strategic concept for the defence and security of the members of the north atlantic treaty...

8/17/2019 Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of the Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Adopted …

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Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of the Members of

the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation adopted by Heads of State

and Government in isbon

Preface

We, the Heads of State and Government of the NATO nations, are determined that NATO will

continue to play its unique and essential role in ensuring our common defence and security

This Strategic !oncept will guide the ne"t phase in NATO#s evolution, so that it continues to

$e effective in a changing world, against new threats, with new capa$ilities and new partners%

• &t reconfirms the $ond $etween our nations to defend one another against attac',

including against new threats to the safety of our citi(ens

• &t commits the Alliance to prevent crises, manage conflicts and sta$ili(e post)conflict

situations, including $y wor'ing more closely with our international partners, most

importantly the *nited Nations and the +uropean *nion

• &t offers our partners around the glo$e more political engagement with the Alliance,

and a su$stantial role in shaping the NATO)led operations to which they contri$ute

• &t commits NATO to the goal of creating the conditions for a world without nuclear

weapons $ut reconfirms that, as long as there are nuclear weapons in the world,

NATO will remain a nuclear Alliance

• &t restates our firm commitment to 'eep the door to NATO open to all +uropean

democracies that meet the standards of mem$ership, $ecause enlargement contri$utes

to our goal of a +urope whole, free and at peace

• &t commits NATO to continuous reform towards a more effective, efficient and fle"i$le

Alliance, so that our ta"payers get the most security for the money they invest in

defence

The citi(ens of our countries rely on NATO to defend Allied nations, to deploy ro$ust military

forces where and when required for our security, and to help promote common security with

our partners around the glo$e While the world is changing, NATO#s essential mission will

remain the same% to ensure that the Alliance remains an unparalleled community of freedom,

peace, security and shared values

Core Tasks and Principles

- NATO#s fundamental and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security

of all its mem$ers $y political and military means Today, the Alliance remains an

essential source of sta$ility in an unpredicta$le world

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. NATO mem$er states form a unique community of values, committed to the principles

of individual li$erty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law The Alliance is

firmly committed to the purposes and principles of the !harter of the *nited Nations,

and to the Washington Treaty, which affirms the primary responsi$ility of the Security

!ouncil for the maintenance of international peace and security

/ The political and military $onds $etween +urope and North America have $een forged

in NATO since the Alliance was founded in -0102 the transatlantic lin' remains as

strong, and as important to the preservation of +uro)Atlantic peace and security, as

ever The security of NATO mem$ers on $oth sides of the Atlantic is indivisi$le We

will continue to defend it together, on the $asis of solidarity, shared purpose and fair

$urden)sharing

1 The modern security environment contains a $road and evolving set of challenges to

the security of NATO#s territory and populations &n order to assure their security, the

Alliance must and will continue fulfilling effectively three essential core tas's, all of

which contri$ute to safeguarding Alliance mem$ers, and always in accordance withinternational law%

- Collective defence NATO mem$ers will always assist each other against

attac', in accordance with Article 3 of the Washington Treaty That

commitment remains firm and $inding NATO will deter and defend against

any threat of aggression, and against emerging security challenges where they

threaten the fundamental security of individual Allies or the Alliance as a

whole

. Crisis management NATO has a unique and ro$ust set of political and

military capa$ilities to address the full spectrum of crises $efore, during and

after conflicts NATO will actively employ an appropriate mi" of those

political and military tools to help manage developing crises that have the

potential to affect Alliance security, $efore they escalate into conflicts2 to stop

ongoing conflicts where they affect Alliance security2 and to help consolidate

sta$ility in post)conflict situations where that contri$utes to +uro)Atlantic

security

/ Cooperative security The Alliance is affected $y, and can affect, political and

security developments $eyond its $orders The Alliance will engage actively to

enhance international security, through partnership with relevant countries andother international organisations2 $y contri$uting actively to arms control, non)

proliferation and disarmament2 and $y 'eeping the door to mem$ership in the

Alliance open to all +uropean democracies that meet NATO#s standards

3 NATO remains the unique and essential transatlantic forum for consultations on all

matters that affect the territorial integrity, political independence and security of its

mem$ers, as set out in Article 1 of the Washington Treaty Any security issue of

interest to any Ally can $e $rought to the NATO ta$le, to share information, e"change

views and, where appropriate, forge common approaches

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4 &n order to carry out the full range of NATO missions as effectively and efficiently as

possi$le, Allies will engage in a continuous process of reform, modernisation and

transformation

The Security Environment

5 Today, the +uro)Atlantic area is at peace and the threat of a conventional attac'

against NATO territory is low That is an historic success for the policies of ro$ust

defence, +uro)Atlantic integration and active partnership that have guided NATO for

more than half a century

6 However, the conventional threat cannot $e ignored 7any regions and countries

around the world are witnessing the acquisition of su$stantial, modern military

capa$ilities with consequences for international sta$ility and +uro)Atlantic security

that are difficult to predict This includes the proliferation of $allistic missiles, which

poses a real and growing threat to the +uro)Atlantic area

0 The proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and their

means of delivery, threatens incalcula$le consequences for glo$al sta$ility and

prosperity 8uring the ne"t decade, proliferation will $e most acute in some of the

world#s most volatile regions

-9 Terrorism poses a direct threat to the security of the citi(ens of NATO countries, and to

international sta$ility and prosperity more $roadly +"tremist groups continue to

spread to, and in, areas of strategic importance to the Alliance, and modern technology

increases the threat and potential impact of terrorist attac's, in particular if terrorists

were to acquire nuclear, chemical, $iological or radiological capa$ilities

-- &nsta$ility or conflict $eyond NATO $orders can directly threaten Alliance security,

including $y fostering e"tremism, terrorism, and trans)national illegal activities such

as traffic'ing in arms, narcotics and people

-. !y$er attac's are $ecoming more frequent, more organised and more costly in the

damage that they inflict on government administrations, $usinesses, economies and

potentially also transportation and supply networ's and other critical infrastructure2

they can reach a threshold that threatens national and +uro)Atlantic prosperity,

security and sta$ility :oreign militaries and intelligence services, organised criminals,

terrorist and;or e"tremist groups can each $e the source of such attac's

-/ All countries are increasingly reliant on the vital communication, transport and transit

routes on which international trade, energy security and prosperity depend They

require greater international efforts to ensure their resilience against attac' or

disruption Some NATO countries will $ecome more dependent on foreign energy

suppliers and in some cases, on foreign energy supply and distri$ution networ's for

their energy needs As a larger share of world consumption is transported across the

glo$e, energy supplies are increasingly e"posed to disruption

-1 A num$er of significant technology)related trends including the development of

laser weapons, electronic warfare and technologies that impede access to space

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appear poised to have ma<or glo$al effects that will impact on NATO military planning

and operations

-3 =ey environmental and resource constraints, including health ris's, climate change,

water scarcity and increasing energy needs will further shape the future security

environment in areas of concern to NATO and have the potential to significantly affect NATO planning and operations

Defence and Deterrence

-4 The greatest responsi$ility of the Alliance is to protect and defend our territory and our

populations against attac', as set out in Article 3 of the Washington Treaty The

Alliance does not consider any country to $e its adversary However, no one should

dou$t NATO#s resolve if the security of any of its mem$ers were to $e threatened

-5 8eterrence, $ased on an appropriate mi" of nuclear and conventional capa$ilities,

remains a core element of our overall strategy The circumstances in which any use ofnuclear weapons might have to $e contemplated are e"tremely remote As long as

nuclear weapons e"ist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance

-6 The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided $y the strategic nuclear

forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the *nited States2 the independent strategic

nuclear forces of the *nited =ingdom and :rance, which have a deterrent role of their

own, contri$ute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies

-0 We will ensure that NATO has the full range of capa$ilities necessary to deter and

defend against any threat to the safety and security of our populations Therefore, we

will%

o maintain an appropriate mi" of nuclear and conventional forces2

o maintain the a$ility to sustain concurrent ma<or <oint operations and several

smaller operations for collective defence and crisis response, including at

strategic distance2

o develop and maintain ro$ust, mo$ile and deploya$le conventional forces to

carry out $oth our Article 3 responsi$ilities and the Alliance#s e"peditionary

operations, including with the NATO >esponse :orce2

o carry out the necessary training, e"ercises, contingency planning and

information e"change for assuring our defence against the full range of

conventional and emerging security challenges, and provide appropriate visi$le

assurance and reinforcement for all Allies2

o ensure the $roadest possi$le participation of Allies in collective defence

planning on nuclear roles, in peacetime $asing of nuclear forces, and in

command, control and consultation arrangements2

o develop the capa$ility to defend our populations and territories against $allistic

missile attac' as a core element of our collective defence, which contri$utes to

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the indivisi$le security of the Alliance We will actively see' cooperation on

missile defence with >ussia and other +uro)Atlantic partners2

o further develop NATO#s capacity to defend against the threat of chemical,

$iological, radiological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction2

o develop further our a$ility to prevent, detect, defend against and recover from

cy$er)attac's, including $y using the NATO planning process to enhance and

coordinate national cy$er)defence capa$ilities, $ringing all NATO $odies

under centrali(ed cy$er protection, and $etter integrating NATO cy$er

awareness, warning and response with mem$er nations2

o enhance the capacity to detect and defend against international terrorism,

including through enhanced analysis of the threat, more consultations with our

partners, and the development of appropriate military capa$ilities, including to

help train local forces to fight terrorism themselves2

o develop the capacity to contri$ute to energy security, including protection of

critical energy infrastructure and transit areas and lines, cooperation with

partners, and consultations among Allies on the $asis of strategic assessments

and contingency planning2

o ensure that the Alliance is at the front edge in assessing the security impact of

emerging technologies, and that military planning ta'es the potential threats

into account2

o sustain the necessary levels of defence spending, so that our armed forces aresufficiently resourced2

o continue to review NATO#s overall posture in deterring and defending against

the full range of threats to the Alliance, ta'ing into account changes to the

evolving international security environment

Security through Crisis Management

.9 !rises and conflicts $eyond NATO#s $orders can pose a direct threat to the security of

Alliance territory and populations NATO will therefore engage, where possi$le and

when necessary, to prevent crises, manage crises, sta$ili(e post)conflict situations andsupport reconstruction

.- The lessons learned from NATO operations, in particular in Afghanistan and the

Western ?al'ans, ma'e it clear that a comprehensive political, civilian and military

approach is necessary for effective crisis management The Alliance will engage

actively with other international actors $efore, during and after crises to encourage

colla$orative analysis, planning and conduct of activities on the ground, in order to

ma"imise coherence and effectiveness of the overall international effort

.. The $est way to manage conflicts is to prevent them from happening NATO will

continually monitor and analyse the international environment to anticipate crises and,

where appropriate, ta'e active steps to prevent them from $ecoming larger conflicts

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./ Where conflict prevention proves unsuccessful, NATO will $e prepared and capa$le to

manage ongoing hostilities NATO has unique conflict management capacities,

including the unparalleled capa$ility to deploy and sustain ro$ust military forces in the

field NATO)led operations have demonstrated the indispensa$le contri$ution the

Alliance can ma'e to international conflict management efforts

.1 +ven when conflict comes to an end, the international community must often provide

continued support, to create the conditions for lasting sta$ility NATO will $e prepared

and capa$le to contri$ute to sta$ilisation and reconstruction, in close cooperation and

consultation wherever possi$le with other relevant international actors

.3 To $e effective across the crisis management spectrum, we will%

o enhance intelligence sharing within NATO, to $etter predict when crises might

occur, and how they can $est $e prevented2

o further develop doctrine and military capa$ilities for e"peditionary operations,

including counterinsurgency, sta$ili(ation and reconstruction operations2

o form an appropriate $ut modest civilian crisis management capa$ility to

interface more effectively with civilian partners, $uilding on the lessons

learned from NATO)led operations This capa$ility may also $e used to plan,

employ and coordinate civilian activities until conditions allow for the transfer

of those responsi$ilities and tas's to other actors2

o enhance integrated civilian)military planning throughout the crisis spectrum,

o develop the capa$ility to train and develop local forces in crisis (ones, so that

local authorities are a$le, as quic'ly as possi$le, to maintain security without

international assistance2

o identify and train civilian specialists from mem$er states, made availa$le for

rapid deployment $y Allies for selected missions, a$le to wor' alongside our

military personnel and civilian specialists from partner countries and

institutions2

o $roaden and intensify the political consultations among Allies, and with

partners, $oth on a regular $asis and in dealing with all stages of a crisis $efore, during and after

Promoting International Security through Cooperation

Arms Control, Disarmament, and on!Proliferation

.4 NATO see's its security at the lowest possi$le level of forces Arms control,

disarmament and non)proliferation contri$ute to peace, security and sta$ility, and

should ensure undiminished security for all Alliance mem$ers We will continue to

play our part in reinforcing arms control and in promoting disarmament of $oth

conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction, as well as non)proliferation

efforts%

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o We are resolved to see' a safer world for all and to create the conditions for a

world without nuclear weapons in accordance with the goals of the Nuclear

Non)@roliferation Treaty, in a way that promotes international sta$ility, and is

$ased on the principle of undiminished security for all

o With the changes in the security environment since the end of the !old War,we have dramatically reduced the num$er of nuclear weapons stationed in

+urope and our reliance on nuclear weapons in NATO strategy We will see' to

create the conditions for further reductions in the future

o &n any future reductions, our aim should $e to see' >ussian agreement to

increase transparency on its nuclear weapons in +urope and relocate these

weapons away from the territory of NATO mem$ers Any further steps must

ta'e into account the disparity with the greater >ussian stoc'piles of short)

range nuclear weapons

o We are committed to conventional arms control, which provides predicta$ility,

transparency and a means to 'eep armaments at the lowest possi$le level for

sta$ility We will wor' to strengthen the conventional arms control regime in

+urope on the $asis of reciprocity, transparency and host)nation consent

o We will e"plore ways for our political means and military capa$ilities to

contri$ute to international efforts to fight proliferation

o National decisions regarding arms control and disarmament may have an

impact on the security of all Alliance mem$ers We are committed to maintain,

and develop as necessary, appropriate consultations among Allies on theseissues

"pen Door

.5 NATO#s enlargement has contri$uted su$stantially to the security of Allies2 the

prospect of further enlargement and the spirit of cooperative security have advanced

sta$ility in +urope more $roadly Our goal of a +urope whole and free, and sharing

common values, would $e $est served $y the eventual integration of all +uropean

countries that so desire into +uro)Atlantic structures

o The door to NATO mem$ership remains fully open to all +uropeandemocracies which share the values of our Alliance, which are willing and a$le

to assume the responsi$ilities and o$ligations of mem$ership, and whose

inclusion can contri$ute to common security and sta$ility

Partnerships

.6 The promotion of +uro)Atlantic security is $est assured through a wide networ' of

partner relationships with countries and organisations around the glo$e These

partnerships ma'e a concrete and valued contri$ution to the success of NATO#s

fundamental tas's

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.0 8ialogue and cooperation with partners can ma'e a concrete contri$ution to enhancing

international security, to defending the values on which our Alliance is $ased, to

NATO#s operations, and to preparing interested nations for mem$ership of NATO

These relationships will $e $ased on reciprocity, mutual $enefit and mutual respect

/9 We will enhance our partnerships through fle"i$le formats that $ring NATO and partners together across and $eyond e"isting framewor's%

o We are prepared to develop political dialogue and practical cooperation with

any nations and relevant organisations across the glo$e that share our interest

in peaceful international relations

o We will $e open to consultation with any partner country on security issues of

common concern

o We will give our operational partners a structural role in shaping strategy and

decisions on NATO)led missions to which they contri$ute

o We will further develop our e"isting partnerships while preserving their

specificity

/- !ooperation $etween NATO and the *nited Nations continues to ma'e a su$stantial

contri$ution to security in operations around the world The Alliance aims to deepen

political dialogue and practical cooperation with the *N, as set out in the *N)NATO

8eclaration signed in .996, including through%

o enhanced liaison $etween the two Headquarters2

o more regular political consultation2 and

o enhanced practical cooperation in managing crises where $oth organisations

are engaged

/. An active and effective +uropean *nion contri$utes to the overall security of the

+uro)Atlantic area Therefore the +* is a unique and essential partner for NATO The

two organisations share a ma<ority of mem$ers, and all mem$ers of $oth organisations

share common values NATO recogni(es the importance of a stronger and more

capa$le +uropean defence We welcome the entry into force of the is$on Treaty,which provides a framewor' for strengthening the +*#s capacities to address common

security challenges Non)+* Allies ma'e a significant contri$ution to these efforts

:or the strategic partnership $etween NATO and the +*, their fullest involvement in

these efforts is essential NATO and the +* can and should play complementary and

mutually reinforcing roles in supporting international peace and security We are

determined to ma'e our contri$ution to create more favoura$le circumstances through

which we will%

o fully strengthen the strategic partnership with the +*, in the spirit of full

mutual openness, transparency, complementarity and respect for the autonomyand institutional integrity of $oth organisations2

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o enhance our practical cooperation in operations throughout the crisis spectrum,

from coordinated planning to mutual support in the field2

o $roaden our political consultations to include all issues of common concern, in

order to share assessments and perspectives2

o cooperate more fully in capa$ility development, to minimise duplication and

ma"imise cost)effectiveness

// NATO)>ussia cooperation is of strategic importance as it contri$utes to creating a

common space of peace, sta$ility and security NATO poses no threat to >ussia On

the contrary% we want to see a true strategic partnership $etween NATO and >ussia,

and we will act accordingly, with the e"pectation of reciprocity from >ussia

/1 The NATO)>ussia relationship is $ased upon the goals, principles and commitments

of the NATO)>ussia :ounding Act and the >ome 8eclaration, especially regarding the

respect of democratic principles and the sovereignty, independence and territorial

integrity of all states in the +uro)Atlantic area Notwithstanding differences on

particular issues, we remain convinced that the security of NATO and >ussia is

intertwined and that a strong and constructive partnership $ased on mutual confidence,

transparency and predicta$ility can $est serve our security We are determined to%

o enhance the political consultations and practical cooperation with >ussia in

areas of shared interests, including missile defence, counter)terrorism, counter)

narcotics, counter)piracy and the promotion of wider international security2

o use the full potential of the NATO)>ussia !ouncil for dialogue and <oint actionwith >ussia

/3 The +uro)Atlantic @artnership !ouncil and @artnership for @eace are central to our

vision of +urope whole, free and in peace We are firmly committed to the

development of friendly and cooperative relations with all countries of the

7editerranean, and we intend to further develop the 7editerranean 8ialogue in the

coming years We attach great importance to peace and sta$ility in the Gulf region,

and we intend to strengthen our cooperation in the &stan$ul !ooperation &nitiative We

will aim to%

o enhance consultations and practical military cooperation with our partners inthe +uro)Atlantic @artnership !ouncil2

o continue and develop the partnerships with *'raine and Georgia within the

NATO)*'raine and NATO)Georgia !ommissions, $ased on the NATO

decision at the ?ucharest summit .996, and ta'ing into account the +uro)

Atlantic orientation or aspiration of each of the countries2

o facilitate the +uro)Atlantic integration of the Western ?al'ans, with the aim to

ensure lasting peace and sta$ility $ased on democratic values, regional

cooperation and good neigh$ourly relations2

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o deepen the cooperation with current mem$ers of the 7editerranean 8ialogue

and $e open to the inclusion in the 7editerranean 8ialogue of other countries

of the region2

o develop a deeper security partnership with our Gulf partners and remain ready

to welcome new partners in the &stan$ul !ooperation &nitiative

#eform and Transformation

/4 *nique in history, NATO is a security Alliance that fields military forces a$le to

operate together in any environment2 that can control operations anywhere through its

integrated military command structure2 and that has at its disposal core capa$ilities

that few Allies could afford individually

/5 NATO must have sufficient resources financial, military and human to carry out its

missions, which are essential to the security of Alliance populations and territory

Those resources must, however, $e used in the most efficient and effective way possi$le We will%

o ma"imise the deploya$ility of our forces, and their capacity to sustain

operations in the field, including $y underta'ing focused efforts to meet

NATO#s usa$ility targets2

o ensure the ma"imum coherence in defence planning, to reduce unnecessary

duplication, and to focus our capa$ility development on modern requirements2

o

develop and operate capa$ilities <ointly, for reasons of cost)effectiveness andas a manifestation of solidarity2

o preserve and strengthen the common capa$ilities, standards, structures and

funding that $ind us together2

o engage in a process of continual reform, to streamline structures, improve

wor'ing methods and ma"imise efficiency

An Alliance for the $%st Century

/6 We, the political leaders of NATO, are determined to continue renewal of our Allianceso that it is fit for purpose in addressing the .-st !entury security challenges We are

firmly committed to preserve its effectiveness as the glo$e#s most successful political)

military Alliance Our Alliance thrives as a source of hope $ecause it is $ased on

common values of individual li$erty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and

$ecause our common essential and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and

security of its mem$ers These values and o$<ectives are universal and perpetual, and

we are determined to defend them through unity, solidarity, strength and resolve

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