>> WHAT IS NATO?

SOLIDARITY

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of 26 countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949.

FREEDOM

In accordance with the Treaty, the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means.

SECURITY

NATO safeguards the Allies’ common values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes, and promotes these values throughout the Euro-Atlantic area.

TRANSATLANTIC LINK

The Alliance embodies the transatlantic link by which the security of North America and Europe are permanently tied together. It is the practical expression of effective collective effort among its members in support of their common interests.

CONSULTATION

NATO provide a forum in which the United States, Canada and European countries can consult together on security issues of common concern and take joint action in addressing them.

DEFENCE

NATO is committed to defending its member states against aggression or the threat of aggression and to the principle that an attack against one or several members would be considered as an attack against all.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

NATO has helped to end bloody conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo and head off a civil war in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) Today, NATO-led forces are helping to bring stability to Kosovo Afghanistan, Iraq and Darfur.

PARTNERSHIPS

Dialogue and cooperation with non-NATO countries are helping to overcome the divisions of the Cold War era and to extend security and stability well beyond NATO borders.

DECISION-MAKING

MATO is an intergovernmental organization. The 26 member countries retain their full sovereignty. All NATO decisions are taken jointly by the member countries on the basis of consensus.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

NATO’s most important decision- making body is the North Atlantic Council which bring together representatives of the 26 Allies at the level of Ambassadors, Ministers or Heads of State and Government.

MILITARY STRUCTURE

NATO’s military structure is a multinational force planning, organization and command system. It provides for joint planning, training, exercising and operations, under the command of NATO’s strategic commanders.

PARTNERSHIPS

NATO structures and mechanisms provide the framework for cooperation with partners countries, which forms an integral part of the day-to-day activity of the Alliance.

TRANSFORMATION

At the 2002 NATO Summit in Prague, Allies launched a modernization process designed to ensure that NATO can effectively deal with 21^st century threats. This process was further strengthened at the Summit in Istanbul, in 2004.

NEW OPERATIONS

In the face of new threats, the alliance is taking on new operations and missions: bringing stability to Afghanistan, assisting Iraq, Protecting against terrorism in the Mediterranean and helping the African Union to bring peace to the Darfur region of Sudan.

NEW CAPABILITIES

As the nature of threats changes, so must the methods of preserving peace. NATO is reorienting its defense capabilities toward today’s threats. It is adopting its forces and developing new, multinational approaches to deal with terrorism, failed states and other security threats such as weapons of mass destruction.

NEW RELATIONSHIPS

NATO is deepening and broadening its cooperation with its 20 partner countries as well as Russia, Ukraine, its Mediterranean partners, the broader Middle East Region. It is developing a strategic partnership with the European Union.