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Implementation of IPAP RM-NATO – Decisive Test for the Government of the Republic of Moldova

13 Nov 2009 Valeriu Mija, Executive Director, PRISA Foundation Point of view on the relaunching of IPAP

On November 10, re-affirming electoral promises to further promote democratic values and principles and to advance security sector reform, the new Government of the Republic of Moldova established the National Commission on Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) Republic of Moldova - NATO under the Chairmanship of the Vice-prim-minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Mr. Iurile Leanca. In this regards, it is very remarkable that international and national experts’ recommendations derived from past national experience of ineffective IPAP implementation urge the new Government of the RM to consider the opportunity of re-launching IPAP as decisive and priority steps in implementing democratic standards in the security and defense sectors. Furthermore, such opportunity represents a chance to re-establish the affected image of the Republic of Moldova in Euro-Atlantic region.

Making empirical analysis of implementation of IPAP RM-NATO since 2005, two events appear to have importance to be considered for the future IPAP actions. The first one was the declarations of the former head of state, Mr.Vladimir Voronin, on firm intention of Moldova to sing an IPAP with Nord-Atlantic Alliance, made at the NATO Headquarter in 2005. The second one was the moment of signing and introducing in form of national implementation program of IPAP RM-NATO in 2006. These steps were made very rapidly, efficiently and meanwhile quite surprisingly not only for the Republic of Moldova population but also for NATO experts, who were amazed about firm intention of the Moldovan leadership in that period. Nevertheless, no one anticipated that IPAP RM-NATO would become a priority only in declaration and not as concrete results. In reality, security and defense sectors’ reforms regretfully were led in the wrong direction adopting only cosmetic democratic elements and postponing for a maxim approval of strategic documents that should regulate these sectors.

As a result, security and defense sectors have not been reformed completely in accordance with declared commitments. Furthermore, the image of the Republic of Moldova was badly affected within the Euro-Atlantic space. Correspondently, unsuccessful security and defense sectors’ reforms sent a negative signal toward European Union that is composed of states with democratic values. In another words, more members of the Euro-Atlantic space either Allies and Partners or EU consider the Republic of Moldova to be not very credible Partner.

Presently, the Republic of Moldova has not lost a chance yet to implement IPAP RM-NATO due to continuous willingness of Allies and Partners to provide assistance for the IPAP implementation process. We sincerely need to admit that without such assistance the assumed in 2006 IPAP commitments will be hardly honored by the new Government of the Republic of Moldova. Consequently, in order to have a successful security sector reform and to re-establish image and credibility of the Republic of Moldova, the national leadership, especially National Commission on IPAP with specialized experts, needs to conduct their action based on several fundamental principles, which are very traditional in Euro-Atlantic area, and specifically to demonstrate political will and transparency, to admit reality in security sector and to work on end-state results and not on process. Such approach will attract external support and provide good national performance results.

In the process of IPAP implementation, national and international experts have revealed that the Republic of Moldova have not been familiar with essence of IPAP RM-NATO. Such gap has provided opportunity to different political forces to negatively exploit IPAP in electoral purposes, including in the framework of Transdniestrian conflict-resolution process. In such conditions, one of the priority recommendations for the National Commission on IPAP Implementation would be to urgently adopt Public Information Strategy on IPAP Implementation, which would inform, familiarize and educate Moldovan society and mass-media about IPAP essence.

The second important recommendation for the Government of the Republic of Moldova would be systematization and reorganization of the national security system, which is presently not organized in accordance with standards and practices of democratic states. In democratic states, head of state, sometime chief of executive, determine risks and threats for the national security and, correspondently, guide elaboration process of respective strategic documents in the national security field. Such approach is principal element in security sector planning; specifically, it plans necessary capability (means) and feasible methods (ways) to counter threats for the national security. This aspect is very important since it establishes the entire architecture of national security sector, main elements of institutions and missions: structures, size of personnel, tasks, and way of executing task and most important – size of budget necessary to execute the missions. In the other words, national security system planning should be performed “top down” and not on “down up” that has been demonstrated by past experience in the Republic of Moldova.

In order to adjust the current national security system, the reformation of Supreme Security Council is urgently necessary to make it as a central coordinating structure for the entire security system. Up till now, the management and supervision of the national security and defense sectors’ reforms has been performed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Such method is absolutely inadequate compare with many other democratic states. In this regards, reformed Supreme Security Council would legitimize decision-making process and would assume responsibility to coordinate IPAP and national security reform. Moreover, this political step would totally adjust national security system to democratic standards and values.

The third recommended element, which is vitally needed for the success of reforms assumed in IPAP, is finalization of reorganization of the institutions of security and defense sectors based on principle of separation of policy elaboration, policy implementation and policy implementation audit. In another word, national security structures should be decentralized in such mode that elaboration of policy and policy implementation audit be performed by political appointees supported by civil servants and policy implementation (mission execution) be performed by specialized professional expert of the institutions. That structural reorganization will introduce transparency in mission planning and adequate allocation of financial recourses in national security institutions. Meanwhile, such approach will exclude conflict of interest and minimize corruption within these institutions.

Another essential recommendation would be suggestion of complementing current IPAP national implementation mechanism by attracting specialized representation of civil society (non-governmental organization) and academic cycles in the process of national expertise. These “Think Tanks” might be responsible for conceptual parts of actions assumed in IPAP, providing relevant support to governmental structures and IPAP National Implementation Commission. Such successive practices, which are very common in many democratic states, create an element of reforms legitimacy within civil society and academic cycles.

Presently, the Republic of Moldova deserves and has a possibility to have effective and adequate to democratic norms national security sector. In order to achieve success in IPAP RM-NATO implementation – main pillar of national security reform – it is necessary for the leadership of the Republic of Moldova to demonstrate political will and transparency, to acknowledge existent reality in national security sector in order to reform it according to democratic standards. Correspondingly, Partners of the Republic of Moldova will not wait long to provide assistance and support for these efforts since promoting democracy has been always major and noble priority in Euro-Atlantic area.