The Secretary General

NATO Review

- Nuclear coercion 29 Nov. 2022 In 2022, the spectre of nuclear weapons use has returned to centre stage in Europe.
- Russia’s nuclear coercion in Ukraine 29 Nov. 2022 In 2022, the spectre of nuclear weapons use has returned to centre stage in Europe. From the very beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has brandished his country’s nuclear sword in an attempt to compel Ukraine to capitulate to Russia’s demands and to deter NATO from intervention. This is the most significant attempt at prolonged, consistent, and conscious nuclear coercion against NATO and its partners in almost forty years. We must therefore reflect on Russia’s nuclear coercion with considerable scrutiny.
- Knowledge security: insights for NATO 30 Sep. 2022 Knowledge security entails mitigating the risks of espionage, unwanted knowledge transfers, intellectual property theft, data leakage and the misuse of dual-use technology (technology that is primarily “focused on commercial markets but may also have defence and security applications”). In the context of research on and the development of high-end technology, knowledge security is vital to NATO’s ability to deter and defend against adversaries and protect the prosperity of its members.
- NATO's role in a changing world 16 Sep. 2022 This article was written in April 1990 by Sir Michael Alexander, who was serving as the United Kingdom's Permanent Representative to NATO. It reflects on the historic months that followed Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms in the Soviet Union and the subsequent fall of the Berlin Wall – the so-called 'end of history', per Francis Fukuyama.
- The climate-space nexus: new approaches for strengthening NATO’s resilience 18 Aug. 2022 Climate change presents major challenges that NATO faces today, and will have to confront tomorrow. Space technology is playing an increasingly important role in helping to monitor rapid environmental change and identify related hazards.
- The 1982 Summit and after: a personal view 14 Jul. 2022 This article was written in 1982 by Sir Clive Rose, a former Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council from the United Kingdom. In it, Sir Clive provides a personal view on the 1982 NATO Summit in Bonn, Germany, where Allied leaders agreed to invite Spain to join NATO. Forty years later, having just concluded the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, we can look back and see many familiar themes in Sir Clive’s words – but also notice some key differences between then and now.
- The consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for international security 07 Jul. 2022 February 24, 2022, is likely to engrave itself on the history template of the contemporary world. Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and barbaric invasion of Ukraine is not only a manifestation of a huge security danger that has shattered peace in Europe. More structurally, it has broken the entire security architecture, built patiently on the continent over many decades, including international commitments agreed in the last 30 years. In short: almost every single agreement and principle of international law has fallen victim to the aggression ordered by Putin.
- Protection of Civilians: a constant in the changing security environment 17 Jun. 2022 Protecting civilians is an ethical and strategic imperative and a crucial factor in the planning, conduct and assessment of military operations. NATO’s strategy and planning for the future needs to reflect that reality.
- The Madrid Strategic Concept and the future of NATO 02 Jun. 2022 At the Brussels Summit in June 2021, NATO leaders agreed to begin work on a new Strategic Concept, which will be adopted at the upcoming Summit in Madrid in June 2022. The last such Concept was agreed back in 2010 when the world was a different place.
- Moving towards security: preparing NATO for climate-related migration 19 May. 2022 Globally, most states and international institutions are unprepared for the coming magnitude of climate-related migration. NATO member countries, already at the forefront of conflict-related migration, will be destinations for migrants leaving areas that are becoming unlivable under changing climate conditions.
- The present state of East-West relations 09 May. 2022 This article, written in 1976 by then-Secretary General Joseph Luns, may evoke the old adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The 1970s saw a period of détente, or the easing of tensions, between the “West” (NATO) and the “East” (the Warsaw Pact, led by the Soviet Union). Despite warming relations and plenty of good-faith diplomacy, there were still concerns that the Soviet Union would continue its attempts to expand its sphere of influence through unpredictable actions, ideological conflict and even open hostility.
- Risk, Uncertainty and Innovation 14 Apr. 2022 The Alliance faces significant challenges from disruptive technologies and innovations in both conventional and hybrid methods of war. Distinguishing between uncertainty and risk can help to better prepare for emerging threats and to direct innovative initiatives to counter them.
- Extending NATO: retirement plan not required 04 Apr. 2022 Ups and downs in NATO’s fortunes are nothing new, and predictions of NATO’s demise are almost as old as the Alliance itself. What is remarkable is not the Alliance’s decline but its longevity.
- That Council of Yours 07 Mar. 2022 The following article was written by André de Staercke, a former Belgian politician and permanent representative to NATO, for the 20th anniversary of the Alliance in April 1969. It reflects upon NATO’s early years and the appointments of its initial Secretaries General, each of whom brought something unique to the Alliance.
- NATO: An unexpected driver of climate action? 01 Feb. 2022 The recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) raised the stakes for global climate action, recognising the urgency of acting today to decarbonise global energy systems. Even so, there have been competing claims about its success, and thousands of youth activists, who gathered in the streets of Glasgow, criticised world leaders and businesses for still failing to recognise the urgency of the climate crisis – the most critical matter of our time. In the fight against climate change, everyone has a part to play. How is NATO, as a security organisation, contributing to international climate efforts and what more can the Alliance do?
- Review of Stanley R. Sloan, ''Defense of the West'' (2nd Edition, Manchester University Press, 2020) 13 Jan. 2022 For decades, Stanley R. Sloan has belonged to the small group of NATO-watchers who offer eminently readable accounts of where the Alliance comes from and where it is going. US historian Lawrence Kaplan calls Sloan ''the most important American authority in the field of NATO historiograph''.
- Why our values should drive our technology choices 16 Dec. 2021 It is fair to say that our relationship with technology is complicated. Just look at headline topics like renewable energy or Artificial Intelligence (AI), or consider pharmaceuticals, automotive, consumer electronics, social media and biotechnology. On the topic of any of these technologies, you’ll almost certainly hear a cacophony of voices that range from promising a new era of happiness to predicting the doom of humanity. How can we make sense of these confusing perspectives, and how can we maximise the benefits of emerging and potentially disruptive technologies while effectively minimising their risks?
- Hybrid Warfare – New Threats, Complexity, and ‘Trust’ as the Antidote 30 Nov. 2021 One can argue that the nature of international security and conflicts remains the same. States are—as always—embroiled in zero-sum military and economic competitions, armed conflicts still seem inevitable, security dilemmas and balancing take place unremittingly, and so on and so forth. However, the modus operandi is no longer the same. Conflicts are fought in new, innovative, and radically different ways. With the advent of modern hybrid warfare, they are less and less about lethal or kinetic force.
- Inside-out: what changing Russian domestic politics mean for NATO 12 Nov. 2021 Russia’s decision to suspend the activities of its delegation to NATO and shutter the Alliance’s offices in Moscow seems to represent a sharp worsening in relations with the West. However, digging beneath the surface, such moves often have less to do with global than domestic politics, or are, at least, the reflection of a series of processes taking place within Russia and the concerns of an ageing leadership whose priority is retaining power at home.
- An Artificial Intelligence Strategy for NATO 25 Oct. 2021 At their October 2021 meeting, Allied Defence Ministers formally adopted an Artificial Intelligence Strategy for NATO. Current and former NATO staff with direct involvement in the development and implementation of the Strategy outline its main features and objectives.

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NATO IN FOCUS

NATO is a political and military alliance, whose principal task is to ensure the protection of its citizens and to promote security and stability in the North Atlantic area.

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Deterrence and defence

Each NATO member country needs to be resilient to resist and recover from a major shock such as a natural disaster, failure of critical infrastructure, or a hybrid or armed attack.

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Resilience and Article 3

Partnerships: projecting stability through cooperation

The Allies seek to contribute to the efforts of the international community in projecting stability and strengthening security outside NATO territory. One of the means to do so is through cooperation and partnerships.

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Partnerships: projecting stability through cooperation

Environment, climate change and security

NATO recognises that it faces many environmental challenges, including the risks posed by climate change. In particular, the Alliance is working to reduce the environmental impact of military activities, to adapt and become more resilient in response to security challenges posed by environmental change.

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Environment, climate change and security

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NATO Secretary General: ''Russia trying to freeze Ukraine conflict''

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