The NUC was established by the NATO-Ukraine Charter on a Distinctive Partnership signed by Ukrainian and Allied Heads of State and Government in Madrid on 9 July 1997 .
Its task is to ensure proper implementation of the Charter’s provisions, broadly assess the development of the NATO-Ukraine relationship, survey planning for future activities, and suggest ways to improve or further develop cooperation.
Participants
All NATO member states and Ukraine are represented in the NUC, which meets regularly at the level of ambassadors and military representatives, as well as periodically at the level of foreign and defence ministers and chiefs of staff, and occasionally at summit level.
Senior level meeting of the NUC are prepared by the Political Committee in NUC format (or NUC PC), which also serves as the site for ongoing exchanges on political and security issues of common interest, and the preparation and assessment of Ukraine’s programmes of cooperation with NATO.
The work of the NUC
The NUC provides a forum for consultation between the Allies and Ukraine on security issues of common concern, such as the situation in Afghanistan, the Balkans or Iraq; the fight against terrorism; frozen conflicts and other regional security issues.
In December 2008, NATO foreign ministers decided to further enhance work under the NUC through the development of an Annual National Programme (ANP). The ANP, which will be finalised in spring 2009, will replace the Annual Target Plans which have guided NATO-Ukraine cooperation since agreement of the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan in 2002.
The NUC also keeps under review cooperative activities developed in the framework of Ukraine’s participation in the Partnership for Peace, as well as in the military-to-military sphere under the Military Committee and the Ukraine Annual Work Plans.
Joint working groups have been set up under the auspices of the NUC to take work forward in specific areas, namely defence and security sector reform, armaments, economic security, scientific and environmental cooperation.
