Photo credit: ResoluteSupportMedia, “Kabul seen in gunners visor,” CC BY 2.0.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Abbreviation

NATO

AKA

North Atlantic Alliance

Summary

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a political and military alliance. Its counterterrorism work reportedly “focuses on improved threat awareness and preparedness, developing adequate capabilities and enhancing engagement with partner countries and other international actors.” NATO aims to contribute to the international community’s counterterrorism effort in three ways: first, as a permanent transatlantic consultation forum; second, by maintaining military and civilian capabilities to help combat terrorism or manage the consequences of terrorist attacks; and third, by cooperating with other countries and international organizations. NATO’a bilateral cooperation in the area of counterterrorism is based on such documents as the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP), Individual Partnership Action Plans (IPAPs), and Annual National Programmes (ANPs). The 2002 Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism (PAP-T) provides a framework for multinational practical cooperation.

Members

Members include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, and Croatia.