Source: http://www.usia.gov/regional/eur/balkans/kosovo/glossary/a-i.htm#sectA
Accessed 13 April 1999

The Crisis in Kosovo

Glossary of Acronyms and Terms

Only J-R and Index [Kosovo Index] linked here

- A -

 

ACE

Allied Command Europe. One of the two primary divisions of NATO. The other is Allied Command Atlantic. Its commander is the SACEUR. See SHAPE.

ACLANT

Allied Command Atlantic. ACLANT is one of NATO's two major military commands and the only one in North America. It is the senior military authority for NATO land, sea and air forces in the North Atlantic area, from the North Pole to the Tropic of Cancer, and from the East Coast of North America to the West Coast of Africa and Europe, approximately 12 million square miles.

ACTWARN

Activation Warning. A decision taken by NATO on the 24^th of September that brings the organization to a new state of military preparedness by allowing NATO commanders to identify military assets that would be used should air strikes take place.

ACTREQ

Activation Request. A decision taken by NATO to prepare for action those military assets identified for use should air strikes occur. This decision generates a formal force generation process through the issuance of a statement of requirements. This will formalize the informal request for forces made in the ACTWARN phase. This is not a political decision to use military force.

ACTORD

Activation Order. A NATO order authorizing troops under its control to move into active duty. This is the authorization to execute a military operation. This is the final political decision by the North Atlantic Council that is required before a military operation could be executed. The ACTORD regarding Kosovo was issued on Monday, 12 October 1998.

AVM

Air Verification Mission. The NATO-run counterpart to OSCE's land-based verification of Serbian compliance with their commitments.

Article Five

The article of the NATO Treaty which guarantees mutual defense of members' territories by all other members.

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- B -

(empty)

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- C -

CIS

Commonwealth of Independent States.

Chapter VII

UN Charter. This chapter is invoked by UNSC Resolution 1199 which covers actions with respect to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression.

CONTACT GROUP

A monitoring and compliance group on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia involving France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Russia and the US. Meetings are held from the Foreign Minister level on down to the working level.

CSCE

Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Precursor to OSCE. The name change and reorganization occurred in 1991.

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- D -

Dayton Agreement/Accords

Agreement ending the 1991-96 Bosnian civil war, signed in Dayton, Ohio, July 1996.

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- E -

EAPC

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. Announced in Sintra, Portugal in May 1997. There will be regular meetings of the Council in Brussels at the ambassadorial or permanent representative level about once a month with NATO and PFP members.

ECMM

European Community Monitoring Mission. The Sarajevo-based organization running the European observer missions in the Balkans.

 

EU

European Union. Comprised of 15 nations, the European Union officially came into being with the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty on European Union in 1992. The EU is the successor to the European Community (EC) (which is now a component part of the Union rather than being its entire entity). Maastricht established three pillars upon which the Union stands: the EC, EMU, and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (plus cooperation in the field of Justice and Home Affairs). The member states are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.

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- F -

FOA

Freedom of Access.

FOM

Freedom of Movement.

FRY

Former Republic of Yugoslavia. The state encompassing the republics of Serbia (including the provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Montenegro. The current, preferred State Department nomenclature is Serbia-Montenegro.

FYROM

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The southernmost republic of the former Yugoslavia. It is bordered by Albania (west), Greece (south), Bulgaria (north-east), and the remainder of Yugoslavia (aka Serbia-Montenegro) (north and north-west). Its capital is Skopje.

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(empty)

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- H -

Helsinki Final Act

A set of guiding principles that applies to all CSCE states and peoples. The Act was signed by all 35 CSCE founding members in Helsinki, Finland, August 1975. Clicking the HFA link will download a zipped copy of the Act.

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- I -

ICRC

International Committee of the Red Cross.

ICTY

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

IDP

Internally Displaced Person. The term use to described persons displaced within their own countries.

IFOR

 

Implementation Force. The NATO peacekeeping forces in Bosnia which pre-dated SFOR.

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Index J - R