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NATO summit brings rare glimpse of founding treaty [1]
['Dave Reynolds']
Date: 2024-07-08 21:17:49+00:00
As world leaders converge on Washington for NATO’s 75th anniversary summit, an indispensable part of the alliance won’t have to travel far. Housed in Washington, NATO’s founding North Atlantic Treaty is seldom displayed, but it is now making several rare appearances in the city.
Representatives of NATO’s 12 founding nations signed the treaty April 4, 1949, in Washington. Since then, the alliance that President Harry Truman envisioned as “a shield against aggression” has grown to 32 member nations. It protects 1 billion people.
The treaty — with its Article 5 mutual defense pledge — helped Europe end a pattern of war. Decades of peace have allowed member countries to grow their economies, create jobs and work together to advance technological innovations that enrich our world.
‘Handled as a treasure’
While founding nations each received a copy, the treaty calls for the signed original to be housed in Washington. It was stored in the U.S. Department of State’s Treaty Room before moving to the National Archives in 1999.
In honor of the July 9–11 NATO Summit, the treaty has been displayed in the Archives’ East Rotunda Gallery in recent weeks. It will make other Washington appearances, including at the U.S. Capitol. The treaty will also be displayed at the Department of State’s National Museum of American Diplomacy.
Archivist David Langbart, of the National Archives, says the treaty is normally stored in a protected area of the Archives under optimal environmental conditions and with limited access. It can be viewed online or by special request. The treaty travels in a custom-made box and, Langbart says, “it’s handled as a treasure.”
Special delivery! 📦 With 2 days to go until #NATO’s 75th anniversary, our founding Washington Treaty arrived @NATO Headquarters today.#1NATO75Years pic.twitter.com/ASe3HV46mk — NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah (@NATOpress) April 2, 2024
Previous travels
The treaty first appeared at NATO headquarters in Brussels during the April meeting of foreign ministers. Other previous displays include in Strasbourg, France, in 2018 and in the Washington auditorium where it was signed in 2019.
U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith described viewing the treaty at NATO headquarters in April as “the honor of a lifetime.”
“I’m so glad we were able to bring this from the National Archives over to Brussels, so that foreign ministers today can really look at the foundation for this Alliance,” she said.
Langbart said it’s possible the treaty may not be displayed again for 25 years. “It seems to come out of hiding on major anniversaries.”
Several students who took advantage of a rare opportunity to view the treaty at the National Archives in late May said the experience helped them better understand NATO’s role in addressing global problems. Zahra Dinkins, of the School Without Walls in Washington, said seeing the document encouraged her to want to spread awareness to other young people about the importance “of NATO as an alliance and [institution] that supports the security of not just the United States but for nations across the” world.
— ShareAmerica writer Elaine Clayton contributed to this story.
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https://share.america.gov/nato-summit-brings-rare-glimpse-of-founding-treaty/
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