Annex E: Text of the North Atlantic Treaty,
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[321]
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[322],
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.[323]
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.
321 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. Back
322
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. Back
323
The Treaty came into force on 24 August 1949, after the deposition
of the ratifications of all signatory states. Back
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