Title: With the Armed Forces into year 2000 - Personnel Policy
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PERSONNEL POLICY
The Government emphasises education and development of skills in order to meet the increasing demands of the future. Family and gender related measures constitute an important part of the personnel policy. The area emphasised involves measures securing that the entire family can move together to service areas.
Against the background of increasing numbers of resignations in the Armed Forces, the Storting decided on 7 May 1997 that the Ministry of Defence should present a white paper regarding the personnel situation to the Storting. The Ministry has decided to respond to the Storting through this White Paper.
In order to resolve the tasks of the Armed Forces in times of peace, crisis, and war, particular competence, continuity, and experience must be emphasised. At the same time, the Armed Forces must be prepared to face competition in a rigorous work market. How well the Armed Forces will succeed in attracting, keeping and developing qualified personnel will be decisive for its organisational quality and performance. These challenges and requirements must be met through a comprehensive personnel policy based on a sound management philosophy. The overall objective for the personnel policy is to acquire a highly motivated corps with sufficient skills to resolve its tasks.
The Ministry of Defence is concerned that the Armed Forces do not lose their competence as a result of resignations. The Ministry will consider a variety of measures to confront these challenges in both a long and short term perspective. The Armed Forces must become a competitive work place by emphasising also other factors than salary. The Ministry will also initiate an ambitious recruitment strategy for the Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Defence emphasises development of competence in order to face the demads of today. This must constitute an integral part of the Armed Forces. Family and gender related issues are important parts of the personnel policy. The primary areas involve measures which enable the entire family to move to new service areas.
The Armed Forces continously seek to have a personnel structure which is adapted to the organisation as well as the activities. Personnel reductions are still called for, but in a smaller tempo and magnitude than previously anticipated. The main patterns of the restructuring process affecting the personnel still emphasise job security.
Topic: International Peace Operations
For a small country like Norway it is important that international norms and the rule of law are upheld. Conflicts in different parts of the world also have adverse repercussions for our own society. The Government therefore considers it important that participation in military aspects of peace operations abroad should form part of Norway's security and defence policy. It is important that Norway share responsibility for preserving peace and security in the world, and not only in areas in our immediate neighbourhood. Norwegian involvement in such operations abroad and the activities of the Armed Forces at home should provide a source of mutual benefit and reinforcement.
Since 1947 Norway has participated in almost 30 peace operations and has contributed more than 55,000 military volunteers. These have been stationed in the Balkans, the Middle East, Kashmir, Korea, the Congo, Guatemala, Angola, El Salvador, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia. Norway also participated, with the Coast Guard vessel CGV ANDENES, medical personnel and a field hospital, during the UN embargo against Iraq during 1990-1991.
In autumn 1997 Norway was taking part in 8 separate peace operations: Lebanon (UNIFIL, personnel 643), Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR, personnel 744), the Middle East (UNTSO, personnel 12), East Slavonia (UNTAES, personnel 6), the Prevlaka Peninsula ((UNMOP, personnel 1), Macedonia (UNPREDEP, personnel 42), Angola (MONUA, personnel 3) and Sinai (MFO, personnel 5). The total of 1,450 officers and men means that Norway is a major contributor to international peace operations.
Provided that sufficient volunteers are forthcoming, Norwegian military participation in international peace operations will be maintained at a fairly high level. This contribution will be largely made in the context of NATO and UN operations. Other contributions under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Western European Union (WEU) are also a possibility.