Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes
The Partnership for Peace Consortium emerged in 1998 following a speech by United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen titled "Toward a Cooperative Security Network for the 21st Century". This address was delivered during the 12th of June 1998 meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council defense ministers. Similar sentiments appeared in concluding documents from the NATO and EAPC Summits held on 24 and the 25th of April 1999. The consortium originally received co-sponsorship from the United States and Germany to strengthen defense and military education through enhanced national and institutional cooperation. Since its founding, sponsorship has expanded to include numerous partner states and organizations. In the Canadian House of Commons in 2017, Honorable Wayne Easter noted the PfPC's long contribution to promoting stability, security, and democracy.
A Senior Advisory Council governs the Partnership for Peace Consortium with high-level government representatives from Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Members of this council can be permanent or rotational depending on the interests of contributing states or organizations. The council meets annually to review activities and provide guidance ensuring alignment with founding principles. Operational decisions flow through Working Groups and Study Groups addressing international security topics. Nine groups exist each with a Chair, Co-Chair, and Technical Advisors who contribute voluntarily or otherwise. These Chairs and Co-Chairs form the Consortium Steering Committee which meets annually to determine future activities aligned with Senior Advisory Council directions.
Over 90 events occur per year across the US, Europe, and Central Asia providing forums for debate on contemporary security topics. The Advanced Distributed Learning Working Group strengthens e-learning-based defense policy education through international collaboration. Their mission includes creating interactive courseware and sharing open-source technologies. The Education Development Working Group consists of Reference Curriculum and Faculty Development components facilitated by the Defense Education Enhancement Program. Emerging Security Challenges aims to enhance decision-maker capacity to identify non-traditional threats like cybersecurity issues. This group led creation of the NATO/PFPC Cybersecurity Generic Reference Curriculum available in four languages including English, French, Arabic, and Russian. The Security Sector Reform Working Group focuses on human security and gender equality within military operations since 2010.
The Regional Stability in Southeast Europe Study Group evaluates factors promoting regional stability through enhanced international cooperation. It carries out strategic research supplementary to practical work done in the region. Another study group targets the South Caucasus to foster stability through dialogue among diverse parties. Activities here advise broader conflict resolution efforts such as the Geneva Talks and OSCE Minsk Group. These groups ensure multinational participation involving experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia alongside partners like the European Union and Russia. They build constructive networks of academic influence involving civil society and think-tanks while encouraging alteration of conflicting narratives to progress negotiation.
As of December 2014, Defense Education Enhancement Program initiatives were underway in thirteen nations including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. DEEP supports foreign government defense learning institutions by enhancing curriculum quality and relevance. It promotes faculty development and modern learning techniques within individually tailored multi-year action plans. This program is central to Education Development Working Group activities. The initiative integrates interested partner nations into a community of practice focused on advanced distributed learning strategies. Workshops organized since 2012 have addressed teaching gender to military personnel with representatives from NATO and Partner countries attending.
Connections: The Quarterly Journal was established in 2002 by the Partnership covering security, defense, armed forces, conflict, intelligence, history, war, and related issues. Volume one contained four issues published in English, French, German, and Russian. Starting with volume two, publication shifted to English and Russian except for volumes seven through ten which appeared in English only. The journal is abstracted and indexed in Scopus, JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCO databases, Columbia International Affairs Online, and the International Relations and Security Network. Editorial decisions are made by an international board under guidance of the Senior Advisory Council. Over 1,000 institutions across 54 countries receive distribution of this peer-reviewed open access academic journal.
Common questions
When was the Partnership for Peace Consortium established and by whom?
The Partnership for Peace Consortium emerged in 1998 following a speech by United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen. This address was delivered during the 12th of June 1998 meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council defense ministers.
Which countries participate in the Senior Advisory Council of the Partnership for Peace Consortium?
High-level government representatives from Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States govern the Partnership for Peace Consortium through its Senior Advisory Council. Members of this council can be permanent or rotational depending on the interests of contributing states or organizations.
What languages is the NATO/PFPC Cybersecurity Generic Reference Curriculum available in?
The NATO/PFPC Cybersecurity Generic Reference Curriculum created by the Emerging Security Challenges group is available in four languages including English, French, Arabic, and Russian. This curriculum aims to enhance decision-maker capacity to identify non-traditional threats like cybersecurity issues.
In which nations were Defense Education Enhancement Program initiatives underway as of December 2014?
As of December 2014, Defense Education Enhancement Program initiatives were underway in thirteen nations including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. DEEP supports foreign government defense learning institutions by enhancing curriculum quality and relevance.
When was The Quarterly Journal established and how many countries receive distribution of it?
The Quarterly Journal was established in 2002 by the Partnership covering security, defense, armed forces, conflict, intelligence, history, war, and related issues. Over 1,000 institutions across 54 countries receive distribution of this peer-reviewed open access academic journal.