15-16 Sept 2003

Youth speaks on future of NATO News 15/09/03 - NATO YATA Seminar " The Future of NATO" A conference designed to engage the youth in an open discussion on their views of the Alliance and its future was held at NATO HQ on 15-16 September. This was the first Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) conference to be organised, bringing together nearly 50 youth delegates from 25 NATO, partner and observer countries. Topics of discussion included the nature of the Alliance after enlargement, NATO-EU relations, NATO's civil dimension and NATO and youth - ways and means of working together. YATA, as a youth organisation, is dedicated to creating an institutional framework for coordinating and supporting national youth initiatives that educate and engage the youth on the importance of NATO. It contributes to providing future generations of leaders and decision-makers with an informed and comprehensive understanding of NATO's role in underpinning global security. The conference was organised by the YATA secretariat, in partnership with the Atlantic Council of Slovenia and NATO.