Shadow NATO Summit looks at the future of the Alliance
Civil society representatives, policy experts and senior NATO officials met in Brussels for the Shadow NATO Summit from 31 March to 1 April 2009, ahead of NATO’s official 60th Anniversary Summit in Strasbourg/Kehl, to identify, discuss and share ideas concerning the future of the Alliance.
Jamie Shea, Director, Policy Planning, Private Office of the Secretary General NATO. Photo©Jock Fistick
The conference examined NATO’s role and relevance in the 21st century, progress and challenges for the international community in Afghanistan and beyond, the future of Article V and collective defence, NATO’s military transformation and capability development, ballistic missile defence and the prospects for a New Strategic Concept.
The Shadow NATO Summit, in anticipation of the expected official launch of a review process for the Alliance’s Strategic Concept at the Strasboug/Kehl Summit, also initiated a civil society consultation process to ensure the planned debates on a New Strategic Concept included NATO-wide public attention and engagement. Civil society representatives at the meeting in Brussels launched a ‘Citizens Declaration on Alliance Security’ (to complement the official version expected to be unveiled at the official summit) outlining the principles that need to be at the heart of the Alliance, and a new permanent NATO-wide civil society policy network: NATO Watch.
Senior NATO officials, including Jamie Shea, Director, Policy Planning, Private Office of the Secretary General, and Peter Flory, Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, delivered keynote speeches. NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division co-hosted an evening dinner speech addressed by Dr. Shea.