NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO's partners in the South Caucasus

more

ISAF addresses the threat from insider attacks

more

To view this content please go to adobe.com and install the flash plugin.

Discover NATO

A brief interactive introduction to the Alliance's role and activities.

Learn more

People & Activities

Latest Transatlantic Trends report shows strong support for NATO 12 Sep. 2012 The 11th edition of the Transatlantic Trends survey has been published on 12 September 2012. Ahead of the report’s release, officials from the German Marshall Fund previewed some of the key findings to members of delegations and the International Staff at NATO HQ. The latest version of the annual public opinion survey shows continued support for NATO on both sides of the Atlantic, with a majority of Americans and Europeans believing that the Alliance is vital to the security of their countries. 
Staying the course in Afghanistan 06 Sep. 2012 On 6 September 2012, a group of Afghan junior diplomats visited NATO Headquarters. The group met with a number of NATO officials, including Ambassador Kolinda Grabar, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy. They also met with Ambassador Homoyoun Tandar, Afghan Ambassador to Belgium. 
NATO sponsors project to help reduce terrorism risk in Mauritania 28 Aug. 2012 Mauritania has seen its share of conflict over the years. Its volatile history has left the country with a large stock of Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS), shoulder launched surface-to-air missiles, and obsolete munitions that could pose a security risk to the country and to the safety of the public. A NATO Trust Fund project is now working to destroy these stockpiles and prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists. 
Afghan National Army improves front-line defences 23 Aug. 2012 Soldiers with the Afghan National Army hit a milestone toward their independence from NATO support by improving an outpost that had been the target of insurgent attacks. 
NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation hosts Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge (SAUC-E ’12) 06 Jul. 2012 - 13 Jul. 2012 It is a competition designed to challenge the next generation of engineers to design and build an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of performing realistic missions. 
Getting to know NATO 26 Jul. 2012 Three young people from Armenia, Russia and the United Kingdom were among 20 competition winners to win a trip to NATO’s Chicago Summit in May. Upon returning home, they took time to reflect on their experiences. 
Engaging the leaders of tomorrow 10 Jul. 2012 “NATO has never been set in stone,” says Dr Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Emerging Security Challenges Division, addressing a packed room of “Young Professionals in Foreign Policy” (YPFP) members on the Chicago Summit and its impact on the Alliance, on Tuesday 10 July at the European Parliament. 
Model NATO Youth Summit simulates NATO crisis scenarios 09 Jul. 2012 - 13 Jul. 2012 The first edition of the Model NATO Youth Summit (MoNYS), a large scale simulation of NATO’s decision-making processes was held in Brussels from 9-13 July. MoNYS 2012 gathered 220 participants from 77 universities and 37 different countries to see for themselves how decisions are made at Alliance Headquarters. The simulation included six NATO committees and 12 major topics, including Smart Defence, missile defence, cyber defence and operations. 
Afghanistan's heart of marble 06 Jul. 2012 Over the last decade, NATO and the international community have strived to improve security and stability in Afghanistan. Better conditions have led to an increase in business opportunities for the Afghan people and the country’s economy is growing. The export of marble is one of the new industries contributing to this growth. According to mining experts, 700 million dollars worth of marble stone lies untapped across Afghanistan. 
Afghan and Central Asian Members of Parliament work to strengthen cooperation 05 Jul. 2012 On 5 July 2012, a group of 14 parliamentarians from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan visited NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The visit - organised by NATO Public Diplomacy Division - was part of a long-standing programme of cooperation in the field of public diplomacy between the Alliance and these countries. The group met with representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as with members of the International Staff, including Ambassador Dirk Brengelmann, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy. 
NATO Week in Azerbaijan highlights 20 years of partnership 01 Jul. 2012 - 07 Jul. 2012 The annual NATO Week in Azerbaijan opened with a conference at the NATO International School of Azerbaijan on 1-7 July. A ceremony also took place in the capital Baku to mark the official opening of the second NATO-sponsored mine-clearing project in the country. This year marks 20 years since the start of Azerbaijan’s partnership with the Alliance. 

Secretary General's Blog

The latest video messages from the NATO Secretary General

Follow me online

NATOchannel.tv

Go to NATOchannel.tv...

NATO Review

Threats from within 09 Aug. 2012 In this edition of NATO Review, we look at the dangers of 'the enemy within'. Homegrown terrorists are one of the best - or worst - examples of asymmetrical war. They are difficult to detect, often blend in well with the local population and can strike with devastating effect. But how new is this? And should we be worried about this increasing? 
What terror attacks tell us: the German example 09 Aug. 2012 On Monday July 2, 2012 German security authorities were shocked, as the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, Heinz Fromm, resigned. His agency, the Verfassungsschutz located in Cologne, had made a series of errors in the investigation of a neo-Nazi terror cell in Thuringia.  
Thoughts of a former extremist 31 Jul. 2012 Few can give a more personal insight into how serious home-grown terrorism is than Maajid Naawaz. Formerly a member of Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir, he now heads up a counter-extremist foundation. Here he explains why are people drawn to extremism and what it means for potential responses. 
Homegrown terrorism: how the EU sees it 31 Jul. 2012 Homegrown terrorism is clearly a domestic, national issue. So how can a multinational organisation like the EU play a meaningful role? The man who fills the post of EU counter-terrorism coordinator explains what can - and can't - be done by the EU. And highlights some of the impacts it has already had. 
The economic downturn: a boon for home-grown terrorists? 31 Jul. 2012 Will the present economic downturn - with its higher rates of youth unemployment, depression and disillusionment - have any impact on homegrown terrorist recruitment or activity. Dr Brooke Roger looks at how much we can know. 
Terror, coercion and foreign policy 31 Jul. 2012 Mitch Silber has looked through masses of profiles of homegrown terrorists and their motivations in his role as the New York Police Department’s Intelligence Division’s Analytic and Cyber Units. Here he presents some of the main themes that emerged from that analysis. 
Not gone - but not as strong 31 Jul. 2012 Jason Burke has followed the evolution of al Qaida since the last century. Here he looks at how the group has evolved, where it stands now - and the implications for homegrown terrorism. 
Homegrown terrorism in pictures 11 Jul. 2012 The tag ‘homegrown terrorism’ may be new. But the activity certainly isn’t. This photostory highlights some previous examples – stretching back almost a century. 
Homegrown failure: why the domestic terror threat is overblown 11 Jul. 2012 Seek and you shall find is an old phrase. But it is an apt one, argues Benjamin Friedman, when applied to the search for something which has almost certainly always been there. 
Homegrown terrorism: how can NATO fight it? 11 Jul. 2012 The threat from homegrown terrorists is clearly a security issue. But it is one largely dealt with by national intelligence and security forces – not the military. So what exactly can NATO do to counter it? And how does this fit into NATO's wider fight against terrorism? We ask NATO’s counter terrorism expert. 
“New” terrorism in the Western world? 11 Jul. 2012 Homegrown terrorism is not new, argues Marc Sageman. It is as old as political struggle. But it does have new elements in it – not least being the Internet. 
NATO Chicago Summit special edition 30 May. 2012 This edition represents several firsts. For NATO, it is the first time it has held a Summit in North America this century. For NATO Review, it is the first time we have produced a tablet version of the magazine, available when the Summit begins. And it is also the first time we have the President of the United States writing for us. 
Chicago: right city, right time 15 May. 2012 NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, explains why he feels there is no better place than Chicago for celebrating the bond between North America and Europe. 
Message from President Obama 15 May. 2012 US President Barack Obama welcomes NATO to Chicago, his hometown. Here he describes how important the Alliance has been for our common security, our freedom and our prosperity for the past 63 years. 
Making the concept a reality 15 May. 2012 NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Admiral James Stavridis, outlines how NATO’s new Strategic Concept’s ideas have been put into action. 
Afghanistan snapshot: how the experts see it 15 May. 2012 Four prominent Afghans give their views on the country’s elections, priorities, women’s rights and fight against corruption. 
Mr TransAtlantic 15 May. 2012 Ivo Daalder, US Ambassador to NATO, has crossed many divides. From being a European to an American, an academic to a diplomat - and more. Here he explains how it’s helped him at NATO. 
Standing in line: what NATO means to me 15 May. 2012 Stanislava Mladenova has spent half her life in Europe, half in the US. Here she describes the role NATO has played in bringing the strands together. 
From Cronkite to Korea: lessons learned 15 May. 2012 Alexander Vershbow, NATO Deputy Secretary General, talks about coming back to NATO again – and what he learnt on his travels. 
The US: at the heart of NATO since day 1 15 May. 2012 NATO was created by a treaty signed in Washington, DC in 1949. As NATO returns to the US 63 years later for its Chicago Summit, NATO Review highlights some of the key moments of the shared history of the Alliance and its biggest member. 
How well do you really know NATO? 15 May. 2012 This 10 question quiz will find out how well you know the Alliance. 
Václav Havel: remembering the big little man 15 May. 2012 Czech Minister of Defence, Alexandr Vondra, remembers one of Europe’s and NATO’s political giants, Václav Havel. 
Mission impossible? 15 May. 2012 US bloggers, journalists and communications experts reveal how they would try to bring NATO closer to the US public. 
Social media and NATO: it's complicated 15 May. 2012 The US is the home of social media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many others were born there. So could social media be the means that brings NATO closer to US people? We asked a number of communications experts what progress they feel has been made - and what more needs to be done. 
NATO Summit 2012: what does it mean to Chicago 15 May. 2012 NATO Review asked the Governor of State of Ilinois, Pat Quinn, about Chicago's preparations for the NATO's 2012 Summit, how the Alliance is perceived in the city and why Chicago represents the best backdrop for NATO's first Summit in North America this century. 
Two decades of NATO operations: Taking stock, looking ahead 15 May. 2012 NATO’s Diego A. Ruiz Palmer analyses the 20 years of NATO operations that started in 1992 – and looks at how the ones over the next 20 years may look. 
Inside out: a different perspective 15 May. 2012 Italian Minister of Defence, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, talks about switching from being at the heart of an international alliance to a minister in a national government. 
cmc-banner-2012.jpg

Newsroom

More news ...

banner-ipad-v1.jpg

Quicklinks

120308-we-nato-276px.jpg

Share

Quicklinks