The Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism (2002-2012)
The 2002 Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism (PAP-T) has been overtaken by NATO’s Policy Guidelines on Counter-Terrorism and wider partnership cooperation. The PAP-T was intended as a framework through which Allies and partner countries could work to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism, through political consultation and a range of practical measures.
How did this policy arise?
Meeting at very short notice a day after the September 2001 attacks against the United States, ambassadors from NATO and partner countries unconditionally condemned the attacks and pledged to undertake all efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism. The PAP-T was a manifestation of this resolve. It was launched by the North Atlantic Council in consultation with partners at the Prague Summit in 2002.
How did counter-terrorism cooperation with partners evolve?
In 2011, NATO foreign ministers endorsed a new partnership policy at their meeting in Berlin in order to establish a more structured role for NATO’s operational partners in shaping the strategy of NATO-led operations to which they contribute.
Moreover, at the Chicago Summit in 2012, NATO leaders endorsed new policy guidelines for Alliance work on counter-terrorism, which focus on improving threat awareness, developing capabilities to prepare and respond and enhancing engagement with partner countries and other international actors.
Together, the reform of the partnership policy and NATO’s counter-terrorism policy guidelines supersede the 2002 PAP-T, providing cooperation opportunities for partners and NATO.
What did it cover?
The PAP-T underlined the importance of protecting fundamental freedoms and human rights, as well as upholding the rule of law in combating terrorism.
It was an element of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme but was also offered to countries of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue and other interested countries, on a case-by-case basis.
The Action Plan was intended to facilitate greater intelligence-sharing and cooperation in areas such as border security, terrorism-related training and exercises, the development of capabilities for defence against terrorist attack and for managing the consequences of such an attack.
The PAP-T encouraged Allies and partners to consult regularly on their shared security concerns related to terrorism in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and to exchange views and experience in seminars and workshops held under EAPC/PfP auspices.