- Vision [1]
- Compared to its first decades, NATO between 2010 and 2020 is likely to appear less often on the centre stage of global affairs.
Instead, it will be cast in a variety of roles, sometimes as a leader, at other times in a supporting capacity sharing the
spotlight with partners and friends. All the while, it will need to keep a wary eye on dangers that could arise close to home,
while maintaining a farsighted focus on how to respond to perils that might emerge at distant locations. For the Alliance
of the 1960's, defence and détente were two sides of the same coin. For NATO 2020, the twin imperative is assured security
for all its members and dynamic engagement beyond the treaty area to minimize threats. To succeed, NATO must have the sustained
commitment and united effort of its members. A seat at NATO's table is not an entitlement but an ongoing responsibility that
each Ally must meet. Together, the Alliance must summon the resources needed to back its obligations with capabilities so
that the full range of threats to its security are not only contained but also defeated or deterred. Looking to the future,
we know that global and regional risks must naturally command NATO's attention, but that these impermanent worries must never
be allowed to define the organisation. In 1949, NATO members came together not because of the forces they feared, but because
of their faith in each other and in the democratic values they embraced. In the years since, Allied leaders have learned that
their Alliance must constantly adapt to the demands of political and technological change, but they have also learned what
must not change. NATO's Strategic Concept must begin and end with NATO's founding ideals.
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