North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Purpose

A collective defence alliance in which an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all (Article 5), originally formed to counter Soviet expansion in Europe.

Members:

32 member states

Headquarters:

Brussels, Belgium

History

NATO was founded in 1949 by the United States, Canada and ten Western European countries at the start of the Cold War, as a collective security pact against the perceived threat of Soviet expansion, and has since expanded repeatedly, especially after the Cold War's end.

Structure

• North Atlantic Council (main political decision-making body)
• Secretary-General (political head)
• Supreme Allied Commander Europe (military head)

Key facts

• Article 5's mutual-defence clause was invoked for the only time in NATO's history after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States
• Expanded substantially eastward after the Cold War, eventually including Finland and Sweden following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine

Pakistan's relationship

Not a member; provided key ground supply routes (Ground Lines of Communication) for NATO/ISAF forces in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021.