NATO committees

NATO committees form an indispensable part of the Alliance’s decision-making process. They enable exchanges of information and consultation leading to decisions taken on the basis of unanimity and common accord.

Each member country is represented at every level of the committee structure in the fields of NATO activity in which they participate.

NATO currently has more than 300 committees. This extensive network covers everything from political issues, to improving capabilities, to technical issues related to the Alliance’s military interoperability.

What does this mean in practice?

The North Atlantic Council (NAC) is the principal political decision-making body within NATO and the only committee that was established by the founding Treaty. Under Article 9, the NAC is invested with the authority to set up "such subsidiary bodies as may be necessary" for the purposes of implementing the Treaty. Over the years, the Council has established a network of committees to facilitate the Alliance’s work.

How did it evolve?

From time to time, the NATO committee structure is reviewed and reorganized so as to make it more efficient, responsive and relevant to NATO’s current priorities. This includes eliminating obsolete committees and creating new bodies.

Since its creation in 1949, the Alliance has undergone two major committee restructurings. The first took place in 1990 after the end of the Cold War, and the second in 2002, in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

For further information on how the committee structure evolved, see NATO: The first five years, 1949-1954.

What do I need to remember?

  • The Alliance has an extensive committee network.
  • Each member country is represented in every committee in the fields of NATO activity in which they participate.
  • All decisions at NATO are reached by consensus.
  • The North Atlantic Council is NATO’s principal political decision-making body and it is invested with the authority to set up subsidiary committees and working groups when necessary.
  • The principal NATO committees are the North Atlantic Council (NAC), the Defence Planning Committee (DPC), the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) and the Military Committee.
  • NATO has established a number of bodies to work with its Partners.

List of principal NATO committees and policy bodies :