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NATO adopts new Strategic Concept

Lisbon, 19 November 2010

At their Summit meeting in Lisbon, NATO leaders adopted a new Strategic Concept that will serve as the Alliance's roadmap for the next ten years and that reconfirms the commitment to defend one another against attack as the bedrock of Euro-Atlantic security. More

• Download the Strategic Concept EN / FR / RUS / UKR
• Previous events
• National/regional events

Speeches and articles

10 Sep. 2010 - Speech by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Real Instituto Elcano, Madrid

2 Jul. 2010 - 'NATO - Managing Security in a Globalised World' Speech by Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Catholic University of Lisbon, Portugal

More Speeches

NATO Review

• NATO's New Strategic Concept: a successful balancing act?
• Come together: Why getting comprehensive matters
• Lisbon: the perfect birthplace for NATO's new Strategic Concept?

Interviews

• Ivo Daalder, US Ambassador to NATO
• Interview with Admiral James G. Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
• Interview with Madeleine Albright: towards a new Strategic Concept
• Interview with Jeroen Van der Veer, Vice Chair, NATO Strategic Concept Expert Group

Previous Strategic Concepts

08 Nov. 1991 - The Alliance's New Strategic Concept agreed by the Heads of State and Government participating in the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council

24 Apr. 1999 - The Alliance's Strategic Concept approved by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council

NATO Topic

The Strategic Concept is an official document that outlines NATO’s enduring purpose and nature and its fundamental security tasks. It also identifies the central features of the new security environment ...
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Online Fora

• NATO Defence College
• SDA Brussels
• The Hague Center for Strategic Studies
• NATO Watch
• RUSI
• The Washington NATO Project
• ACUS
• Chatham House
• The World Security Network

• 31 October 2010 by E. Olvera I do agree with the Sec Gen's vision. We should train local forces as soon as possible ensuring they can handle security without NATO forces
• 29 October 2010 by Marika I think that an organization like the NATO can only work if all members contribute – or try to contribute – an equal amount.

In November 2010 NATO adopted a New Strategic Concept at the Lisbon Summit.

The NATO's New Strategic Concept LibGuide is a constantly updated web-based research guide bringing you the latest information (articles, news, videos, websites, etc.) on issues related to the NATO's New Strategic Concept. If you are interested in the process leading to the publication, please refer to the web bibliography or to the historical overview (1953-2009).

At the NATO Summit in Strasbourg/Kehl on 3 and 4 April 2009, Allied Heads of State and Government tasked the Secretary General to develop a new NATO Strategic Concept. They also tasked the Secretary General to convene and lead, with the involvement of the North Atlantic Council, a group of qualified experts to produce recommendations for the new Concept's content. On 17 May 2010, the experts submitted their recommendations to the North Atlantic Council. The process was completed when NATO leaders approved a new Strategic Concept at the November 2010 Lisbon Summit.

• Guiding principles
• The Group of Experts
• A three-phased approach:
• • - Reflection phase
  • - Consultation phase
  • - Drafting and final negotiation phase

• Speech by the NATO Secretary General at the 11th Herzliya Conference
  9 Feb. 2011
• Remarks by the CMC at the CHOD's meeting
  26 Jan. 2011
• Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General
  9 Dec. 2010

The Group of Experts, chaired by Madeleine K. Albright, was convened by the NATO Secretary General to lay the groundwork for the development of a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance. Having completed their task, on 17 May they submitted to the North Atlantic Council their analysis and recommendations.

• NATO adopted a new ‘Strategic Concept’ during its November 2010 Lisbon Summit. What is this new Strategic Concept, exactly?
  
  The Strategic Concept is an official document that outlines NATO’s enduring purpose and nature and the fundamental security tasks of the Alliance. It also identifies the central features...