NATO Standardization Agency (NSA)

It is responsible for the preparation of the work for meetings of the NCS, the NCSREPs and the NSSG and for the overall administration of all STANAGs and APs.

The NSA supports Joint, Maritime, Land, Air and Medical Standardization Boards, each of which acts as a tasking authority for operational standardization, including doctrine, as delegated by the Military Committee. The Standardization Boards are responsible for the development of operational and procedural standardization among member countries. Like other tasking authorities, they do this by developing applicable STANAGs and APs with the member countries and NATO military commands.

The NSA also supports the Office of NATO Terminology Coordination. Established under the authority of the NCS, this office manages the NATO Terminology Programme and oversees a NATO Policy for Standardization of Terminology which outlines overarching principles and main responsibilities, as well as the process of terminology standardization within NATO as a whole.

The Director of the NSA is responsible for the day-to-day work of five branches of the agency, namely a Policy and Coordination Branch and the Joint, Naval, Army and Air Branches. The service branches provide staff support to their related boards and their associated working groups and panels and are responsible for monitoring and harmonising standardization activities in their areas of responsibility.

The boards, with one member per country, are in permanent session and meet formally eight to twelve times a year. Decisions are normally reached on the basis of unanimity. However, as standardization is a voluntary process, agreements may also be based on majority decisions among the countries participating in any particular STANAG. The Strategic Commanders have a staff representative on each board.

Further information:
NATO Standardization Agency
NATO Headquarters
1110 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 707 5576
Fax: +32 2 707 5718
Email: nsa@hq.nato.int
Website: http://nsa.nato.int