While NATO’s primary mandate is to ensure the collective defence of its member states, the challenges the Alliance faces are global and its security is interconnected with countries and other actors worldwide.
NATO has 32 members, but it also maintains relations with more than 40 non-member countries and international organizations, called NATO partners. This partnership network strengthens security outside NATO territory, which makes NATO itself safer. The Alliance pursues dialogue and practical cooperation with partners on a wide range of political and security-related issues, including global challenges like terrorism and climate change. NATO’s partnerships are beneficial to all involved and contribute to improved security for the broader international community.
To develop better mutual understanding and situational awareness of regional and global developments, NATO pursues engagement at all levels, from senior diplomats to more junior employees. These connections cover a wide variety of military, political and security-related issues. Based on the principle of mutual benefit and interest, NATO and its partners also engage in practical cooperation activities such as trainings, exercises and operations. Another noteworthy collaboration is in defence planning, as NATO supports its partner nations with building their defence capacity and developing interoperability between partners’ and Allied forces.
With the changing political and security environment, NATO’s partnerships are continuously evolving to better include partners, provide more flexible opportunities, and explore new forms of cooperation and consultation.
As NATO’s Strategic Warfare Development Command, Allied Command Transformation is engaging with partner nations to develop a long-term vision for how NATO and other nations can design their partnerships to be fit for future challenges.
The Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate at Allied Command Transformation is leading this work on a conceptual level. The importance of cooperation with partners is one of the six core functions of the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept, which offers a vision to direct further development of NATO’s decisive military advantage. The “Out-Partner” function states “the future Alliance Military Instrument of Power must be able to foster mutually supportive and habitual relationships and partnership opportunities.” This work is supported by different conferences and engagements organized and supported by the Command which provides NATO Allies, its partners and other NATO entities, a platform which enhances opportunities to cooperate on topics such as Warfare Development, Capacity Building and Resilience.
In this context, the yearly Partnerships P360 Symposium, organized jointly with the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division of the NATO International Staff, is particularly important. Dedicated solely to fostering these partnerships, it is a unique event where international organizations, both civilian and military members of NATO, and Partner Nations, can strengthen understanding of each other and consider strategic trends, opportunities and challenges.
For practical cooperation opportunities, Allied Command Transformation’s Joint Force Development Directorate aims to improve interoperability and enhance the capabilities of Partner Nations’ forces whilst supporting Allied Command Operations’ Partnership Directorate so that Partners can better work side-by-side with NATO forces. As one function it facilitates partner participation in education, training and exercise programmes and co-chairs the Partnership Training and Education Centres Conference.
Additionally, several Partner National Liaison Representatives have permanent assignments to represent their nation directly at Allied Command Transformation.
At the 2022 Madrid Summit, NATO adopted its new Strategic Concept, which continues to identify “cooperative security” as one of NATO’s three core tasks. This pillar recognises that Euro-Atlantic security is best achieved through a wide network of partner relationships with countries and organizations around the world. As outlined in the 2022 Strategic Concept, “Political dialogue and practical cooperation with partners, based on mutual respect and benefit, contribute to stability beyond our borders, enhance our security at home and support NATO’s core tasks. Partnerships are crucial to protect the global commons, enhance our resilience and uphold the rules-based international order.”