The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The North Atlantic Council
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of 26 member countries whose sole purpose is to uphold the agreements of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. The fundamental role of this IGO is to secure the security and freedom of its member countries by political and military means. NATO does it utmost to defend its members from aggression or threat of aggression and it is based on the principle that an attack against one or several of its member countries is considered an attack against all.
NATO has been involved in conflict resolution operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The identification of new threats has led the organization to extend its action beyond European borders by taking on new missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, protecting against terrorism in the Mediterranean, and helping the African Union to bring peace to the Darfur region of Sudan.
The operations that NATO has undertaken across the globe seem to reflect its own political agenda and the overall safeguarding of democracy. It is clear that NATO's efforts go towards preserving the Allie's common values of individual liberty, rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The North Atlantic Council therefore represents an excellent opportunity to assess the organization's role in the promotion of these values throughout the Euro-Atlantic Area and beyond.
Additional Resources:
- NATO's Official Website: www.nato.int
Topics:
Topic 1 - Prevention of Terrorism and Use of Counter Terrorist Strategies
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, the United States and its allies have carried out the so-called "War on Terror" to eliminate the threat of terrorism. However, the failures in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the escalation of violence in the Middle East have shown that the actual strategy for fighting terrorism is ineffective, costly and in many cases unlawful. No one can say the world is a safer place or that the threat of terrorism has receded. The change of administration in the USA has provided a refreshing view to this matter and promises to carry out a more diplomatic approach. However, there is no consensus on which is the best way to eradicate or diminish terrorist activities. Should military operations be enough? Or should the world focus on combating the causes that make people turn to terrorism in the first place? Is democratization the path to the elimination of terrorist cells? As a delegate, it is your job to propose a comprehensive solution to mitigate terrorist activities not only through military operations but that also considers the primary causes of the problem. It is also your role to find ways in which NATO can help in diminishing the terrorist threat.
Topic 2 - Energy Security in Europe and Central Asia
The use of energy as a political tool has become a common element in European diplomacy. As recently as January 2009, 18 Europeans countries reported major falls or cut-offs of their gas supplies due to disputes between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrainy over natural gas supplies, prices and debts. Currently, there are three main concerns in the area of energy security: the securing of supply either through additional suppliers or alternative energy resources, the update and repair of existing infrastructure and the protection of pipelines from terrorist attacks. It is your task as delegate to find solutions to the problem of energy security through diversification and securing of supply. It is also your role to propose ways in which NATO can contribute to addressing the issue using its many resources.
Chairs:
- Camilo Palacios, Colombia - Jacobs University Bremen
- Pawel Voronin, Ukraine - Aberystwyth University
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