Eng. / Fr. / Ru. /The North Atlantic Council (NAC) meets at least every week and often more frequently, at the level of Permanent Representatives; it meets twice a year at the level of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, as well as at the level of Ministers of Defence, and occasionally at the Summit level with the participation of Prime Ministers and Heads of State and Government. Its decisions have the same status and validity at whatever level it meets.
Permanent Representatives act on instruction from their capitals, informing and explaining the views and the policy decisions of their governments to their colleagues around the table. Conversely they report back to their national authorities on the views expressed and positions taken by other governments, informing them of new developments and keeping them abreast of movement toward consensus on important issues or areas where national positions diverge. Each country represented at the Council table or on any of its subordinate committees retains complete sovereignty and responsibility for its own decisions.
The work of the Council is prepared by subordinate committees with responsibility for specific areas of policy. Much of this work involves the Senior Political Committee (SPC), consisting of Deputy Permanent Representatives, sometimes "reinforced" by national experts. In such cases it is known as the SPC(R).
The Council has an important public profile and issues declarations and communiqués explaining the Alliance's policies and decisions. These documents are normally published after ministerial or Summit meetings. The Senior Political Committee has particular responsibility for preparing such documents and meets in advance of ministerial meetings to draft the texts for Council approval. A similar role is played by the Defence Review Committee and the Nuclear Planning Staff Group on behalf of the Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear Planning Group.
Other aspects of political work may be handled by the regular Political Committee, which is composed of Political Counsellors or Advisers from national delegations. Depending on the topic under discussion, the respective senior committee with responsibility for the subject assumes the leading role in preparing Council meetings and following up Council decisions.
When the Council meets at the level of Defence Ministers, or is dealing with defence matters and questions relating to defence strategy, senior committees such as the Executive Working Group may be involved as principal advisory bodies. If financial matters are on the Council's agenda, the Senior Resource Board, the Civil or Military Budget Committees, or the Infrastructure Committee, may be responsible to the Council for preparing relevant aspects of its work.
Support to the Council is provided by the Secretary of the Council, who ensures that Council mandates are executed and its decisions recorded and circulated. A small Council Secretariat ensures the bureaucratic and logistical aspects of the NAC's work, while committee secretaries within the Divisions of the International Staff support the work of committees reporting to the NAC.
