Trackpads - Military Community: White Paper on German Security Policy

White Paper on German Security Policy
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GMOD on 07 July, 2008 07:25:00
 
I. German Security Policy
During that time, the international environment has changed dramatically.
Globalisation has opened up new opportunities for Germany, too. At the same
time, the radical changes in the security environment have created new risks and
threats that are not only having a destabilising effect on Germany’s immediate
surroundings but also impact on the security of the international community as a
whole. A successful response to these new challenges requires the application of
a wide range of foreign, security, defence, and development policy instruments
in order to identify, prevent, and resolve conflicts at an early stage. With its
broad spectrum of capabilities, the Bundeswehr has been making significant
contributions towards the achievement of this goal.
International terrorism represents a fundamental challenge and threat to
freedom and security. Increasingly, the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and of the means of their delivery has become a potential threat to
Germany as well as other nations. In addition, Germany has been confronted with
the aftermath of intrastate and regional conflicts, the destabilisation, and the
internal disintegration of states as well as its frequent by-product – the
privatisation of force. Strategies that were previously effective in warding off
external dangers are no longer adequate against the current, asymmetric threats.
Today’s security policy must address new and increasingly complex challenges.
Effective security provisions require preventive, efficient, and coherent
cooperation at both the national and international levels, to include an
effective fight against the root causes. It is imperative that we take
preventive action against any risks and threats to our security and that we
address them in a timely manner and at their sources.Germany’s security is
inseparably linked to the political development of Europe and the remainder of
the world. The united Germany has an important part in shaping the future of
Europe and beyond. As a member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic
Alliance (NATO), Germany has proven itself to be a reliable partner. In these
international ventures, as well as in the United Nations (UN), the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other such forums, Germany
has been working towards the preservation of peace, protection against global
threats, promotion of democracy and human rights, sustainable development, and
cooperative security.
Since the mid-1990s, the organisations vital to the security of Germany – the
North Atlantic Alliance, the European Union, the United Nations – have
significantly evolved and adapted to the new risks and challenges. As a result,
their member countries have taken on additional responsibilities. Bundeswehr
personnel have been serving as peacekeepers in the Balkans, in the Caucasus
region, at the Horn of Africa, in the Middle East, on the African continent, and
in Asia. For several years, the Bundeswehr has consistently followed the path of
transitioning to an expeditionary force, and it has been radically transformed
along the way.
The process of global change will continue. In concert with its partners and
allies, Germany has accepted the challenges created by this change, shaping it
in accordance with its responsibilities and interests. German security policy is
driven by the values set forth in its Basic Law and by the goal of safeguarding
the interests of our country, in particular:
to preserve justice, freedom, and democracy for the citizens of our country, as
well as their security and welfare, and to protect them from threats;
to assure the sovereignty and integrity of German territory;
to prevent, whenever possible, regional crises and conflicts that may affect
Germany’s security and to help manage such crises;
to confront global challenges, above all the threat posed by international
terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;
to help uphold human rights and strengthen the international order on the basis
of international law;
to promote free and open world trade as the basis for our prosperity and, by
doing so help close the gap between the poor and wealthy regions of the world.
German security policy is based on a comprehensive concept of security; it is
forward-looking and multilateral. Security cannot be guaranteed by the efforts
of any one nation or by armed forces alone. Instead, it requires an
all-encompassing approach that can only be developed in networked security
structures and within the context of a comprehensive national and global
security philosophy. One of its components is the Federal Government’s overall
concept of “Civilian Crisis Prevention, Conflict Resolution, and Post-Conflict
Peace Building”.
The transatlantic partnership remains the foundation of Germany’s and
Europe’s common security. The North Atlantic Alliance will continue to be the
cornerstone of Germany’s future security and defence policy. Forming the link
between two continents, it provides unique political and military instruments
for the maintenance and restoration of peace. In the long run, the global
challenges confronting German security cannot be met without an effective
transatlantic alliance that is based on mutual trust among its member states.
The fundamental issues of European security can be addressed only in a joint
effort with the United States of America, and this will continue to hold true in
the future. However, the bonds between Germany and the United States must be
continually cultivated and deepened through mutual consultation and coordinated
action.
The European Union stands for political stability, security, and prosperity in
Germany as well as its other member states. It has evolved into a recognised
actor in international crisis management, with an increasing capacity for taking
action on foreign and security policy matters. As an integral part of the
European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, the European Security and
Defence Policy has defined military and civilian headline goals, established
politico-military structures for operations, created a European Defence Agency,
and formulated its European Security Strategy. Thus, Europe now has the
prerequisites to more effectively fulfil its share of responsibility for global
security in the future and to contribute to making the world a safer place. One
of the primary goals of German security policy is the strengthening of the
European area of stability through the consolidation and development of European
integration and the European Union’s active neighbourhood policy with the
states of Eastern Europe, the southern Caucasus, Central Asia, and the
Mediterranean region. Equally important are the development and reinforcement of
a durable and resilient security partnership with Russia.
The strategic partnership between NATO and the EU is one of the pillars of the
European and transatlantic security architecture. The EU and NATO are not
competitors; both make vital contributions to our security. Germany will
continue to work towards improving the relationship between the two
organisations in a manner that will lead to closer cooperation and greater
efficiency, avoid duplication, and fortify European and transatlantic security
in general.
Germany supports the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe as an
important instrument of our foreign and security policy and seeks to strengthen
its position.
The United Nations is the only international organisation that is universal in
nature. Its Charter provides the fundamental framework of international law that
governs international relations. As the expectations of the UN’s ability to
maintain global peace have increased, so has the number of UN requests for
assistance from NATO and the EU. The UN is of critical importance to the
resolution of the multitude of issues that arise from an expanded concept of
security. Germany fully accepts its share of responsibility to safeguard world
peace and international security within the framework of the UN and is committed
to strengthening the UN through fundamental and comprehensive reforms.
Arms control, disarmament, non-proliferation, and a restrictive armaments
export policy will remain important elements of the German security policy that
focuses on conflict prevention. In light of the threat posed by weapons of mass
destruction, special importance must be placed on strengthening the treaties
regarding the prohibition and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
and the continuation of nuclear disarmament.
II. THE BUNDESWEHR – AN INSTRUMENT OF GERMAN SECURITY POLICY
The Bundeswehr is an instrument of a comprehensive and proactive security and
defence policy. Its mission is:
to guarantee the capacity for action in the field of foreign policy,
to contribute towards European and global stability,
to maintain national security and defence,
to provide assistance in the defence of our allies,
to foster multinational cooperation and integration.
An effective Bundeswehr is vital to a German security and defence policy that
seeks to actively shape its environment. Politically and constitutionally, the
Bundeswehr’s raison d'être and core function continue to be the defence of
Germany against external threats. Additional responsibilities include the
defence of allies in the event of attack and assistance in crises and conflicts
that might escalate into actual threats. Thus, the central task of the
Bundeswehr continues to be national and collective defence in the classical
sense. However, the need for protection of the population and of the
infrastructure has increased in importance as a result of the growing threat
that terrorist attacks pose to German territory.
The Bundeswehr’s functions are derived from its constitutional mission and
from the values, goals, and interests of German security and defence policy.
They are:
international conflict prevention and crisis management, to include the fight
against international terrorism;
support of allies;
protection of German territory and its citizens;
rescue and evacuation operations;
partnership and cooperation;
subsidiary assistance (legal and administrative support, help in the wake of
natural disasters and particularly grave accidents).
For the foreseeable future, the most likely tasks will be the prevention of
international conflicts and crisis management, to include the fight against
international terrorism. They will determine the structure of and exert
significant influence on the capabilities, command and control systems,
availability, and equipment of the Bundeswehr.
Internal and external security are increasingly intertwined. The defence
against terrorist and other asymmetric threats within Germany falls primarily
into the purview of the Federal and Land authorities responsible for internal
security. It is, however, permissible under current law to deploy the Bundeswehr
and its available assets whenever a particular situation cannot be managed
without its assistance. To date, the use of military munitions in such cases has
been prohibited. The Federal Government deems it necessary to expand the
constitutional framework in this regard.
The structure of the Bundeswehr is consistently oriented towards its
operational needs. Consequently, the German Armed Forces are organised into the
categories of response, stabilisation, and support forces. They are trained,
equipped, and deployed according to their respective functions. The Bundeswehr
will continue to be a conscript force in the future; universal conscription has
proven to be an unqualified success in varying security environments. The tenets
of Innere Führung – leadership development and civic education – will
remain the Bundeswehr’s guiding principles.
However, the effectiveness of the Bundeswehr depends not only on its personnel
but also on the availability of financial resources. The ever-present dichotomy
between the requirements of defence policy and the financial needs of other
national tasks will continue into the future.
Today’s Bundeswehr has been shaped by international missions. Already, more
than 200,000 military personnel have served on operations abroad. The cost to
the Bundeswehr for humanitarian relief operations has also been steadily
increasing over the past years, tying up its resources.
Successful missions require armed forces that can be deployed across the entire
task spectrum. To realise this goal, the Bundeswehr is continuously working to
improve its capability profile. This is achieved via targeted measures in the
capability categories of command and control, intelligence collection and
reconnaissance, mobility, effective engagement, support and sustainability, and
survivability and protection.
Modern and effective armed forces are an element of national security
provisions. The Bundeswehr has been adapting to the dynamic security environment
through a continual process of transformation. This process is aimed at
improving operational readiness across the entire mission spectrum and requires
unconditional joint force thinking and action throughout the Bundeswehr as well
as a stronger interministerial approach. At the same time, any development of
existing capabilities must take into account the Bundeswehr's multinational
engagement. The ability to conduct network-enabled operations will be a
fundamental prerequisite for the Bundeswehr’s successful participation in
multinational conflict prevention and crisis management.
In the future, national preventive security measures will be premised on even
closer integration of political, military, development policy, economic,
humanitarian, policing, and intelligence instruments for conflict prevention and
crisis management. Operations at the international level will require a
comprehensive, networked approach that effectively combines civilian and
military instruments. The Federal Government is prepared to confront the ensuing
challenge of continuously assessing and, wherever necessary, refining its
instruments of security policy. This approach will best serve the security of
Germany and, at the same time, contribute towards global peace.