Contents 1. NATO and the fight against terrorism 2. Operations 3. Capabilities 4. Cooperating with Partners 5. Cooperating with other international organizations Editorial Note   Editorial Note Other formats English PDF (<2 Mb) Printable version with colour illustrations Order a hardcopy version using the online order form.

The essence of NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism is protecting people. Acts of terrorism are often simply acts of indiscriminate murder. Measures taken by the Alliance add considerable value to wider efforts to ensure that individuals can go about their daily lives safely, free from the threat of terrorism.

NATO offers a unique range of assets to the international community in the fight against terrorism. First, it is a permanent consultation forum that can transform discussions into collective decision. Second, it can turn decisions into effective action, which can be backed up by an unparalleled military capability. Third, NATO is part of an impressive network of cooperative relationships with many partners.

Terrorism knows no borders and only a broad international coalition can address the challenge of terrorism in all its multiple facets: political, military, economic, legal and financial. NATO works with a range of international organizations as well as with countries that share the Allies’ determination to address the threat of terrorism. Combating terrorism is a key area of cooperation under the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the NATO-Russia Council and the NATO-Ukraine Commission. It is also an important element in NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.

The Allies had already expressed concerns about the threat of terrorism in the 1999 Strategic Concept for the Alliance. However, it was the shock of the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 that thrust terrorism to the top of NATO’s agenda. The day after the attacks, the Allies invoked for the first time the collective defence provision of NATO’s founding treaty (Article 5 of the Washington Treaty). Soon after, the Alliance conducted its first active military operation outside Europe, helping to guard US airspace. Allied ships were then deployed on a counter-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean. And, eventually, NATO took over the International Assistance Force in Afghanistan, the first NATO-led operation to be conducted outside the Euro-Atlantic area.

Since then, the fight against terrorism has become a core element in almost every aspect of NATO’s work. Every day the Alliance addresses the challenge of terrorism. Allied soldiers are helping the Afghan government to ensure that their country never again becomes a training ground for terrorists. Allied ships patrol the Mediterranean. The Allied intelligence community is sharing vital information. Scientists from NATO member countries are working on new technologies to defend against specific terrorist threats. And experts practice drills and exchange data that can save lives when it comes to managing the consequences of potential terrorist attacks.

All NATO activities in the fight against terrorism, including its operations, are fully in line with international law, including human rights standards and humanitarian requirements.