NATO’s North Atlantic Council

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (hereinafter: NATO) was established on April 4th, 1949 in Washington, DC, following the end of World War II. It is believed that the organization was established as a deterrent of the threat that the Soviet Union posed at the time.

NATO consists of a military and a political coalition. Its essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. The political part of NATO promotes democratic values and encourages consultation and cooperation on defence and security issues to build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.

The political part focuses on The North Atlantic Council. It is the principal political decision-making body at NATO. The North Atlantic Council consists of the Member States of the Treaty. There are twenty-eight (28) Member States that enjoy the security that the organization provides since 1949 and they convene under the auspices of the North Atlantic Council in order to discuss and consult on topics that apply to the nature and the mandate of this body.  It is chaired by NATO’s Secretary General who helps members reach agreement on key issue and its decisions are to be applicable to every body of the Alliance.

Concerning its decision-making process, all Council’s decisions are based upon discussion and consultation between all Member States of the Treaty and are guided by the principle of consensus. When a NATO decision is taken, it is considered as a collective effort towards the resolution of all issues that are on the agenda of the Council. A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all 28 member countries since all decisions are taken by consensus. Each day, hundreds of civilian and military experts and officials come to NATO HQs to exchange information, share ideas and help prepare decisions when needed, in cooperation with national delegations and the staff at NATO HQs.

The NAC is chaired by the Secretary General and its decisions have the same status and validity at whichever level it meets. The Secretary General is the Alliance’s top international civil servant. This person is responsible for steering the process of consultation and decision-making within the Alliance and ensuring that decisions are implemented. The Secretary General is also NATO’s chief spokesperson and heads the Organisation’s International Staff, which provides advice, guidance and administrative support to the national delegations at NATO HQs.

The topics to be discussed are: