3. What is NATO?
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance.
• NATO is established in 1949 to create a counterweight to Soviet
armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after World War II.
When the Cold War ended, NATO was reconceived as a
“cooperative-security” organization.
4. NATO formation
• The North Atlantic Alliance was founded in the aftermath of the Second
World War. Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote
cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom – all of this in
the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union.
The Alliance’s founding treaty was signed in Washington in 1949 by a
dozen European and North American countries. It commits the Allies to
democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law, as well as to peaceful
resolution of disputes.
•
5. • Importantly, the treaty sets out the idea of collective defence,
meaning that an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack
against all Allies. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization – or NATO –
ensures that the security of its European member countries is
inseparably linked to that of its North American member countries.
The Organization also provides a unique forum for dialogue and
cooperation across the Atlantic.
6.
7. Expansion of NATO
• No third country has a say in such deliberations. NATO's ongoing
enlargement process poses no threat to any country. It is aimed at promoting
stability and cooperation, at building a Europe whole and free, united in
peace, democracy and common values.
8. Example of expansion
• Two countries on the Adriatic Sea—Albania and Croatia—joined on 1 April
2009 before the 2009 Strasbourg–Kehl summit. The next member states to
join NATO were Montenegro on 5 June 2017, and North Macedonia on 27
March 2020.
• Since 1949, NATO's membership has increased from 12 to 31 countries
through nine rounds of enlargement. Finland became the latest country to
join the Alliance on 4 April 2023. Currently, four partner countries have
declared their aspirations to NATO membership: Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Georgia, Sweden and Ukraine.
9.
10.
11. Purpose of formation
• collective security
• At its core, the organization acts as a collective security alliance with the aim of
providing mutual defense through military and political means if a member state
is threatened by an external country.
• This cornerstone is laid out in Article 5 of the charter, the collective defense
clause:
12. • "The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of
them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack
against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an
armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of
individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the
Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so
attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the
other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use
of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North
Atlantic area."
•
13. OPEN DOOR POLICY
• NATO's so-called open door policy, as outlined in Article 10 of the treaty,
allows any European country that can enhance and contribute "to the
security of the North Atlantic area" to join.
"Countries aspiring for NATO membership are also expected to meet certain
political, economic and military goals in order to ensure that they will become
contributors to Alliance security as well as beneficiaries of it," it says on
NATO's site.
14. Achievement of NATO
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has achieved a number of
significant goals since its founding in 1949. Some of the most notable
achievements of NATO include:
• Providing collective defense: NATO has helped to ensure the security and
stability of its member countries by providing a system of collective defense
against external threats.
15. • Promoting political and economic cooperation:
NATO has played a role in promoting political and economic cooperation
among its member countries, which has contributed to the growth and
development of the transatlantic community.
Supporting democratic transitions:
NATO has supported democratic transitions in countries such as Kosovo,
Afghanistan, and Iraq, through peacekeeping and stabilization missions.
16. Response to global challenge
• NATO has also played a role in addressing global challenges such as
terrorism and cyber threats, through the development of new capabilities
and the deployment of troops and other resources.
• Enlarging the Euro-Atlantic community: NATO has played a role in the
enlargement of the Euro-Atlantic community, by welcoming new member
countries from Central and Eastern Europe.
17. • Overall, NATO has contributed significantly to the security and stability of
the Euro-Atlantic region, and it has helped to foster cooperation and
solidarity among its member countries.
18. Its role in 21st century
Today, NATO protects more than 1 billion people in Europe and North America from
21st-century threats, from cybercrime to pandemics such as COVID-19.
• Helping in times of need
• In response to COVID-19, NATO created a pandemic response trust
fund composed of medical supplies and equipment. Member nations:
19. • Flew more than 350 flights to transport medical personnel.
• Transported more than 1,000 metric tons of equipment.
• Helped build nearly 100 field hospitals and over 25,000 treatment beds.
20. Criticism on NATO
• There have been a number of criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) over the years. Some of the main criticisms of
NATO include:
• Lack of burden sharing: Some critics have argued that NATO’s larger and
more powerful member countries, such as the United States, bear a
disproportionate share of the financial and military burden, while smaller
and poorer member countries contribute less.
21. • Expanding too far: Some critics have argued that NATO has expanded too
far and has taken on missions that are outside of its core area of
responsibility, such as in Afghanistan and Libya.
• Provoking a new Cold War: Some critics have argued that NATO’s
expansion and deployment of troops and military assets closer to Russia’s
borders has exacerbated tensions with Russia and has contributed to a new
Cold War.