12 Facts About NATO

1. NATO is a system of collective security: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties.

2. NATO formed with twelve founding members, and has added new members eight times, most recently when North Macedonia joined the alliance in March 2020.

3. In 1952, the post of Secretary General of NATO was established as the organization's chief civilian.

4. The deteriorating situation led to United Nations Security Council Resolution 816 on 9 October 1992, ordering a no-fly zone over central Bosnia and Herzegovina, which NATO began enforcing on 12 April 1993 with Operation Deny Flight.

5. On 28 February 1994, NATO took its first wartime action by shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft violating the no-fly zone.

6. Alliance showed unity: on 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force, which included troops from 42 countries.

7. NATO began officially enforcing the UN resolution on 27 March 2011 with assistance from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

8. On 21 February 2019, the Constitution of Ukraine was amended, the norms on the strategic course of Ukraine for membership in the European Union and NATO are enshrined in the preamble of the Basic Law, three articles and transitional provisions.

9. The treaty applies globally to specified territories whereas NATO is restricted under its Article 6 to operations north of the Tropic of Cancer.

10. In 1998, NATO established a set of general guidelines that do not allow for a formal institutionalization of relations, but reflect the Allies' desire to increase cooperation.

11. All agencies and organizations of NATO are integrated into either the civilian administrative or military executive roles.

12. NATO is an alliance of 30 sovereign nations and their individual sovereignty is unaffected by participation in the alliance.