Launched in December 1995 in the wake of the Dayton Peace Accord , the agreement ending the Bosnian war, the mission in Bosnia represented the Alliance's first major involvement in operational peacekeeping. As of August 2000, SFOR comprises troops from 16 NATO member countries as well as from 13 Partner countries, including a 1,200-strong Russian contingent. Preserving a secure environment remains SFOR's core mission, but as conditions within Bosnia have improved, SFOR has been able to assist civilian implementation of the peace agreement. On a visit to Bosnia in summer 2000, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson made clear that the country's militaries had to be brought under a single command if the country wished to be considered for NATO's Partnership for Peace programme.
Military reform is a long-term process.
This Committee coordinates the activities of the local armed forces and the ministries of defence of Bosnia's two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. In addition, it supports a variety of multi-ethnic working groups charged with developing policy options on defence issues. NATO sponsors a Security Cooperation Programme with Bosnia that, in partnership with the other international organisations, assists the Bosnian defence community bring in key reforms. The programme includes the development of a defence policy for Bosnia, the development of a state-level defence establishment, and the restructuring of the entities' armed forces. These efforts are designed to help Bosnia build a unified command and control structure, and, in the longer term, to encourage the development of joint doctrine, and standards for training and equipping that are compatible with NATO and Partnership for Peace norms.