NATO Individual Democratic Institutions Research Fellowships (1994-1996)

Collective Security System of the CIS States and Measures Providing Peace on the Territory of the Former Soviet Union Alexander Yegorov (Belarus) [Back to Index] 3. Collective Security: Basic Guidelines 3.1 Collective Security in the Contemporary World Military blocs and alliances have always been, and remain to be, one of the primary means of ensuring national security of nation-states. This instrument is of key importance for small and medium-size nation-states, not having considerable military strength nor military-economic potential. For big countries, military blocs and coalitions constitute the means of expanding their sphere of influence and strengthening their aggregate military power. To ensure their national security, the nation-states are striving for the strengthening of their security within the alliance or coalition of states which share their position. Unlike many international organisations, such as the UN, an alliance or a coalition, as a rule, make it possible to more efficiently respond to a threat or an act of aggression providing for more reliable protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of participating states. Alliances and coalitions are most effective when they serve their role within CSS based on the collective defence principle. Only in that case can nation-states adequately safeguard their security. The ensuring of a nation's or coalition's security, at present, is not limited by just military or political means. In the course of solving a nation's security problems, the role of economic and social factors, as well as environmental issues, is growing. These aspects may considerably affect the state of nation's, or coalition of nations', security. Nevertheless, the military component of security continue to play a dominant and crucial role in impacting the process. 3.2 Collective Security System (CSS): Definition, Goal and Mission A Collective Security System is one of the most effective means of providing national security of nation-states in the contemporary world. The goal of the participating states in such a system ensures their national and international security, by joint effort of such alliance member-states, to the general conditions of external threat. Usually, the goal of security is achieved by the implementation of specific practical measures primarily in the political and military sphere. As a rule, however, effective CSS additionally contributes to peace and stability among the participating states. The primary reason for a group of nations to set up CSS is the presence of a common external threat. An important feature of an effective CSS, to a group of nations, is joint activity aimed at ensuring security of each individual nation of that group and all states as a whole. In most cases, the participating states view the following as their responsibilities within CSS: Exposure, assessment, counteraction and elimination of threats in military-political and military spheres by non-military methods; Maintaining the aggregate military power and combat readiness of the participating states on a level corresponding to present threats; Reducing defence expenditures without effecting national security by consolidating the expenses of the military power of all participating states; Development of production, towards technological and scientific potential for the build-up of effective military power; When necessary, the combined use of the armed forces to defend the national interests of the participating states. The following conditions are necessary to successfully achieve these responsibilities: High level of economic, technological and scientific potential; Maintain military power adequate to the present threats; Appropriate support with resources. 3.3 Main Components of Collective Security System (CSS) A CCS of the participating states is composed of the following components: Interstate working bodies with national forces delegated and answerable to them. The character and rules of the relationships between the working bodies and national forces is determined by the corresponding national legislative acts or interstate agreements. Interstate Working Bodies are set up and function, within an international organisation (structure), with the main purpose to ensure the TCS implementation. These bodies are subdivided into political and military. In terms of their composition all of them are multinational. They provide for the development and making of political decisions, along with the planning and preparing of the armed forces to put into effect decisions made on the political level. As a rule, the composition and the general responsibilities of these bodies are the following: Political bodies are set up for the development and making of decisions within a coalition or an alliance. Their responsibilities are: Conduct consultations on foreign policy and security issues; Development of foreign policy and security; Decision on action to be taken. Military bodies are set up for development and implementation of decisions by the political body with the use of the armed forces. Their responsibilities are: Elaboration of recommendations on decisions made on collective defence issues; Preparation for the collective defence, including military threat assessment, elaboration of operational plans, preparation for the joint use of military forces and infrastructure; Demonstration and the Use of force, if necessary. 3.4 Process of Collective Security System (CSS) Set-up The process of CSS set-up begins with the signing of a general treaty, declaring the principles, goals of the treaty and the main ways to achieve them. Normally, the treaty contains a provision on collective defence against possible aggression. This provision is based on the nations' right for individual and collective defence against aggression as in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. To specify a general treaty, multi- and bilateral treaties and agreements are developed. They determine rules and procedures of interstate working bodies, rules of interaction and co-ordination in decision-making on different levels, as well as financing procedures. At the same time, legislative documents are adopted on the national level, making it possible for the national bodies to legally participate in the interstate bodies activities or in fulfilment of obligations under a treaty or prior agreements which specify it. On the final stage, an interstate organisation (structure) is set up as a result of mutual agreement. Joint political and military working bodies operate within its framework. With resources and funding are available, the CSS, based on multilateral agreement, becomes an effective tool for ensuring national security of the participating states. Generally, the CSS creation process can be subdivided into three stages: Signing the Treaty on Collective Security (Defence) by allies and development of the corresponding interstate and national legislation. Creation of bodies within an interstate organisation, providing appropriate national resources to support this organisation and its function. Providing continuous financial support and other resources for the interstate organisation's everyday activity and the carrying out joint programs aimed at ensuring the collective security. In this chapter we have outlined a number of basic tenets associated with collective security. On this basis, is the CIS collective security system analysis and assessment is stated below. Ensuring security of a state or a group of states is not limited by creation of a military-political organisation or defence potential. As was mentioned above, security has military as well as political aspects. However, we will confine ourselves to outlining primarily military-political and military aspects to the safeguarding of security, since they have the crucial effect on the CSS development and function. The fact that security is a multifaceted term should be understood in the CIS. Thus, whenever the CIS collective security system is discussed, in first turn, its military-political and military aspects will be touched upon. Corresponding practical work is conducted along the same lines.