“One Year after the Adoption of NATO’s New Strategic Concept” – a webinar with key expert speaker Dr. Benedetta Berti, Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the NATO Secretary General, was held on June 9, 2023. The webinar was organized by the Atlantic Treaty Association as part of their series of webinars called “ATA TALKS.” The event was moderated by Dr. Monika Begovic, Secretary General of the Atlantic Treaty Association and President of the Atlantic Council of Croatia, along with David Hobbs, Secretary General Emeritus of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The event was supported and sponsored by NATO PDD.
Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the NATO Secretary General, Dr. Benedetta Berti opening remarks:
In her keynote speech Dr. Benedetta Berti pointet out that the new strategic concept of NATO is an agreed document at the highest political level. It addresses common challenges and threats faced by the alliance and outlines NATO’s priorities. This concept is the eighth one adopted by NATO and signifies a recognition that we are in a different stage of history. Previous concepts focused on deterrence and defense during the Cold War, while later concepts reflected a more benign security environment.
The 2022 strategic concept acknowledges that we are now in a complex, volatile, and dangerous security environment, particularly due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It emphasizes the need for NATO to return to its core function of enabling collective defense and includes practical decisions to enhance NATO’s military posture. This process began in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and has accelerated since February 2022.
In her speech, she also said the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius will further prioritize deterrence and defense, as well as defense spending and strengthening the transatlantic defense ecosystem. The strategic concept also recognizes the changed relationship with Russia, now seen as the most direct threat to the alliance, and highlights the importance of resilience and managing escalation through communication channels.
Additionally, the concept acknowledges the complexity of the strategic environment, including the rise of China as a systemic challenge to Euro-atlantic security. It emphasizes the need for closer transatlantic convergence and collective and national resilience. The strategic concept also identifies climate crisis as a multiplier of global security challenges, making it the first NATO concept to address this issue.
Overall, the new strategic concept sets the direction for the alliance for the next decade, encompassing deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security with likeminded countries.
Watch the full discussion below:
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