The NATO Headquarters in Brussels is the political head-
quarters of the Alliance and the permanent home of the
North Atlantic Council. It houses Permanent Represent-
atives and national delegations, the Secretary General and
the International Staff, national Military Representatives,
the Chairman of the Military Committee and the Inter-
national Military Staff, and a number of NATO agencies.
There are approximately 2,640 people employed at this
Headquarters on a full-time basis. Of these, some 1,000
are members of national delegations and national military
representations to NATO. There are approximately 1,260
civilian members of the International Staff and 380 mem-
bers of the International Military Staff including 100
civilian personnel.
33. Permanent Representatives and National Delegations
Each member nation is represented on the North Atlantic
Council by an Ambassador or Permanent Representative
supported by a national delegation composed of advisers
and officials who represent their country on different
NATO committees. The delegations are similar in many
respects to small embassies. Their collocation within the
same headquarters building enables them to maintain
formal and informal contacts with each other, as well as
with NATO's international staffs, easily and without delay.
34. The International Staff
The work of the North Atlantic Council and its commit-
tees is supported by an International Staff consisting of
personnel from member countries either recruited directly
by the Organisation or seconded by their governments,
normally for periods of 3-4 years. The members of
the International Staff are responsible to the Secretary
General and owe their allegiance to the Organisation
throughout the period of their appointment.
The International Staff comprises the Office of the
Secretary General, five operational Divisions, the Office
of Management and the Office of the Financial Con-
troller. Each of the Divisions is headed by an Assistant
Secretary General, who is normally the chairman of the
main committee dealing with subjects in his field of
responsibility. Through their structure of Directorates
and Services, the Divisions support the work of the
committees in the various fields of activity described in
Parts I and II.
35. The Secretary General
The Secretary General is responsible for promoting and
directing the process of consultation and decision-making
through the Alliance. He is the Chairman of the North
Atlantic Council, the Defence Planning Committee and
the Nuclear Planning Group as well as titular Chairman
of other senior committees. He may propose items for
discussion and decision and has the authority to use his
good offices in cases of dispute between member coun-
tries. He is responsible for directing the International
Staff and is the principal spokesman for the Alliance in
relations between governments and with the media. The
Deputy Secretary General assists the Secretary General
in the exercise of his functions and replaces him in his
absence. He is Chairman of the High Level Task Force
on Conventional Arms Control, the Executive Working
Group, the NATO Air Defence Committee, the Joint
Consultative Board, and a number of other Ad Hoc and
Working Groups.
The Secretary General has under his direct control a
Private Office and the Office of the Secretary General.
The Private Office supports the Secretary General and
Deputy Secretary General in all aspects of their work. Its
staff includes a Legal Adviser and a Special Adviser for
Central and Eastern European Affairs.
36. The Office of the Secretary General consists of
the Executive Secretariat (including the Verification,
Information Systems and Council Operations Director-
ate), the Office of Information and Press and the NATO
Office of Security.
37. The Executive Secretariat is responsible for ensuring
the smooth functioning of Council, Defence Planning
Committee and Nuclear Planning Group business and
the work of the whole structure of committees and work-
ing groups set up under these bodies. Members of the
Executive Secretariat act as Committee Secretaries and
provide secretarial and administrative back-up for the
Council and a number of other committees. Agendas,
summary records, reports, decision and action sheets are
prepared and issued by Committee Secretaries under the
responsibility of the Committee Chairmen.
The Executive Secretary is Secretary to the Council,
Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear Planning
Group and is responsible for ensuring that the work of
the different divisions of the International Staff is carried
out in accordance with the directives given. Through the
Verification, Information Systems and Council Opera-
tions Directorate, the Executive Secretary, in addition to
these functions, coordinates crisis management arrange-
ments and procedures in NATO including their regular
exercising; provides staff support to the Verification Co-
ordinating Committee; and ensures ADP support to
both the International Staff and International Military
Staff and office communications for the entire NATO
Headquarters. He is also responsible on behalf of the
Secretary General for the development and control of
the NATO Situation Centre. The Director of the Inter-
national Military Staff, acting for the Military Com-
mittee, is responsible for the coordination of the day
to day operation of the Centre with the Chief of the
Situation Centre.
38. The Office of Information and Press consists of a Press
and Media Service and an Information Service divided
into a Planning, Production and Budget Section and an
External Relations Section. The Director of Information
and Press is Chairman of the Committee on Information
and Cultural Relations and of the annual meeting of
Ministry of Defence Information Officials. The Director
is assisted by a Deputy Director, Information; and a
Deputy Director, Press, who is also the official spokes-
man for the Secretary General and the Organisation in
contacts with the media.
The Press and Media Service arranges accreditation for
journalists; issues press releases, communiques and
speeches by the Secretary General; and provides a daily
press review and press cutting service for the staff of the
NATO Headquarters in Brussels. It organises media inter-
views with the Secretary General and other NATO officials
and provides technical assistance and facilities for radio
and television transmissions.
The Information Service assists member governments
to widen public understanding of NATO's role and policies
through a variety of programmes and activities. These
make use of periodical and non-periodical publications,
video film production, photographs and exhibitions,
group visits, conferences and seminars and research fellow-
ships. The Office includes a library and documentation
service and a media library.
The Office of Information and Press maintains close
contacts with national information authorities and non-
governmental organisations and undertakes activities
designed to explain the aims and achievements of the
Alliance to public opinion in each member country. The
Office also organises or sponsors a number of multina-
tional programmes involving citizens of different member
countries and, in conjunction with NATO's cooperation
partners, undertakes information activities designed to
enhance public knowledge and understanding of the
Alliance in the countries represented in the North Atlantic
Cooperation Council.
39. The NATO Office of Security coordinates, monitors
and implements NATO security policy. The Director of
Security is the Secretary General's principal adviser on
security issues and is Chairman of the NATO Security
Committee. He directs the NATO Headquarters Security
Service and is responsible for the overall coordination of
security within NATO.
40. The Division of Political Affairs comes under the respons-
ibility of the Assistant Secretary General for Political
Affairs, who is Chairman of the Senior Political Commit-
tee and of the Political Committee. The Division has two
Directorates:
41. The Political Directorate is responsible for:
(a) preparation of the political discussions of the Council
and of the discussions of the Political Committee at
regular and senior level as well as meetings with
cooperation partners;
(b) preparation of notes and reports on political subjects
for the Secretary General and the Council;
(c) political liaison with the delegations of member coun-
tries and with representatives of cooperation part-
ners;
(d) preparation of the meetings of the North Atlantic
Cooperation Council and diplomatic liaison contacts
on political and security related matters with NATO's
cooperation partners;
(e) liaison with other governmental and non-governmen-
tal international organisations.
The day to day work of the Political Directorate is
handled by four sections responsible respectively for
NATO as well as multilateral and regional affairs; policy
planning; issues concerning cooperation activities and
liaison with the countries represented in the North Atlan-
tic Cooperation Council; and disarmament, arms control
and cooperative security.
The Director of the Political Directorate is Deputy Assist-
ant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Deputy
Chairman of the Senior Political Committee, and Acting
Chairman of the Political Committee at regular level.
42. The Economics Directorate provides advice concerning
economic developments which have political or defence
implications for NATO. It undertakes studies of economic
trends and carries out studies of economic aspects of
security on behalf of the Economics Committee; prepares
economic assessments of NATO countries for the Defence
Review Committee in the context of NATO defence plan-
ning; and maintains contacts with international economic
organisations. The Economics Directorate also has re-
sponsibility for preparing contacts on economic issues
and consultations involving NATO's cooperation partners
in fields such as defence conversion, defence expenditure,
and the external economic relations of the cooperation
partners. The Director of the Economics Directorate is
Chairman of the Economics Committee.
43. The Division of Defence Planning and Policy comes
under the responsibility of the Assistant Secretary Gen-
eral for Defence Planning and Policy, who is Chairman
of the Defence Review Committee and Vice-Chairman of
the Executive Working Group. He also supervises the
work of the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) Staff Group
and is Chairman of the open-ended Group on Defence
Matters established to address defence-related issues in-
volving NATO's cooperation partners and to serve as a
clearing house for proposals for cooperation in the de-
fence field. The Division has two Directorates:
44. The Force Planning Directorate is responsible for de-
fence policy issues and the preparation, in collaboration
with national delegations, of all papers and business
concerned with the Defence Review, including the analy-
sis of national defence programmes; for other matters of
a politico-military nature considered by the Defence Plan-
ning Committee; for the preparation of studies of general
or particular aspects of NATO defence planning and
policy on behalf of the Executive Working Group; for
the maintenance of a computerised data base of informa-
tion on NATO forces; and for the organisation and
direction of statistical studies required to assess the
NATO defence effort. The Director for Force Planning is
Vice-Chairman of the Defence Review Committee.
45. The Nuclear Planning Directorate is responsible for
coordination of work on the development of NATO defence
policy in the nuclear field and the work of the Nuclear
Planning Group. The Director of Nuclear Planning is
Chairman of the NPG Staff Group.
46. The Division of Defence Support, under the responsibility
of the Assistant Secretary General for Defence Support,
has the following tasks:
(a) advising the Secretary General, the North Atlantic
Council, the Defence Planning Committee and other
NATO bodies on all matters relating to armaments
research, development, production, procurement, and
materiel aspects of air defence and command, control
and communications systems;
(b) promoting the most efficient use of the resources of
the Alliance for the equipment of its forces.
The Division provides liaison with NATO production
and logistics organisations concerned with cooperative
equipment projects and liaison with NATO military agen-
cies dealing with defence research and related issues. It
participates in all aspects of the NATO Defence Planning
process within its responsibility and competence. The
Assistant Secretary General for Defence Support serves
as the Permanent Chairman of the Conference of
National Armaments Directors. The Division consists of
four Directorates:
47. The Directorate of Armaments and Defence Research is
responsible for encouraging member nations to exchange
information and to harmonise concepts and requirements
for future maritime, land, air, research and technological
capabilities in order to achieve cooperative research,
development and production programmes and to facili-
tate a high level of materiel standardization. The objective
is to improve the overall efficiency of NATO forces and to
make better use of the limited resources available for
defence purposes.
48. The Directorate of Command, Control and Communi-
cations is responsible for encouraging cooperative
programmes in communications and electronics, for the
development and coordination of the overall policy and
planning aspects of NATO's civil and military communi-
cations, and for providing support to the NATO Commu-
nications and Information Systems Committee and the
Tri-Service Group on Communications and Electronic
Equipment.
49. The Directorate of Air Defence Systems is responsible
for promoting and coordinating efforts to assure the con-
tinuing adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency of NATO air
defence systems; for providing support to the NATO Air
Defence Committee whose role is to advise the Council and
Defence Planning Committee on all aspects of air defence
programme development; and for liaison with the agencies
responsible for the implementation of air defence related
systems, the NATO airborne early warning programme,
the air command and control system programme and the
Improved HAWK surface-to-air missile system.
50. The Directorate of Cooperation, Planning and Standardiz-
ation is responsible for a range of policy preparation and
planning activities in support of armaments cooperation,
including the management of the Conventional Arm-
aments Planning System (CAPS) and Alliance consulta-
tions on harmonising defence procurement policies; for
promoting international cooperation among industries in
the defence equipment field and between governments
and industry; for liaison with outside bodies; and for
providing coordination and staff support to the activities
of NATO committees or bodies dealing with standardiz-
ation and Defence Support matters in the areas of mate-
rial management, codification, quality assurance, safety of
transportation and storage of ammunition and explosives,
intellectual property and acquisition practices.
51. The Division of Infrastructure, Logistics and Civil Emer-
gency Planning comes under the responsibility of the
Assistant Secretary General for Infrastructure, Logistics
and Civil Emergency Planning, who is Chairman of
the Infrastructure Committee and the Infrastructure
Payments and Progress Committee. He is also Chairman
of the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee in
plenary session and co-Chairman of the Senior NATO
Logisticians' Conference. The Division consists of three
Directorates:
52. The Infrastructure Directorate comes under the direc-
tion of the Controller for Infrastructure, who is the
permanent Chairman of the Infrastructure Committee;
and of the Deputy Controller, who is the permanent
Chairman of the Infrastructure Payments and Progress
Committee. The Infrastructure Directorate is responsible
for supporting the Infrastructure Committees by:
(a) developing proposals on policy issues, on funding
issues related to the shape and size of NATO Infra-
structure programmes and on improved procedures
for their management;
(b) providing technical and financial supervision of the
NATO Infrastructure Programme;
(c) screening, from the technical, financial, economic and
political points of view, the Major NATO Command-
ers' programmes for annual Infrastructure Slices and
related cost estimates; and
(d) screening, from a technical and financial point of
view, requests to the Payments and Progress Commit-
tee for authorisation of scope and funds.
53. The Logistics Directorate comes under the direction of
the Director of Logistics, who is the Chairman of the
NATO Pipeline Committee and Deputy co-Chairman of
the Senior NATO Logisticians' Conference. The Direct-
orate is responsible for:
(a) the development and coordination of plans and poli-
cies designed to achieve a coherent approach within
NATO on consumer logistics matters in order to in-
crease the effectiveness of Alliance forces by achieving
greater logistical readiness and sustainability;
(b) providing staff support to the Senior NATO Logisti-
cians' Conference and its subsidiary bodies;
(c) providing technical staff support to the NATO Pipeline
Committee;
(d) supporting, coordinating and maintaining liaison with
NATO military authorities and with NATO and other
committees and bodies dealing with the planning and
implementation of consumer logistics matters; and
(e) maintaining liaison, on behalf of the Secretary Gen-
eral, with the directing bodies of the Central Europe
Pipeline System and the NATO Maintenance and
Support Organisation.
54. The Civil Emergency Planning Directorate, under the
direction of the Director of Civil Emergency Planning,
who is the Chairman of the Senior Civil Emergency Plan-
ning Committee in permanent session, is responsible for:
(a) the coordination and guidance of planning aimed at
the rapid transition of peacetime economies of the
nations of the Alliance to an emergency footing;
(b) development of the arrangements for the use of civil
resources in support of Alliance defence and for the
protection of civil populations; and
(c) providing staff support to the Senior Civil Emergency
Planning Committee and the nine civil emergency
planning boards and committees responsible for
developing crisis management arrangements in the
areas of civil sea, land and air transport; energy;
industry; food and agriculture; civil communications;
medical care; and civil defence.
The Director of Civil Emergency Planning also over-
sees, on behalf of the Secretary General, the civil/military
coordination of humanitarian assistance for the republics
of the Commonwealth of Independent States in the fields
of coordination of transport; logistical expertise and com-
munications support for distribution; and practical assist-
ance in addressing medical requirements. These tasks are
being undertaken by the Alliance, which has a subsidiary
role in this field, in accordance with principles agreed by
member countries. NATO is providing support in areas in
which the Alliance has unique experience or expertise, in
close cooperation with NATO nations, other international
organisations and recipient states.
55. The Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division comes
under the responsibility of the Assistant Secretary Gen-
eral for Scientific and Environmental Affairs, who is
Chairman of the NATO Science Committee and Acting
Chairman of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern
Society. He has the following responsibilities:
(a) advising the Secretary General on scientific and tech-
nological matters of interest to NATO;
(b) implementing the decisions of the Science Committee;
directing the activities of the sub-committees created
by it and developing ways to strengthen scientific and
technological capabilities of Alliance countries;
(c) supervising the development of pilot projects initiated
by the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Soci-
ety;
(d) ensuring liaison in the scientific field with the Inter-
national Staff of NATO, with NATO agencies, with
agencies in the member countries responsible for im-
plementation of science policies and with inter-
national organisations engaged in scientific, techno-
logical and environmental activities.
The Assistant Secretary General for Scientific and Envi-
ronmental Affairs also has responsibility for overseeing
activities designed to enhance the participation of scien-
tists from NATO's cooperation partners in NATO science
programmes, and in projects of the Committee on the
Challenges of Modern Society.
56. The Office of Management comes under the responsibil-
ity of the Director of Management who is responsible for
all matters pertaining to the organisation and structure
of the International Staff, and for advising the Secretary
General on civilian staff policy and emoluments through-
out the Organisation. He is charged with the preparation,
presentation and management of the International Staff
budget. He supervises the activities of the Pensions Com-
putation Unit and of the Management Advisory Unit,
which has responsibility for advising the Secretary Gen-
eral on all matters related to organisation, work methods,
procedures and manpower.
The Deputy Director of Management is responsible for
the general administration of the International Staff in-
cluding personnel services, the maintenance of the head-
quarters, the provision of conference, interpretation and
translation facilities and the production and distribution
of internal documents.
57. Office of the Financial Controller
The Financial Controller is appointed by the Council and
is responsible for the call-up of funds and the control of
expenditures within the framework of the Civil and Mili-
tary Budgets and in accordance with NATO's financial
regulations.
58. Office of the Chairman of the Budget Committees
The Chairman of the Budget Committees is provided by
one of the member countries. His position is nationally
funded in order to maintain the independence of the
Budget Committees. He has a small staff provided by the
International Secretariat.
59. International Board of Auditors
The accounts of the various NATO bodies and those relat-
ing to expenditure under NATO's common-funded Infra-
structure programme are audited by an International
Board of Auditors. The Board is composed of govern-
ment officials from auditing bodies in member countries.
They have independent status and are selected and remu-
nerated by their respective countries. They are appointed by
and are responsible to the Council.
60. Production and Logistics Organisations
There are a number of Production and Logistics Organisa-
tions established by NATO and responsible to the North
Atlantic Council for carrying out specific tasks. While
there are differences in their mandates, funding, financial
authority and management, they all report to a Board of
Directors or Steering Committee responsible for supervis-
ing their activities. They include the following organisa-
tions and agencies:
- The Central Europe Operating Agency (CEOA) -
responsible for the 24-hour operation of the Central
Europe Pipeline System (CEPS) and its storage and
transportation facilities. Headquarters: Versailles,
France.
- The NATO Communications and Information Sys-
tems Agency (NACISA) - responsible for the planning
and implementation of the NATO integrated Com-
munications and Information Systems (NICS). Head-
quarters: Brussels, Belgium.
- The NATO Air Command and Control Systems Man-
agement Agency (NACMA) - responsible for the
planning and implementation of a NATO air com-
mand and control system supporting all air opera-
tions, in place of the former NATO Air Defence
Ground Environment (NADGE) system. Head-
quarters: Brussels, Belgium.
- The NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency
(NAMSA) - responsible for the logistics support of
weapons systems in the national inventories of two or
more NATO nations, through the common procure-
ment and supply of spare parts and the provision of
maintenance and repair facilities. Headquarters: Lux-
embourg.
- The NATO AEW & C Programme Management
Agency (NAPMA) - responsible for the planning
and implementation of the NATO Airborne Early
Warning and Control System and Modernisation Pro-
gramme. Headquarters: Brunssum, The Netherlands.
- The NATO EFA Development, Production and Logis-
tics Management Agency (NEFMA)/ - responsible for
the development, production and logistics aspects of
the NATO European Fighter Aircraft. Headquarters:
Munich, Germany.
- The NATO Multirole Combat Aircraft Development
and Production Management Agency (NAMMA)/ - re-
sponsible for managing the development and produc-
tion of the NATO MRCA (Tornado). Headquarters:
Munich, Germany.
- NATO Hawk Management Office (NHMO) - respon-
sible for product improvement programmes relating
to the HAWK surface-to-air missile system. Head-
quarters: Rueil-Malmaison, France.
- NATO Helicopter for the 1990s (NH90) Design, De-
velopment, Production and Logistics Management
Organisation (NAHEMO) - responsible for managing
the development and production of the NH90. Head-
quarters: Aix-en-Provence, France.
61. National Military Representatives
The members of the Military Committee (Chiefs of Staff)
are represented at NATO Headquarters by senior officers
acting as Military Representatives, each supported by a
national staff varying in size.
The Military Representatives constitute the Military
Committee in Permanent Session. France is represented
by a Military Mission to the Military Committee.
62. The Military Committee
The Military Committee is responsible to the North Atlan-
tic Council, Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear
Planning Group for the overall conduct of the military
/ NEFMA and NAMMA will be merged into a single agency during
1993, following authorisation of the EFA production investment
phase.
affairs of the Alliance. It provides for the maximum
consultation and cooperation between member nations
on military matters relating to the Treaty and is the
primary source of military advice to the Secretary General
and to the North Atlantic Council, Defence Planning
Committee and Nuclear Planning Group.
The Presidency of the Military Committee rotates
among the nations annually in the order of the English
alphabet.
The Chairman of the Military Committee chairs both
the Chiefs-of-Staff and permanent sessions. He is elected
by the Chiefs-of-Staff normally for a three-year term. He
is the spokesman and representative of the Committee
and directs its day-to-day business. He represents the
Military Committee at meetings of the North Atlantic
Council, the Defence Planning Committee and the Nu-
clear Planning Group, providing advice on military mat-
ters. The Chairman is assisted by the Deputy Chairman
and by the Director of the International Military
Staff.
By virtue of his office, the Chairman of the Military
Committee also has an important public role and is the
senior military spokesman for the Alliance in its contacts
with the press and media. He undertakes official visits
and representational duties on behalf of the Military
Committee both in NATO countries and in countries with
which NATO is developing closer contacts on the basis of
the dialogue, partnership and cooperation established
within the overall framework of the North Atlantic Co-
operation Council. The intensification of military con-
tacts and cooperative activities taking place include con-
sultations of the Military Committee meeting at Chiefs of
Staff level with cooperation partners; other meetings of
the Military Committee and other military bodies with
cooperation partners; further visits and exchanges; and
participation by military and civilian representatives from
the cooperation countries in courses at the NATO Defense
College in Rome and the NATO (SHAPE) School at
Oberammergau.
