The acronym NATO or NATO mean North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
What is the purpose of the institution?
The main objectives of NATO today include: ensuring the military security on the European continent and influence the decisions of the geopolitical region.
What Is NATO?
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is an international alliance of 26 countries of Europe and North America created to ensure the peace and security of the North Atlantic region. Signed April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty is NATO's founding document that details the principles upon which NATO was established.
Why Was NATO Founded?
NATO was founded to fulfill its goal of safeguarding the freedom and security of its members by way of political and military means. NATO's members consult together to address security issues of concern and work jointly to take whatever action is necessary to defend against threats. One principle that guides NATO is the policy that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all members. On September 12, 2001, this principle of collective defense was acted on after the terrorist attacks against the United States, when NATO invoked Article 5 of the NATO treaty, declaring the attacks to be an attack against all of the NATO member countries.
How Are Decisions Made in NATO?
All NATO decisions are made by the member countries on the basis of consensus. The North Atlantic Council, or NAC, is the main decision-making body in NATO, made up of permanent representatives from each member country, which meets regularly in discussion. The NAC also consults with Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers, and Defense Ministers and establishes committees to provide advice on military policy and strategy to NATO's political leaders.
Key Events in NATO History
• April 4, 1949 - The North Atlantic Treaty, NATO's founding document, was
signed.
• March 24, 1999 - NATO began a 78-day air campaign against the military forces of Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic. Following the campaign, the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led international peace-enforcement force, entered Kosovo to maintain security in Kosovo.
• Sept. 12, 2001 - NATO declared the terrorist attacks on the United States to be an attack against all NATO member countries within the terms of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
• May 28, 2002 - The NATO-Russia Council was established at the NATO-Russia Summit, strengthening the commitment between NATO and Russia.
• May 21, 2003 - The NATO alliance agreed to support Poland in its leadership of a sector in the stabilization force in Iraq.
• August 2003 - NATO took over command and coordination of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This is the first mission outside the Euro-Atlantic area in NATO's history.
• August 2004 - NATO established a Training Implementation Mission in Iraq.
Photos
Flags
Nato Expansion
Maps Of World's Nato Member countries
