January 20, 2015

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a political and military Alliance whose primary goals are the collective defence of its members and the maintenance of democratic peace in the North Atlantic area.

Since its inception in 1949, NATO has been a central pillar of Euro-Atlantic defence and a cornerstone of Canadian defence and security policy. While the nature and the scope of threats faced by Canada and its allies have changed over time, NATOs basic tenets of solidarity, dialogue and cooperation continue to uphold the Alliances approach to collective security. NATO members are more secure because security concerns are discussed in a shared forum and addressed collectively, based on a set of common principles and shared values.

As one of NATOs founding members, Canada has been, and remains, a leader in the Alliance. The Canadian Armed Forces contribute to NATO providing modern, deployable capabilities to allied missions and highly trained personnel to its command structure. Canadas recent and on-going contributions to NATO, including the service and sacrifices of the Canadian Armed Forces personnel and civilians in Afghanistan, the Balkans, in the skies and off the coast of Libya and, most recently, contributions to the Alliances reassurance measures in response to Russian aggressions in Ukraine, are clear demonstrations of Canadas commitment to, and leadership in, NATO.

Established under the Washington Treaty, NATO was created as an alliance of collective defence as a deterrent to protect Western Europe against Soviet domination. Over the course of the Cold War, NATO allies devoted significant resources toward the development of military and civilian structures to further protect against the threat of an expansionist Soviet Union. This lengthy period of allied defence cooperation gave NATO substantial military capabilities as well as valuable experience in the planning and execution of multi-national military operations, and laid the foundation for an unprecedented and uninterrupted period of stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact that marked the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, NATO adopted a new spirit of cooperation with non-member countries as part of a broader approach to transatlantic security. NATO has since shifted its posture towards addressing a far broader spectrum of security challenges, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile technology, cyber-attacks, and transnational terrorism. Today, NATO engages with some 40 countries through various partner arrangements, including the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, as well as international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Alliance has a global approach to defence, with activities ranging from peace support operations in Kosovo, to counter terrorism operations in the Mediterranean, as well assurance measures and joint training exercises in Central and Eastern Europe.

Canada is at the forefront of efforts to transform and reform the alliance to ensure it is better able to act as a fit-for-purpose, political and military hub that enables allies and non-NATO partners to collaboratively address current and emerging security challenges.

Membership in the Alliance affords Canada an effective military instrument that helps Canada meet its three strategic defence and security objectives: to defend Canada and North America, and to project leadership abroad. NATO is an important driver for Canadas military interoperability with allies and partners. NATO also provides an important political forum in which Canada can advance its views and interests and build consensus around issues of pressing concern. Canada also leverages NATO to maximize information-sharing and to strengthen bilateral relationships with its allies and partners.

In the event of a crisis that threatens the security of a NATO nation, Canada could rapidly make available the contingency forces that it maintains for Alliance operations, including land, air and sea and Special Forces elements. Canada currently contributes over 300 personnel to NATOs structures, and to our Joint Delegation to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Along with allies and partners, the Canadian Armed Forces participates in NATO exercises to maintain interoperability, and support NATOs high readiness forces. Canada provides 6.09 per cent of NATOs common budgets for investment and operations, making it the sixth largest financial contributor among all allies.

Canada is represented at NATO by the Permanent Representative of Canada to the North Atlantic Council, the Alliances highest decision-making body. The Canadian Military Representative represents the Chief of the Defence Staff on the Military Committee. In addition to its regular meetings with permanent representatives, the North Atlantic Council also meets at the level of heads of state and government, or ministers of defence or foreign affairs. NATOs Chiefs of Defence staff also hold periodic meetings, normally in advance of high-level meetings of the North Atlantic Council.

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Canada and NATO