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NATO Summit 2021 (Ed/Hartmut Bühl, Paris) On 14th June, at the 2021 NATO Summit in Brussels, NATO leaders discussed a wide range of political and military issues as well as the future of NATO. The agenda included nine main decisions and the support of the NATO 2030 initiative. Key decisions 1. NATO 2030 was at the heart of discussions. Based on a variety of inputs from experts, civil society and the private sector, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presented recommendations which formed the bedrock of the NATO 2030 agenda. 2. US President Joe Biden succeeded to re-establish lost confidence of NATO leaders in the US ally by underpinning the US’ full commitment to NATO’s Article 5 (defence). 3. Furthermore, there was no doubt about
Official portrait of NATO Allies
photo: © NATO
reinforcing the Alliance’s unity, broadening its approach to security and contributing to safeguarding the rules-based international order. 4. NATO leaders took decisions to prepare NATO for the challenges of today and tomorrow, including Russia’s pattern of aggressive behaviour and the rise of China, terrorism, cyber-attacks and disruptive technologies, and security implications of climate change. NATO leaders agreed on 9 proposals: 1 - Deepen political consultations in NATO by broadening them, including an additional yearly meeting of foreign ministers and more consultations with Allied capitals in different formats.
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By agreeing on the NATO 2030 initiative, leaders have made the decision to make our Alliance stronger and better fit for the future.” Jens Stoltenberg,
NATO Secretary General
6 - Boost training and capacity-building by stepping up NATO’s efforts to assist its partners’ capacity-building in areas like counter-terrorism, stabilisation, countering hybrid attacks, crisis management, peacekeeping, and defence reform. 7 - Combat and adapt to climate change by endorsing an ambitious new NATO Climate Change and Security Action Plan to help NATO and its Allies develop clear awareness, adaptation and mitigation measures, and committed to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from military activities and installations. 8 - Develop the next Strategic Concept by inviting the NATO Secretary General
2 - Strengthen deterrence and defence
to lead the process to develop it. This key
by reaffirming their strong commitment
4 - Preserve the technological edge by
document describes the overarching se-
to Allied deterrence and defence. Allies
launching a Defence Innovation Accel-
curity environment in which the Alliance
will continue to aim to meet, by 2024, the
erator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) to
will operate.
NATO-agreed guideline of spending 2% of
boost transatlantic cooperation on critical
Gross Domestic Product on defence and
technologies and to establish a NATO Inno-
9 - Invest in NATO by ensuring the Alli-
20% of annual defence spending on major
vation Fund to invest in startups working
ance has the right resources, both through
new equipment.
on emerging and disruptive technologies.
national defence expenditure and NATO common funding.
3 - Improve resilience by agreeing to take
5 - Uphold the rules-based international
a broader and more coordinated approach
order by strengthening NATO’s relationships
to it, including through a strengthened re-
with like-minded partners and international
silience commitment, developing resilience
organisations – including the European
objectives to guide nationally tailored goals
Union – and to forge new engagements,
Communiqué https://bit.ly/2TlzfvL
and implementation plans.
including in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Factsheet https://bit.ly/3euxi7u
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