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Press
Communiqué

North
Atlantic
Council

Washington
17th Sep 1949

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Synopsis

• For Belgium, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Paul van Zeeland;
• for Canada, the Secretary of State for External Affairs, Mr. Lester B. Pearson;
• for Denmark, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gustav Rasmussen;
• for France, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Robert Schuman;
• for Iceland, the Minister to the United States, Mr. Thor Thors;
• for Italy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Sforza;
• for Luxembourg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Josef Bech;
• for the Netherlands, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Dirk U. Stikker;
• for Norway, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Halvard M. Lange;
• for Portugal, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jose Caeiro de Matta;
• for the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ernest Bevin;
• for the United States, the Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Acheson.

The task of the Council is to assist the Parties inimplementing the Treaty and particularly in attaining its basicobjective. That objective is to assist, in accordance with theCharter, in achieving the primary purpose of the UnitedNations--the maintenance of international peace and security.The Treaty is designed to do so by making clear thedetermination of the Parties collectively to preserve theircommon heritage of freedom and to defend themselves againstaggression while emphasizing at the same time their desire tolive in peace with all governments and all peoples.

It is in this spirit that the Foreign Ministers of the Partieshave met in Washington and have taken steps to implement theTreaty. The meetings of the Council showed that all Parties areunited in their resolve to integrate their efforts for thepromotion of lasting peace, the preservation of their commonheritage and the strengthening of their common defence.

The main purpose of the Council during this first session wasto provide for its own future operation and, in accordance withArticle 9, to establish a Defence Committee and such othersubsidiary bodies as are deemed necessary to assist the Councilin considering matters concerning the implementation of theNorth Atlantic Treaty.

The organization established under the North Atlantic Treatyshould be operated with as much flexibility as possible and besubject to review from time to time. The establishment of thismachinery does not preclude the use of other means forconsultation and co-operation between any or all of the Partieson matters relating to the Treaty.

As decided on April 2, the Council will normally be composed ofForeign Ministers. Should the latter be unable to attend, theirplaces shall be taken by plenipotentiary representativesdesignated by the Parties. To enable the Council to meetpromptly at any time the diplomatic representatives inWashington of the Parties shall be empowered to act as theirGovernments' representatives whenever necessary.

Terms of Reference

Time and Frequency of Sessions

Location of the Council Sessions

Chairmanship

Languages

Permanent Co-ordination

The Council reaffirmed that ensuring the security of the NorthAtlantic area is a primary objective of the North AtlanticTreaty and is vital to the security of each of the Parties. Itis therefore of paramount importance that the Parties,separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effectiveself-help, and mutual aid, maintain and develop theirindividual and collective capacity to resist armed attack. TheDefence Committee should therefore immediately take therequisite steps to have drawn up unified defence plans for theNorth Atlantic area.

As regards the organization of the Defence Committee, theCouncil agreed as follows:

The Defence Committee will be composed of one representativefrom each Party. These representatives will normally be DefenceMinisters. In any case where this is not possible, anotherrepresentative may be designated.

Terms of Reference

Time and Frequency of Sessions

Location

Chairmanship

The Council suggested to the Defence Committee the general outline of those subsidiary military bodies which it considered appropriate for the task of aiding the Defence Committee in recommending measures for the implementation of Articles3 and5 of the Treaty. The Defence Committee was invited, among other things, to consider the question of these subsidiary bodies in detail and to elaborate on the general provisions suggested by the Council for each body.

The Council suggested in general terms that the militaryorganization should include the following:

Terms of Reference

• provide general policy guidance of a military nature to itsStanding Group;

• advise the Defence Committee and other agencies on militarymatters as appropriate;

• recommend to the Defence Committee military measures for theunified defence of the North Atlantic area.

Location

Standing group

Terms of Reference

To achieve the unified defence of the North Atlantic area, theStanding Group should co-ordinate and integrate the defenceplans originating in the Regional Planning Groups, and shouldmake appropriate recommendations thereon to the MilitaryCommittee.

The Standing Group should recommend to the Military Committeethose matters on which the Standing Group should be authorizedto take action in the name of the Military Committee within theframework of approved policy.

It is recognized that it is the responsibility of individualgovernments to provide for the implementation of plans to whichthey have agreed. It is further recognized that it is theprimary responsibility of the Regional Planning Groups toprepare plans for the defence of their respective regions.Subject to these principles, it is understood that before theStanding Group makes recommendations on any plan or course ofaction involving use of forces, facilities, or resources of aParty not represented on the Standing Group, going beyond ordiffering from arrangements previously agreed by the Partyconcerned, the Party should have the right to participate inthe Standing Group in the work of formulating suchrecommendations. It is also understood that when communicatingtheir regional plans to the Standing Group, the RegionalPlanning Groups should be entitled to have their planspresented and explained by any of their members and notnecessarily by a member of the Standing Group.

Time and Frequency of Sessions

Location

Permanent Representation

1. Before any Regional Planning Group makes any recommendationsaffecting the defence of the territory or involving the useof forces, facilities, or resources of any Party not a memberof that Group, that Party should have the right to participatein the Group in the work of formulating such recommendations.

2. Any Group which considers that a Party not a member of theGroup can contribute to the defence planning of that Group'sregion, can call upon that Party to join in the planning asappropriate.

Northern European Regional Planning Group

The United States has been requested and has agreed toparticipate actively in the defence planning as appropriate.

Other Parties may participate under the provisions listedabove.

Western European Planning Group

Canada and the United States have been requested and haveagreed to participate actively in the defence planning asappropriate. Other Parties may, and particularly Denmark andItaly will, participate under the provisions listed above.

Southern European- Western Mediterranean Regional PlanningGroup

The United States has been requested and has agreed to partici-pate actively in the defence planning as appropriate.

Other Parties may participate under the provisions listedabove.

It is recognized that there are problems which are clearlycommon to the defence of the areas covered by the threeEuropean regional groups. It is therefore important thatarrangements be made by the Defence Committee with a view toensuring full co-operation between two, or if the need arises,all three groups.

Canadian-United States Regional Planning Group

Other Parties may participate under the provisions listedabove.

North Atlantic Ocean Regional Planning Group

The responsibilities for planning the defences in the NorthAtlantic Ocean cannot be shared equally by all members of theGroup. On the other hand, these responsibilities can to someextent be divided along functional lines and allocated to thoseParties who are best able to perform the respective defencefunctions. Therefore, the North Atlantic Ocean RegionalPlanning Group, when it meets, should establish a series ofplanning sub-groups related to specific functions of defence.The Group should determine on which sub-group or sub-groupseach Party should sit, and the arrangements necessary to ensureco-ordination between these sub-groups in the interest ofspeedy and effective planning.

Terms of Reference

• develop and recommend tothe Military Committee through the Standing Group plans for thedefence of the region;

• co-operate with the other Regional Planning Groups with a viewto eliminating conflict in, and ensuring harmony among, thevarious regional plans.

Location

The Council recognizes that the question of military productionand supply is an integral part of the whole problem of thedefence of the North Atlantic area. Consequently, there shallbe established as soon as possible appropriate machinery toconsider these matters. The details of organization of thismachinery, terms of reference, etc. shall be studied forthwithby a working group which shall submit recommendations to theDefence Committee or to the Council.

The Council recognizes the importance of economic and financialfactors in the development and implementation of military plansfor the defence of the North Atlantic area. Consequently, thereshall be established as soon as possible appropriate machineryto consider these matters. The details of organization of thismachinery, terms of reference, etc. shall be studied forthwithby a working group which shall submit recommendations to theCouncil.