An international organization founded in 1949 comprising 30 European and North American member states.
The fundamental principle of NATO's activity is collective defence: Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an armed attack by one or more NATO members will be considered an attack on all of them. NATO member states are committed to sharing the risks and responsibilities of collective defence. The solidarity of the Allies guarantees that no Member State facing a serious challenge to its security will be forced to rely solely on national forces.
