NATO is an active and leading contributor to peace and security on the international stage. It promotes democratic values and is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. However, if diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military capacity to undertake crisis management operations alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations.
Highlights
- NATO is a crisis management organisation that has the capacity to undertake a wide range of military operations and missions.
- Approximately 20,000 military personnel are engaged in NATO operations and missions around the world, managing often complex ground, air and naval operations in all types of environment.
- Currently, NATO is leading operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean.
- In 2018, NATO initiated a training mission in Iraq, which aims at developing the capacity of Iraq’s security forces, its defence and security institutions, and its national defence academies.
- NATO is also supporting the African Union and conducting air policing missions on the request of its Allies. Furthermore, NATO is assisting with the response to the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe and has Patriot missiles and AWACS aircraft deployed in Turkey.
- It also carries out disaster relief operations and missions to protect populations against natural, technological or humanitarian disasters.
- The tempo and diversity of operations and missions in which NATO is involved have increased since the early 1990s.