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The North Atlantic Treaty
The North Atlantic Treaty
Washington D.C. - 4 April 1949
The Parties to this Treaty reaffirm
their faith in the purposes and principles
of the Charter of the United Nations
and their desire to live in peace with
all peoples and all governments. They
are determined to safeguard the freedom,
common heritage and civilisation of
their peoples, founded on the principles
of democracy, individual liberty and
the rule of law. They seek to promote
stability and well-being in the North
Atlantic area. They are resolved to
unite their efforts for collective defence
and for the preservation of peace and
security. They therefore agree to this
North Atlantic Treaty :
Article
1
The Parties undertake, as set forth in the Charter
of the United Nations, to settle any international dispute in which they
may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace
and security and justice are not endangered, and to refrain in their international
relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with
the purposes of the United Nations.
Article 2
The Parties will contribute toward the further development
of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free
institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon
which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability
and well-being. They will seek to eliminate conflict in their international
economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or
all of them.
Article
3
In order more effectively to achieve the objectives of
this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and
effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual
and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
Article
4
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion
of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security
of any of the Parties is threatened.
Article
5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against
one or more of them in Europe or North America
shall be considered an attack against them
all and consequently they agree that, if
such an armed attack occurs, each of them,
in exercise of the right of individual or
collective self-defence recognised by
Article
51 of the Charter of the United Nations,
will assist the Party or Parties so attacked
by taking forthwith, individually and in
concert with the other Parties, such action
as it deems necessary, including the use
of armed force, to restore and maintain
the security of the North Atlantic area.
Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a
result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such
measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures
necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security .
Article
6 (1)
For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one
or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:
- on the territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America, on
the Algerian Departments of France (2), on
the territory of or on the Islands under the jurisdiction of any of the
Parties in the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer;
- on the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties, when in or
over these territories or any other area in Europe in which occupation
forces of any of the Parties were stationed on the date when the Treaty
entered into force or the Mediterranean Sea or the North Atlantic area
north of the Tropic of Cancer.
Article
7
This Treaty does not affect, and shall not be interpreted
as affecting in any way the rights and obligations under the Charter of the
Parties which are members of the United Nations, or the primary responsibility
of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Article
8
Each Party declares that none of the international engagements
now in force between it and any other of the Parties or any third State is
in conflict with the provisions of this Treaty, and undertakes not to enter
into any international engagement in conflict with this Treaty.
Article
9
The Parties hereby establish a Council, on which each
of them shall be represented, to consider matters concerning the implementation
of this Treaty. The Council shall be so organised as to be able to meet promptly
at any time. The Council shall set up such subsidiary bodies as may be necessary;
in particular it shall establish immediately a defence committee which shall
recommend measures for the implementation of Articles 3 and 5.
Article
10
The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other
European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and
to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this
Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing
its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States of America.
The Government of the United States of America will inform each of the Parties
of the deposit of each such instrument of accession.
Article
11
This Treaty shall be ratified and its provisions carried
out by the Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional processes.
The instruments of ratification shall be deposited as soon as possible with
the Government of the United States of America, which will notify all the
other signatories of each deposit. The Treaty shall enter into force between
the States which have ratified it as soon as the ratifications of the majority
of the signatories, including the ratifications of Belgium, Canada, France,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, have
been deposited and shall come into effect with respect to other States on
the date of the deposit of their ratifications. (
3)
Article
12
After the Treaty has been in force for ten years, or
at any time thereafter, the Parties shall, if any of them so requests, consult
together for the purpose of reviewing the Treaty, having regard for the factors
then affecting peace and security in the North Atlantic area, including the
development of universal as well as regional arrangements under the Charter
of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Article
13
After the Treaty has been in force for twenty years,
any Party may cease to be a Party one year after its notice of denunciation
has been given to the Government of the United States of America, which
will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each
notice of denunciation.
Article
14
This Treaty, of which the English and French texts are
equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of
the United States of America. Duly certified copies will be transmitted by
that Government to the Governments of other signatories.
Footnotes :
- The
definition of the territories to which
Article 5 applies was revised by Article
2 of the Protocol to the North Atlantic
Treaty on the accession of Greece
and Turkey signed on 22 October 1951.
- On
January 16, 1963, the North Atlantic Council noted that insofar as the
former Algerian Departments of France were concerned, the relevant clauses
of this Treaty had become inapplicable as from July 3, 1962.
- The
Treaty came into force on 24 August 1949, after the deposition of the
ratifications of all signatory states.
