Introduction
RACVIAC was established in 2000 as the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre with an aim to provide arms control training, promote confidence and security building measures and broaden cooperation in South Eastern Europe (SEE).
With a view to enhancing the regional stability, the Centre later broadened its scope of activities to comprise a wide range of politico-military issues, including security sector reform and international and regional cooperation with a focus on Euro-Atlantic integration.
Developments and changes in the security environment and the changing needs of the SEE countries, necessitated a review of the RACVIAC mission, objectives and structure. This led to the beginning of the transformation process of the Centre in 2007, which was concluded by the signing of a new Agreement on RACVIAC in 2010.
With the Agreement, ratified in December 2011, the Centre obtained the status of a regionally owned international organization and was renamed the RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation.
"The leading regional security organization that accelerates the transformation processes conducive to European and Euro-Atlantic integration and accession as well as shared values."
The mission of RACVIAC is to foster dialogue and cooperation on security matters in South Eastern Europe through a partnership between the countries of the region and their international partners.
Reflecting our vision and mission, RACVIAC will continue to promote peace and stability in the region by further contributing to raising the countries’ institutional capacities in dealing with the common security challenges and increasing their governance capabilities.
RACVIAC prime objectives will be characterized by Reliability and Accountability, Openness and Transparency, Impartiality and Credibility, Responsibility and Trust, Adaptability and Integrity, Flexibility and Development, Professionalism and Predictability
RACVIAC's strategic goals are:
To support Members to effectively implement and fulfil their obligations and commitments deriving from EU and Euro-Atlantic security agendas.
To deepen the security cooperation and strategic dialogue between countries in the region to solve common problems and share knowledge and best practices.
To build stronger ties with regional and international organizations in better addressing the needs of the SEE countries.
To enhance dialogue with and better involve the civil society and academia in effectively addressing the topics that impact peace and security of the SEE region.
RACVIAC focuses its activities on three overarching themes:
Cooperative Security Environment
Security Sector Governance
Countering Transnational Security Threats
The Cooperative Security Environment (CSE) Pillar is one of the RACVIAC domains with the longest tradition. Arms Control implementation obligations triggered the foundation of the Centre in 2000, and even after the transformation into the “Centre for Security Cooperation”, the obligations and demands of the many Arms Control regimes in place continue characterizing and dominating all activities of this Pillar. The identified spectrum of regional needs in the said domain ranges from pure training inspections and training of trainers for the implementation of legally and politically binding Arms Control treaties on one hand, to identifying possible contributions of the most relevant, well-functioning Arms Control regimes to regional stabilization in e.g. crisis situations, on the other. The CSE Pillar is continuously providing practical and theoretical knowledge to organizations, working groups, political and administrative structures in all areas of confidence and security building. The CSE Pillar focuses mainly on: arms control treaties and agreements, implications and the role of arms control policy aimed at confidence and security building, regional aspects of arms control in SEE, non-proliferation and physical security and stockpile management.
An additional element to the CSE Pillar is the C-WMD Network which was formed at the request of the RACVIAC Member States in 2015 to facilitate the development of national WMD counter-proliferation strategies and management of response plans and to enhance regional cooperation in this field.
The Security Sector Governance (SSG) Pillar represents the Centre’s approach to addressing regional needs and the challenges deriving thereof. The scope of activities of this specific programme domain are focused on promoting accountable, democratic, efficient and civilian-controlled security sector. That’s why the Pilar continues to address different Security Sector Governance solutions aimed at strengthening good governance at all levels, and ensuring sustainable development in all of its aspects. The SSG Pillar is focused on promoting different aspects and principles of democratic Security Sector in the fields of: politico-military aspects of security, democratic oversight, building integrity and fighting corruption, human rights/gender perspective strategic communication and civilian crisis management.
Countering Transnational Security Threats (CTST) Pillar derives its scope of activities from mainly regional security cooperation issues to broader politico-military issues of Euro-Atlantic integration. The CTST Pillar’s activities revolve around subjects dealing with the SEE countries’ efforts in their Euro-Atlantic and EU integration processes, as the main driving force behind their reforms and development. The Pillar’s main objective in these activities is to emphasize the need for ever-closer cooperation at regional and broader international levels. Regional cooperation represents an added value in countering transnational security threats in the SEE countries as well as an important complementary mechanism aimed at contributing to the advancement of the countries from the region towards the EU. Further regional cooperation in the area of defence and security is a necessity and the CTST Pillar provides the tools for promoting regional security cooperation and supporting European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes. Therefore, this Pillar deals with various security related topics: organized crime, terrorism/foreign terrorist fighters, EU CFSP/CSDP, migrations, cyber security, crisis and disaster management, energy and environmental security, etc.
The Centre and its activities are financed from:
Member contributions (running costs and activities)
Associate Member contributions (primarily activities)
Other contributions
The RACVIAC budget is divided into an Operating and a Programme part. The Operating part, covering "running costs" of RACVIAC and a portion of activities, is financed by its Members, while Associate members contribute to the Programme part - the funds required to execute RACVIAC activities.
In addition, international partners, organizations and donor countries can make general financial contributions, supporting programme activities.
The annual budget required for the Centre to be fully operational is approximately 600,000.00 Euros.
RACVIAC co-operates with and supports a number of international and regional, governmental and non-governmental organisations and institutions, also working to enhance stability and security in the SEE. Strong links have been established with the UN, NATO, EU, OSCE, SEESAC, DCAF, GCSP, OPCW, UNDP, RCC and with national authorities of the SEE countries, to name some of them.
RACVIAC will not compete with or duplicate the work of other security organisations but will seek close cooperation. If extensive cooperation is required, the signing of an additional MoU will be proposed to MAG for approval.
