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EDITORIAL NOTE

The NATO Handbook is issued by the NATO Office of Information and Press as a reference book on the Alliance and on Alliance policies. The formulations which are used reflect as closely as possible the consensus among the member nations which is the basis for all Alliance decisions. However the Handbook is not a formally agreed NATO document and therefore may not necessarily represent the official opinions or positions of individual member governments on every issue discussed.

The NATO Handbook - Documentation and the NATO Handbook -Chronology are published separately as companion volumes to this edition.

Except where otherwise indicated, the texts contained in this edition of the NATO Handbook are reproducedfrom the edition issued at the end of1998.

Since the publication of the 1998 edition, three more countries have joined the Alliance and a number of other major developments have taken place. These include the initiation, in March 1999, of NATO’s air campaign against the military structures of the Yugoslav Government responsible for carrying out the policy of repression and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo; the Washington Summit in April 1999 and the publication of the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept.

References in the Handbook to the number of NATO member countries, the number of Partner countries, the process of NATO enlargement, the Alliance’s policy in relation to Kosovo and other topics affected by the above developments, should be read in conjunction with recent official press releases and statements. These are accessible on the NATO web site (http://www.nato. int). Printed copies can also be obtained, on request, from: the Distribution Unit, Office of Information and Press, NATO - 1110 Brussels, Belgium.
ISBN 92-845-0104-0

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by the Secretary General 11
Preface 15
Chapter 1-What is NATO?
Core Functions 23
Origins 25
NATO Today 27
Chapter 2 - The Principal Policy and Decision-Making Institu-
tions of the Alliance
The North Atlantic Council 35
The Defence Planning Committee 38
The Nuclear Planning Group 39
Key to the Principal NATO Committees 39
Chapter 3 - The Transformation of the Alliance
Europe’s New Security Environment 59
The Strategic Concept of the Alliance 65
The Role of Allied Military Forces and the Transformation of the
Alliance’s Defence Posture 69
Building the European Security and Defence Identity
within the Alliance 75
Chapter 4 - The Opening Up of the Alliance
The Invitation to New Member Countries 81
Origins and Development of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council 84
Partnership for Peace 86
Enhancement of the Partnership for Peace Programme 92
Cooperation between NATO and Russia 97
NATO’s Partnership with Ukraine 102
The Alliance’s Mediterranean Dialogue 105
Key to the Institutions of Cooperation, Partnership and Dialogue 107
Chapter 5 - The Alliance’s Operational Role in Peacekeeping
The Process of Bringing Peace to the Former Yugoslavia 113

The NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) 120

The NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) 123

The Furtherance of the Peace Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina 127

Chapter 6 - The Alliance’s Role in Arms Control

Arms Control Policy and NATO’s Comprehensive Concept 132

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CITE) 133

Verification and Implementation of Arms Control Agreements 134

Nuclear Arms Control and the Challenges of Proliferation 141

Chapter 7 - Policy and Decision-Making

Consensus Politics and Joint Decision-Making 147

Crisis Management 150

The Defence Dimension 151

Nuclear Policy 155

Economic Cooperation 158

Public Information 161

Chapter 8 - Programmes and Activities

Consumer Logistics 171

Armaments Cooperation, Planning and Standardisation 178

Communications and Information Systems 181

Civil /Military Coordination of Air Traffic Management 182

Air Defence 183

Civil Emergency Planning 185

Scientific Cooperation and Environmental Challenges 189

Chapter 9 - Common-Funded Resources: NATO Budgets and Financial Management

The Principles of Common-Funding 198

Cost Sharing 200

Civil Budget 201

Military Budget 202

Chapter 5 - The Alliance’s Operational Role in Peacekeeping
The Process of Bringing Peace to the Former Yugoslavia 113

The NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) 120

The NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) 123

The Furtherance of the Peace Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina 127

Chapter 6 - The Alliance’s Role in Arms Control

Arms Control Policy and NATO’s Comprehensive Concept 132

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CITE) 133

Verification and Implementation of Arms Control Agreements 134

Nuclear Arms Control and the Challenges of Proliferation 141

Chapter 7 - Policy and Decision-Making

Consensus Politics and Joint Decision-Making 147

Crisis Management 150

The Defence Dimension 151

Nuclear Policy 155

Economic Cooperation 158

Public Information 161

Chapter 8 - Programmes and Activities

Consumer Logistics 171

Armaments Cooperation, Planning and Standardisation 178

Communications and Information Systems 181

Civil /Military Coordination of Air Traffic Management 182

Air Defence 183

Civil Emergency Planning 185

Scientific Cooperation and Environmental Challenges 189

Chapter 9 - Common-Funded Resources: NATO Budgets and Financial Management

The Principles of Common-Funding 198

Cost Sharing 200

Civil Budget 201

Military Budget 202

The NATO Security Investment Programme 202

Resource Management 203

Financial Management 204

Financial Control 206

Chapter 10 - Civilian Organisation and Structures

NATO Headquarters 215

Permanent Representatives and National Delegations 215

The Secretary General 215

The International Staff 217

Office of the Secretary General 219

Executive Secretariat 219

Office of Information and Press 220

Office of Security 221

Division of Political Affairs 221

Division of Defence Planning and Operations 223

Division of Defence Support 225

NATO Headquarters Consultation, Command and Control 228

Staff (NHQC3S)

Division of Security Investment, Logistics and

Civil Emergency Planning 228

Division of Scientific and Environmental Affairs 230

Office of Management 231

Office of the Financial Controller 231

Office of the Chairman of the Senior Resource Board 232

Office of the Chairman of the Budget Committees 232

International Board of Auditors 232

NATO Production and Logistics Organisations 232

Chapter 11 - Military Organisation and Structures

The Military Committee 234

The Chairman of the Military Committee 237

Major NATO Commanders 237

International Military Staff 239

Chapter 12 - The Military Command Structure

The Role of Integrated Military Forces 245

The Current Military Command Structure 247

Evolution of the New Military Structure

The Shape of the Future Military Command Structure

The Next Phase
258

263

269
Chapter 13 - Key to Organisations and Agencies

Consumer Logistics 279

Production Logistics 283

Standardisation 285

Civil Emergency Planning 288

Air Traffic Management, Air Defence 289

Airborne Early Warning 290

Communication and Information Systems 292

Radio Frequency Management 294

Electronic Warfare 295

Meteorology 296

Research and Technology 297

Education and Training 301

Project Steering Committees and Project Offices 308

Chapter 14 - The Wider Institutional Framework for Security

The United Nations 313

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 316

The European Union (EU) 325

The Western European Union (WEU) 331

The Council of Europe 340

Chapter 15 - Parliamentary and Non-Governmental Organisations

North Atlantic Assembly (NAA) 347

Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) 350

Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) 355

APPENDICES______

Appendix 1 Members of the North Atlantic Council 363

Appendix 2 Secretaries General of NATO 365

Appendix 3 Members of the Military Committee 367

Appendix 4 Heads of Diplomatic Missions

and Liaison Offices of Partner Countries 369

Appendix 5 Principal Officials of the International Staff 371

Appendix 6 Major NATO Commanders 373

Appendix 7 Abbreviations in Common Use 375

Appendix 8 Sources of Further Information 391

List of Illustrations

NATO’s Civil and Military Structure 36

Principal NATO Committees 40

Principal Institutions of Partnership Cooperation and Dialogue 108

NATO International Staff 216

Divisions of the International Staff 218

NATO’s Military Structure 235

The International Military Staff 238

The Current Military Structure

- Allied Command Europe 250

- Allied Command Atlantic 257

- The Future Military Structure

- Allied Command Europe 265

- Allied Command Atlantic 267

The North Atlantic Treaty 395