this event and addressed the key aspects of defence conversion (i.e. resettlement of demobilised military personnel, military base/sites conversion and conversion of military industry for civilian use).

During the two plenary meetings and the meetings of the Working Groups, all participants agreed that the focus should be rightly given to socio-economic consequences of restructuring and downsizing their armed forces, which is a part of broader Security Sector Reform.  In the case of the WG 3, dealing with military industry conversion, a common understanding was achieved that emphasis should be given to the conversion of excess military industry capacities for possible civilian use and/or dismantling in particular middle and large calibre ammunition and heavy armaments.

The participants discussed concrete steps in different areas of defence conversion for 2006. One of the main goals of enhanced regional cooperation in this area would be to keep the positive momentum created by this meeting and start developing concrete projects that might attract the attention of IFIs, private sector and bilateral donors.

The fact that all three Working Groups will continue being chaired by the experts from the SEE region, i.e. from Croatia (WG 1), Bulgaria (WG 2) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (WG 3) represents another evidence of the growing regional ownership of various initiatives and Task Forces operating in the Stability Pact’s platform.

• Working Group 1 Meeting, 13-15 February 2006, Zagreb  (Link to Agenda)
• Working Group 2 Meeting, 28 February -1 March 2006, Zagreb  (Link to Agenda)
• List of reports from the Launching of the 3 WGs:
  • WG1
  • WG2
  • WG3
  • General Report
  • NEW Defence Conversion Programme 2006
  • Link to WTIII Director's speech

    
    
    
• Read more on Defence Conversion   
• Read more about RACVIAC