National delegations to NATO

The delegation has the status similar to an embassy and is headed by an Ambassador or Permanent Representative, who acts on instructions from his or her capital and reports back to the national authorities.

With all the delegations in the same building, they are able to maintain formal and informal contacts with each other, as well as with NATO's international staff and representatives of partner countries, each of which are entitled to have a mission at NATO Headquarters.

What is their role?

The responsibility and task of each delegation is to represent its member country at NATO. The authority of each delegation comes from its home country's government, to which it reports back on NATO decisions and projects.

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Who participates?

The staff of the delegation, varying in size from about 6 (Iceland) to 200 (United States,) comprises civil servants from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and other relevant ministries. The International Staff and International Military Staff support the work of the delegations.

How do they work in practice?

An important function of the delegations at NATO Headquarters is the consultation process. Consultation among the delegations can take place in many forms, from the exchange of information and opinions, to the communication of actions or decisions which governments have already taken or may be about to take and which have a direct or indirect bearing on the interests of their Allies. Consultation is ultimately designed to enable member countries to arrive at mutually acceptable agreements on collective decisions or actions by the Alliance as a whole.

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What do I need to remember?

• The delegations represent each member country to NATO
• Each national delegation is headed by an Ambassador or Permanent Representative
• The national delegations are all situated at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium