We call NATO the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is one of the most significant international institutions in the world. This alliance was established exactly on April 4, 1949 as a result of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty. This organization brings together 30 member states from Europe and North America.
NATO's priority objectives
One of NATO's main objectives is to ensure mutual security in everyday life through political and military means. Political measures mean the promotion of democratic values and consultation on matters related to the security and defense of nations. The use of military means, on the other hand, is about providing military capabilities, but with the aim of peacefully resolving disputes. The organization is guided by the principle of one for all, all for one, which means that an attack directed at one country is considered an attack against the entire alliance. This is represented by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which has only been used once so far. This referred to the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States in September 2001.
How does the NATO alliance work?
The only treaty body of the pact is the North Atlantic Council, whose headquarters are in Brussels. It is she who issues messages addressed to the public and countries that do not belong to the organization. The most important position in this alliance is occupied by the NATO Secretary General, who is elected for a 4-year term of office as the Chairman of the North Atlantic Council. All decisions approved by the organizations are made by consensus, i.e. by voting by member states. NATO's day-to-day activities are financed from the common budgets of its member states.
What conditions must be met in order to join the North Atlantic Treaty?
The terms of NATO membership are set out in Article 10 of the Washington Treaty. It states that any European state that is able to implement its provisions and contributes to the security of the North Atlantic area can become a member of the Alliance. Then such a country receives an invitation to join the organization, however, the unanimous consent of all members belonging to the pact is required. When making such decisions, political, legal, economic and military requirements are primarily taken into account. After such verifications, the state must send a letter of intent to the Secretary General, declaring its acceptance of the duties and obligations of membership. The next step of accession is the signing of accession protocols by the remaining countries, which are then ratified. Upon completion of ratification, notifications of acceptance of protocols are sent to the host of the treaty, according to which the state's accession to the covenant is foreseen. The secretary general then invites the new member to join the alliance and the final step is formal accession to NATO.
List of countries in NATO
According to data from 2022, the organization has 30 member states. The latest of these is North Macedonia. Other candidates for joining the alliance are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland and Sweden. In order of date of joining the NATO pact are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom and United States . It was then joined by Greece and Turkey .