NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Who's who?

NATO Member countries

Each member nation is normally represented on the North Atlantic Council by an Ambassador or Permanent Representative supported by a national delegation composed of advisers and officials who represent their country on different NATO committees. The Council also meets from time to time at the level of Heads of State and Heads of Government or Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defence.

 

Partner Countries

Partner countries are represented by Heads of Diplomatic Missions or Liaison Offices located at the NATO Headquarters. The Head and Staff of the Missions attend NATO committee meetings in cooperation formats and represent their countries at meetings of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), or at meetings of the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council or NATO-Ukraine Commission respectively. Meetings of these bodies also take place at Ministerial or Summit level, when Partner countries are represented by their Foreign or Defence Ministers or by their Head of State or Government.

 

NATO International Staff

The NATO Secretary General is is the Alliance’s top international civil servant. This person is responsible for steering the process of consultation and decision-making in the Alliance and ensuring that decisions are implemented. The Secretary General is also NATO’s chief spokesperson and the head of the Organization’s International Staff.

The work of the North Atlantic Council and its committees is supported by an International Staff. It comprises the Office of the Secretary General, six Divisions, the office of Resources and the Office of Security. Each Division is headed by an Assistant Secretary General.

 

Senior Civilian & Special Representatives

  • The current NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan is Maurits Jochems 
  • The current NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia is James Appathurai
  • The current NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security is Mari Skåre

 

Members of the Military Committee

The members of the Military Committee (Chiefs of Staff) are represented at NATO Headquarters on a permanent basis by senior officers acting as Military Representatives, each supported by a national staff varying in size. The Military Representatives constitute the Military Committee in Permanent Session.

The Military Committee is supported by an integrated International Military Staff (IMS) made up of military personnel seconded from national military establishments and supporting civilian personnel. The International Military Staff is headed by the Director General, a 3-star flag officer. Divisions of the IMS are headed by Directors.

 

NATO Strategic Commands

The NATO Strategic Commands are responsible for the development of defence plans for their respective areas, for the determination of force requirements and for the deployment and exercise of the forces under their command control.

Last updated: 17-Oct-2012 15:17

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