Brussels, 24 August 2022 (TDI): 73 years ago today in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) founding treaty, the Washington Treaty, entered into force.
#OnThisDay 73 years ago, the @NATO Treaty entered into force. Everyone knows the NATO flag, but do you know what it symbolizes? Navy blue represents the Atlantic Ocean, while the circle represents joint action. The compass in the center symbolizes a common course towards peace. pic.twitter.com/ODUnN5oCiQ
— German Embassy (@GermanyinUSA) August 24, 2022
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance of 30 North American and European countries. It promotes democratic values amongst its member states and enables them to consult and cooperate on matters related to defence and security to solve problems and prevent conflict.
NATO Members
At the signing of the NATO Charter in 1949, the organization had 12 founding member states. These included Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In 1952, Greece and Turkey acceded to the Treaty. Germany joined the Alliance in 1955, and Spain became a member in 1982. The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined NATO in 1999. Whereas, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania became NATO members in 2004.
Additionally, Croatia and Albania became members in April 2009. Montenegro became a member in 2017. Recently, as of 2022, the accession documents of Finland and Sweden are also in process.
Also read: US approves NATO membership for Finland, Sweden
Structure of NATO
NATO’s structure comprises separate civil and military structures and various organizations and agencies. In the civil structure, the main bodies include the NATO Headquarters (HQ), the Permanent Representatives and National Delegations, The Secretary General, and the International Staff (IS).
Additionally, the main bodies of the military structure include the Military Committee, the Chairman of the Military Committee, Strategic NATO Commanders, International Military Staff, Allied Command Europe (ACE), and Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT).
Also read: Canada supports Sweden’s accession to NATO
Collective Security
The main concept behind the establishment of NATO is the idea of collective security. Moreover, the founding treaty, the Treaty of Washington, was signed by NATO’s 12 founding members on April 4, 1949, in Washington DC. The Treaty came into force on 24 August 1949.
The Treaty derives its legitimacy and authority from Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The Charter affirms the right of countries to defend themselves both individually and collectively.
Additionally, the Washington Treaty also states that NATO’s members form a unique community with common values, which include democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
The commitment to the idea of collective security is best exemplified in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. This article mentions that if one of the member states is attacked, that attack will be perceived as an attack on all of NATO’s member states.
The writer is a senior year student of International Relations at Kinnaird College for Women. The writer holds an interest in the Indo-Pacific, cyber and security studies, and international law. She can be reached out via E-mail or Twitter for authorship/contributorship work.
