Q. With reference to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), consider the following statements:
1.The principle behind NATO’s collective defense strategy is that each member state contributes military forces based on its economic strength.
2.Decisions taken under NATO require a unanimous vote of approval from all member states.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect. The principle behind NATO’s collective defense strategy is not based on each member state contributing military forces according to its economic strength. Instead, it is based on the principle of mutual defense, where an attack against one Ally is considered an attack against all Allies, as enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Each member country decides over its own defense resources and military forces, and the collective defense is based on military forces from individual member countries being placed under NATO’s command. NATO decisions are made by consensus, not by a unanimous vote. This means that there is no formal voting process; instead, decisions are reached through discussion and consultation until an agreement acceptable to all member states is achieved.
Source: AIR
