Who's who?

NATO member countries

Each member country is represented on the North Atlantic Council by an Ambassador or Permanent Representative supported by a national delegation composed of advisers and officials who represent their country on different NATO committees. The Council also meets from time to time at the level of Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs or Ministers of Defence.

• NATO Heads of State
• NATO Heads of Government
• NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
• NATO Ministers of Defence
• NATO Permanent Representatives

Partner countries

Partner countries are represented by Heads of Diplomatic Missions or Liaison Offices located at NATO Headquarters. The Head and staff of the Missions attend NATO committee meetings in cooperation formats and represent their countries at meetings of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, NATO-Ukraine Council or NATO-Georgia Commission. Meetings of these bodies also take place at Ministerial or Summit level, when partner countries are represented by their Foreign or Defence Ministers or by their Head of State or Government.

NATO International Staff

The NATO Secretary General is the Alliance's top international civil servant. This person is responsible for steering the process of consultation and decision-making in the Alliance and ensuring that decisions are implemented. The Secretary General is also NATO's chief spokesperson and the head of the Organization's International Staff.

• The current NATO Secretary General is Mark Rutte
• The current acting NATO Deputy Secretary General is Boris Ruge
• Previous NATO Secretaries General

The work of the North Atlantic Council and its committees is supported by an International Staff. It comprises the Office of the Secretary General, eight Divisions and the office of Resources. Each Division is headed by an Assistant Secretary General.

• NATO Principal Officials
• The NATO Spokesperson is Farah Dakhlallah

Special Representatives
 

• The current NATO Secretary General's Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism is Thomas Goffus
• The current NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood is Javier Colomina Píriz.
• The current NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security is Irene Fellin.

Members of the Military Committee

The members of the Military Committee (Chiefs of Staff) are represented at NATO Headquarters on a permanent basis by senior officers acting as Military Representatives, each supported by a national staff varying in size. The Military Representatives constitute the Military Committee in Permanent Session.

• NATO Chiefs of Defence
• NATO Military Representatives
• The current Chair of the Military Committee is Admiral Rob Bauer
• The current Deputy Chair of the Military Committee is Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling.

The Military Committee is supported by an integrated International Military Staff (IMS) made up of military personnel seconded from national military establishments and supporting civilian personnel. The International Military Staff is headed by the Director General, a 3-star flag officer. Divisions of the IMS are headed by Directors.

• The current Director General of the International Military Staff is Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak
• NATO/IMS Principal Officials

NATO Strategic Commands

The NATO Strategic Commands are responsible for the development of defence plans for their respective areas, for the determination of force requirements and for the deployment and exercise of the forces under their command control.

• The current Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is General Christopher G. Cavoli
• The current Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) is Admiral Sir Keith Blount
• The current SHAPE Chief of Staff is General Markus Laubenthal
• The current Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) is Admiral Pierre Vandier
• The current Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (DSACT) is General Chris Badia
• The current ACT Chief of Staff is Vice Admiral Simon Asquith MA CB OBE
• Senior officials in the NATO military structure, from 1949 to 2001 (PDF-32Kb)