NATO

United we stand?
NATO's future in an uncertain world.

On 15 April 2002 first defence published it’s first policy paper ‘United We Stand? NATO’s Future In An Uncertain World’.  To request a printed copy just email your name and postal address in this pop-up form


The key policy points in the paper are as follows:

POLICY POINTS

  • The world NATO was formed to secure has passed, yet the Alliance has not adapted to the new world disorder.The Prague Summit must be the moment when NATO nations seize the initiative.
  • The dangers to our security have changed and new threats require new thinking. Military and security thinking in NATO and its members must change, if the Alliance is to avoid becoming the Maginot Line of the 21st Century.
  • In a world where pre-emptive action may become more relevant than deterrence, how can Article 5 be made to work in practice?
  • At Prague NATO should enlarge in a "Big Bang" and invite all current applicant members to join, provided they meet the membership criteria.
  • Membership criteria should from now on include a commitment to spend at least 3% of GNP on defence and security.
  • The lack of Alliance interoperability is severely hampering NATO. The technological and capability gap between Europe and the USA needs to be faced up to. This may mean acknowledging that only the US can and will be able to undertake certain missions. The contributions of others needs to be defined and enforced.
  • NATO needs to take the lead in interoperability by ensuring members work towards full DCI capabilities to a timetable, identify specialist roles which smaller nations can reasonably develop and hold them to it.
  • NATO should be more proactive in co-ordinating equipment manufacture and procurement standards to improve basic interoperability.
  • NATO needs to take the lead in raising military training standards and encourage greater intelligence co-ordination.
  • NATO members must adhere to minimum standards of border security and the practice of civil defence procedures.
  • The Alliance must modernise its command and control procedures. The "Red card" system should not be permitted above the very lowest peace enforcement missions. Consensus must remain for all missions.

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