NATO 2022 Strategic Concept

Summary:

NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept was adopted by the Heads of State or Government attending a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation held in Madrid (Spain) on 29 June 2022.

Further information:

The Strategic Compass defines the security challenges facing the defence alliance and outlines the political and military tasks that NATO plans to carry out to address them. It is a key document for the organization. It reaffirms NATO's values and purpose, and provides a collective assessment of the security environment. It also drives NATO's strategic adaptation and guides its future political and military document. This document is reviewed and updated regularly, and the previous Strategic Concept was adopted at the NATO Lisbon Summit in 2010.

The key elements of this Strategic Concept include the following:

• The Alliance's key purpose and greatest responsibility is to ensure the collective defence of Allies. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty remains the bedrock of Allied collective defence;
• NATO’s three core tasks are deterrence and defence; crisis prevention and management; and cooperative security;
• Russia poses the most significant and direct threat to Allies' security, terrorism is an asymmetric threat to the security of citizens and international peace, and China stated ambitions and policies challenge the Alliance's interests, security and values;
• NATO will continue to adapt and develop, politically and militarily, to meet the challenges of a more unpredictable and competitive world;
• The Alliance is based on the enduring transatlantic bond between Europe and North America. NATO remains the unique, essential and indispensable transatlantic forum to consult, coordinate and act on all matters related to Allies’ security.

• Primary Source

Commentary and Analysis

International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS): Analysis, 30/07/2021: NATO’s New Strategic Concept. Balancing Responses to Multiple Threats. https://icds.ee/en/natos-new-strategic-concept-balancing-responses-to-multiple-threats/

Elcano Royal Institute: Analyses, 17/12/2021: One Plus Four: what NATO’s new Strategic Concept should say, and how to achieve it https://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/analyses/one-plus-four-what-natos-new-strategic-concept-should-say-and-how-to-achieve-it/

Elcano Royal Institute: Analyses, 17/01/2022: NATO gets an update: the Madrid Strategic Concept https://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/analyses/nato-gets-an-update-the-madrid-strategic-concept/

German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP): Reports, 31/01/2022: NATO’s 2030 Reflection Process and the New Strategic Concept https://dgap.org/en/research/publications/natos-2030-reflection-process-and-new-strategic-concept

German Marshall Fund of the US (GMFUS): Policy Insight, 03/02/2022: The TAG NATO Shadow Strategic Concept 2022: Preserving Peace, Protecting People https://www.gmfus.org/news/tag-nato-shadow-strategic-concept-2022-preserving-peace-protecting-people

Group d'Études Géopolitiques (GEG): Article, 31/05/2022: A New Strategic Concept for NATO https://geopolitique.eu/en/2022/05/31/a-new-strategic-concept-for-the-atlantic-alliance/

Martens Centre: Policy Brief, 15/06/2022: NATO’s New Strategic Concept: What Should We Expect? https://www.martenscentre.eu/publication/natos-new-strategic-concept-what-should-we-expect/

Atlantic Council: Commentary, 16/06/2022: Visualizing the NATO Strategic Concept: Five ways to look at the Alliance’s future https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/commentary/trackers-and-data-visualizations/visualizing-the-nato-strategic-concept/

UK Parliament: House of Commons Library: Research Briefing No 9573, 17/06/2022: NATO’s Strategic Concept https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9573/

Brookings Institution: Policy Analysis, 24/06/2022: Strategic responsibility: Rebalancing European and trans-Atlantic defense https://www.brookings.edu/articles/strategic-responsibility-rebalancing-european-and-trans-atlantic-defense/

Bloomberg: Opinion, 27/06/2022: What to Expect From NATO’s New Strategic Concept https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-06-27/russia-ukraine-war-this-week-s-nato-summit-isn-t-just-another-nato-summit#xj4y7vzkg

Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS): Analysis, 28/06/2022: Resetting NATO’s Defense and Deterrence: The Sword and the Shield Redux https://www.csis.org/analysis/resetting-natos-defense-and-deterrence-sword-and-shield-redux

Wilson Center: Article, 29/06/2022: NATO unveils new Strategic Concept at Madrid Summit https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/nato-unveils-new-strategic-concept-madrid-summit

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI): Policy Brief, 29/06/2022: NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept – Change, Continuity and Implications https://www.nupi.no/en/publications/cristin-pub/nato-s-2022-strategic-concept-change-continuity-and-implications

EurActiv: Opinion, 29/06/2022: NATO Strategic Concept: The potential for sustainable defence innovation https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/opinion/nato-strategic-concept-the-potential-for-sustainable-defence-innovation/

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): Analysis, 30/06/2022: The new NATO Strategic Concept and the end of arms control https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2022/06/the-new-nato-strategic-concept-and-the-end-of-arms-control

Atlantic Council: Blog, 30/06/2022: Our experts decipher NATO’s new Strategic Concept https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/our-experts-decipher-natos-new-strategic-concept/

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): Commentary, 01/07/2022: New Concepts but Old Problems: NATO’s New Strategic Concept https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/new-concepts-old-problems-natos-new-strategic-concept

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News

Politico, 29/06/2022: NATO leaders brand Russia a ‘direct threat’ in new strategy blueprint https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-leader-adopt-strategy-blueprint-branding-russia-direct-threat/

VOA News, 29/06/2022: NATO Leaders Hold Final Day of Summit https://www.voanews.com/a/new-nato-strategic-concept-targets-russia-china/6638598.html

The Guardian, 30/06/2022: Beijing hits out at Nato strategy for ‘malicious attack’ on China https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/30/beijing-hits-out-at-nato-strategy-for-malicious-attack-on-china

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Official

Official Website of NATO Strategic Concept https://www.nato.int/strategic-concept/

NATO: Topics: Strategic Concepts https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_56626.htm

NATO Parliamentary Assembly: Contribution to NATO's New Strategic Concept https://www.nato-pa.int/content/contribution-natos-new-strategic-concept

German Federal Ministry of Defence: News, 23/11/2021: A new strategic concept for NATO: the Alliance in 2030 https://www.bmvg.de/en/news/a-new-strategic-concept-for-nato-the-alliance-in-2030-5270934

Polish Government: News, 13/12/2021: Poland's input into NATO’s next Strategic Concept https://www.gov.pl/web/nato-en/polands-input-into-the-work-on-natos-next-strategic-concept

US Department of Defense: News, 01/06/2022: Russia Forcing Changes to NATO Strategic Concepts https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3049900/russia-forcing-changes-to-nato-strategic-concepts/

NATO: News, 29/06/2022: NATO leaders approve new Strategic Concept https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_197281.htm

US: The White House: Briefing Room: Fact Sheet, 29/06/2022: The 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/29/fact-sheet-the-2022-nato-summit-in-madrid/

German Federal Foreign Office: Article, 30/06/2022: NATO’s new Strategic Concept https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/internationale-organisationen/nato-node/strategic-concept-nato/2540276

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