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ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL REPORT
2024
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Annual Presidential Report provides a comprehensive overview
of the Assembly’s achievements, activities, and initiatives over the past year. As an essential link
between NATO and the parliaments of its member states, the Assembly continues to play a pivotal role
in fostering dialogue, strengthening transatlantic ties, and addressing the complex challenges to our
shared security. This report reflects the Assembly’s unwavering commitment to promoting democratic
values, enhancing transparency, and supporting NATO’s core objectives in a rapidly evolving
geopolitical landscape.
TABLE OF CONTENT
FOREWORD ....................................................................................................................................... 2
UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ........................................................................................ 3
NATO @75: THE PARLIAMENTARY DIMENSION ............................................................................ 5
NATO AND THE DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY ................................................................................. 7
BOLSTERING DETERRENCE AND DEFENCE ................................................................................ 9
ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS ........................................................................................................ 11
ADDRESSING TECHNOLOGICAL AND CLIMATE CHALLENGES ................................................ 13
WOMEN IN PEACE AND SECURITY .............................................................................................. 15
BUDGET & FINANCE ....................................................................................................................... 17
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FOREWORD
Marcos PERESTRELLO
President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Video address
________________________________
Ruxandra POPA
Secretary general of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
As the NATO Parliamentary Assembly stands at the dawn of its 70th anniversary, which we will
celebrate in 2025, this report highlights how, throughout 2024, the Assembly has continued to play its
part in helping defend the security of NATO’s one billion citizens.
Established in 1955,
the Assembly has helped inform the public, influence Alliance policies, strengthen
the unique transatlantic bond and further the Alliance’s values through parliamentary dialogue,
diplomacy and partnerships. While independent from NATO,
it serves as an essential link between the
Alliance and its citizens through their elected representatives.
Led successively by Presidents Michal Szczerba of Poland,
Gerry Connolly of the United States
and
Marcos Perestrello of Portugal,
the Assembly and
its 281 members
have continued, in 2024, to carry
the voice of the Alliance’s 32 parliaments on all the key priorities for Euro-Atlantic security and
cooperation.
The year 2024 has been consequential for the Alliance. NATO has continued to adapt in response to
Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and its direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security. The United
States hosted NATO’s 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C. The Alliance also welcomed its
32nd member with the accession of Sweden on 7 March 2024. And on 1 October 2024, Mark Rutte
succeeded Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s new Secretary General. Reflecting the Alliance’s profound
adaptation to an increasingly complex and challenging security environment, the work of the Assembly’s
leadership – the
President,
the
Bureau,
the Standing Committee – and of its five
Committees
–
Democracy and Security, Defence and Security, Political, Economics and Security, Science and
Technology
– focused largely on five main priorities:
•
Sustaining Allies’ steadfast support to Ukraine;
•
Ensuring that NATO steps up to the threat posed by autocrats increasingly working together to
undermine democracies and the rules-based international order;
•
Continuing to support the strengthening of NATO’s deterrence and defence;
•
Stepping up engagement with partners in key regions;
•
Addressing climate change-related and technological challenges.
Support for Women, Peace and Security remains an ongoing, additional priority.
Ukraine and NATO’s adaptation grounded in shared democratic values was at the core of the
Assembly’s recommendations for the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C.,
which the Assembly’s
President was once again invited to address. He reiterated to Allied Heads of State and Government
the Assembly’s call to operationalise the Alliance’s commitment to defend democracy by establishing a
Centre for Democratic Resilience at NATO Headquarters.
On the eve of the NATO Summit, the United
States delegation to the NATO PA hosted
a NATO Parliamentary Summit,
which brought together
leaders of the 32 Allied parliaments plus Ukraine, including 23 Speakers of Parliament.
The Assembly concluded the year with
an Annual Session hosted by its other North American member
– Canada.
In Montréal, the Assembly elected its
new President, Marcos Perestrello,
and took stock of
the major developments of this significant year, which also saw a historically high number of
consequential elections in NATO member and partner countries.
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UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
Now in its third year, Russia’s brutal full-scale aggression against Ukraine continues to drag along as a
gruelling war of attrition, inflicting enormous suffering on the Ukrainian people.
During the
visit of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council (UNIC) to Kyiv in June 2024,
Ukrainian
government officials and military leaders told Allied legislators that the situation on the battlefield was
the most challenging since the start of the full-scale invasion. Despite their surprising incursion into
Kursk in August, Ukrainian forces were stressed at every level, and the Russian aggressors,
disregarding their own record casualties, have advanced in Eastern Ukraine. Addressing the
Rose-Roth
Seminar in Warsaw, Poland, in September,
Polish and Ukrainian interlocutors observed that the coming
winter will prove particularly challenging and potentially decisive, warning that if Russia were to prevail
in Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States would be among its next objectives.
Throughout this difficult period, Presidents Szczerba and
Connolly
continued to rally the Assembly
around its resolute stance on Russia’s illegal war as well as its unwavering support for Ukraine’s
democracy, independence, territorial integrity, self-defence, and NATO membership. The
UNIC,
co-led
by
Audronius Azubalis
(Lithuania) and
Oleksandr Korniyenko
(Ukraine), also continued to spearhead
the Assembly’s support for Ukraine through its statements and meetings, including its landmark visit to
Kyiv.
In May, at the
Spring Session in Sofia, Bulgaria,
President Szczerba called on the Allies to “speed up
and step up” military assistance and “give Ukraine everything it needs” without delay. In order to stop
the Russian terror, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov told the Assembly that Ukraine needed
“more anti-aircraft weapons, more long-range capabilities for our soldiers.” In
declaration 489,
the
Assembly adopted an important recommendation urging Allied governments “to support Ukraine in its
international right to defend itself by lifting some restrictions on the use of weapons provided by NATO
Allies to strike legitimate targets in Russia.”
“The security of Europe today is being decided in Ukraine.”
Former NATO PA President, Michal SZCZERBA, Spring Session, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 2024
At the Annual Session in Montréal in November, Allied legislators reiterated their
call on their
governments
to “provide Ukraine with all the means, including medium-range missiles, to defend itself
and deter further aggression.” A
report
drafted by US Congressman
Rick Larsen warned that
with limited
air-defence capabilities, Ukraine “[was] being forced to make devastatingly costly decisions to either
protect frontline defences or critical civilian infrastructure and citizens.” The Assembly also repeatedly
denounced the military assistance provided to Russia’s aggression by the Belarusian, North Korean
and Iranian regimes. This assistance escalated to new levels with the deployment of thousands of North
Korean soldiers to support Russia’s counteroffensive in Kursk.
In his acceptance speech,
the new
NATO PA President Marcos Perestrello
(Portugal) stressed: “As
elected representatives of our people, we parliamentarians have a crucial role in pushing back against
the creeping ‘Ukraine fatigue’ and urging our governments to increase and accelerate the support to
Ukraine.”
In 2024, the Assembly also continued to champion Ukraine’s future membership in NATO.
Addressing
the Annual Session in Montréal, Canada,
Chairman Stefanchuk stressed that “NATO membership is
key and the greatest guarantee of Ukraine’s security and future.” He argued that “an invitation [to join
the Alliance] would serve as a powerful motivational signal for the entire Ukrainian society, including our
defenders, our troops on the frontline.”
Yehor Cherniev,
head of the Ukrainian delegation to the
Assembly and UNIC Rapporteur,
noted
that “Ukraine continues its Euro-Atlantic integration path as a
civilisational choice of the Ukrainian people, who have sacrificed their lives for the right to be part of the
free and democratic world.” Presenting the first
report of the UNIC
to the Assembly, he outlined how
Ukraine is making solid progress on reforms towards its goal of NATO membership.
The Assembly’s documents and statements reaffirmed the NATO PA’s unwavering commitment to
Ukraine’s sovereignty within the internationally recognised borders. In October,
President Connolly
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addressed the 3rd Crimea Platform Parliamentary Summit
hosted by the Latvian Saeima, delivering a
strong message of unwavering support for Ukraine’s victory, territorial integrity and self-determination.
At the conclusion of the Summit, President Connolly received from Chairman Stefanchuk the state
award of the order of Yaroslav the Wise in recognition for his long-standing and strong support to
Ukraine.
The Assembly also continued to
denounce Russia’s crimes and terror actions.
In her report, Canadian
lawmaker
Julie Dzerowicz
explored
how Russia has been weaponising cultural heritage
in its war
against Ukraine, damaging or destroying numerous sites of cultural significance. “Allied governments
should systematically sanction individuals and entities involved in the destruction, misappropriation, and
illicit traffic of cultural heritage from conflict zones,” the report emphasised.
In 2024, the Assembly further stepped up its practical and political support for Ukraine and its
parliament, including by making full use of the Assembly’s special fund for Ukraine. The status of the
Ukrainian delegation was upgraded to “NATO Candidate” and its size increased from 8 to 12 members,
with additional privileges. The Assembly also facilitated the first online exchange of experience for
members of the Ukraine’s defence committee with their counterparts in an Allied parliament, namely
Norway. Furthermore, following a request by the Verkhovna Rada to the Geneva Centre for Security
Sector Governance (DCAF) to support their military justice reforms, the Assembly and the DCAF joined
forces and published the study
Military Justice: A Comparative Study of Parliamentary Oversight in
EuroAtlantic Countries.
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NATO @75: THE PARLIAMENTARY DIMENSION
The year 2024 has been consequential for the Alliance.
As NATO marked its 75th anniversary, it has continued to adapt to respond to Russia’s direct threat to
Euro-Atlantic security. The United States hosted NATO’s 75th anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C.
on 9-11 July, a Summit focused on the Alliance’s support to Ukraine and on strengthening NATO’s
deterrence and defence. The Alliance also welcomed its 32nd member with the accession of Sweden
on 7 March. And on 1 October, Mark Rutte succeeded Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s new Secretary
General. Throughout 2024, the Assembly played its part in celebrating the Alliance’s achievements as
well as in highlighting the critical importance of NATO in a security environment marked by a renewed
geopolitical confrontation.
Ahead of NATO’s 75th anniversary on 4 April,
the Assembly’s Standing Committee issued a statement,
stressing that “NATO has succeeded throughout all shifts in the security environment because it is
defined not by what it stands against but by what it stands for – the defence of democracy, individual
liberty and the rule of law.” As elected representatives of one billion citizens of the Alliance, Allied
parliamentarians reaffirmed their commitment “to play [their] part in shaping the Alliance for the next
generations.”
Vice-President
Theo Francken (Belgium)
represented the Assembly at the ceremony commemorating
the Alliance’s 75th anniversary at NATO Headquarters. Throughout the year, various visiting Assembly
groups also joined national commemorations marking NATO’s 75th anniversary or the anniversary of
the host country’s accession to the Alliance.
In the run-up to the Washington Summit, the Assembly adopted a
comprehensive set of
recommendations
to Allied leaders, urging them to “make clear that NATO is prepared and will defend
every inch of Allied territory at all times under Article 5.” The legislators also urged the 32 leaders to
deliver fully and without delay on their pledge to invest at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on
defence spending. The Assembly underscored the urgent need to step up and speed up the delivery of
military assistance to Ukraine in order to ensure Russia’s defeat in Ukraine. Decisions taken by Allied
leaders at the Washington Summit were well in line with many of the Assembly’s recommendations.
As per tradition, the NATO PA President,
Gerald E. Connolly, addressed Heads of State and
Government at the NATO Summit.
He stressed the need for NATO to act upon the commitment,
expressed in the 2022 Strategic Concept, to explicitly rededicate the Alliance to its founding democratic
values. He called upon leaders to implement the NATO PA’s top recommendation: to create a
Centre
for Democratic Resilience at NATO Headquarters.
The President was accompanied by a delegation
from the Bureau, including four Vice Presidents. Bureau members and, for the first time, Heads of NATO
PA delegations were invited to participate in the NATO Public Forum, a high-level conference running
parallel to the NATO Summit.
“As NATO commemorates its 75th anniversary, Allied leaders must recognise that the next front
for NATO evolution will be in the battle between democracy and authoritarianism.”
Gerald E. CONNOLLY, former NATO PA President, NATO Summit, Washington, D.C., 2024
On the eve of the NATO Summit,
the US delegation to the NATO PA hosted a NATO Parliamentary
Summit
bringing together leaders of the Alliance’s 32 parliaments plus Ukraine, including 23 Speakers
of Parliament. The meeting reaffirmed parliaments’ ironclad commitment to NATO and to its democratic
foundations. Addressing the Parliamentary Summit,
Congressman Michael R. Turner,
head of the US
delegation to the NATO PA, stated that, faced with Russia’s aggression, Allies became “even more
resolved to [their] commitment to NATO and more resolved of [their] commitment to Ukraine […]. And
it’s certainly [their] honour to be able to support them in their fight for democracy."
Looking beyond NATO’s 75th anniversary,
the Assembly adopted, at its Annual Session in Montréal, a
resolution
which called, inter alia, to consider further raising NATO’s defence spending target beyond
2% of GDP in order to ensure full implementation of NATO’s new defence plans. The resolution built on
the report by
Tomas Valasek (Slovakia),
which
called for greater efforts by European Allies to meet
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defence spending targets, increase force numbers, rectify key equipment shortages and ramp up
defence production.
“Europe must step up,” Valasek insisted.
Throughout 2024, the Assembly actively engaged with NATO leadership, including through its
annual
meeting with the North Atlantic Council in February
as well as
its exchange with then Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg
at the Spring Session in May. Two successive NATO PA Presidents – Gerald E.
Connolly and Marcos Perestrello – met with the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, in October
and in December, respectively. In his
message to the Assembly’s Annual Session in Montréal,
Mr Rutte
warned: “We face a more dangerous and uncertain world. There’s war in Europe. We see China, Iran,
North Korea and Russia joining forces to undermine us, and threats continue to transcend borders, from
terrorism to cyberattacks. So it is vital that NATO becomes stronger, more capable and more agile.”
The year 2024 saw a particularly high Assembly engagement in North America, including the
NATO
Parliamentary Summit in Washington,
the
Annual Session in Canada,
two Committee visits to the United
States – by the
Political Committee and the Economics and Security Committee,
and the
Defence and
Security Committee
respectively – and the Annual
Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum
in Washington,
D.C. These engagements highlight the importance of the parliamentary contribution to strengthening
the transatlantic bond. In his
acceptance speech, the Assembly’s new President Marcos Perestrello
pledged to “work tirelessly to further foster the bond between Europe and North America.”
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NATO AND THE DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY
The year 2024 has been consequential for the Alliance.
Since NATO’s 70th anniversary in 2019, the NATO PA has made reaffirming NATO’s commitment to its
foundational democratic values a key priority.
Thanks, in no small part, to the Assembly’s insistence, NATO’s new Strategic Concept, adopted at the
2022 Madrid Summit, marked a significant milestone in recognising the threat posed to democracy by
a growing authoritarian onslaught. Since then, however, little has been done to operationalise the
recommitment to democratic values in the Strategic Concept. Yet authoritarian attacks on Allied and
partner democracies have only intensified, with growing evidence of collaboration between regimes in
Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and Tehran. As NATO commemorated its 75th anniversary in 2024, the
Assembly has stepped up its efforts to press for the establishment of a
Centre for Democratic Resilience
at NATO Headquarters
– a top recommendation supported by 18 resolutions and numerous reports.
Consecutive NATO PA Presidents Michal Szczerba,
Gerald E. Connolly,
and
Marcos Perestrello
have
continued to spearhead these efforts. Thanks to generous funding from the Chamber of Deputies of
Luxembourg, the Assembly recruited a Policy Fellow to support its work on democratic resilience.
In the run-up to NATO’s Washington Summit,
declaration 490 adopted by the Assembly at its Spring
Session in Sofia, Bulgaria
urged Allied leaders “to fully recognise the threat that autocracies pose to
democracies, as laid out in NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept, and operationalise NATO’s commitment to
defending shared democratic values by establishing a Centre for Democratic Resilience at NATO
Headquarters.” This recommendation was reiterated in two further resolutions – put forward by the
Committee on Democracy and Security
and the
Political Committee
respectively – adopted by the
Assembly in Montréal, Canada.
President Connolly made NATO’s role in defending democracy the key theme of his
address to the
NATO Summit in Washington.
Warning that “the alternative is building, every day, the intellectual and
operational framework to undermine democracies through cyberattacks, disinformation assaults, and
propaganda campaigns”, he urged Allied leaders to “meet that challenge and operationalise our own
commitment to our founding democratic values by establishing concrete architecture at NATO
Headquarters itself dedicated to democratic resilience.”
“Democracy is the underlying raison d'être of who we are, and it must permeate everything we
do. We are far more than a military alliance that just does not like Russia. NATO is, it must be,
the indispensable bulwark for democracy itself”.
Gerald E. CONNOLLY, former NATO PA President, NATO Summit, Washington, D.C., 2024
Ahead of the Summit, President Connolly and the Head of the US delegation,
Michael R. Turner,
co-
signed an
article in which they made the case that “the fight for democracy in the 21st century is an
existential one
and [that] NATO is an indispensable party to the conflict.” President Connolly’s
visit to
the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia in October
further highlighted the mounting evidence of
authoritarian regimes’ hybrid campaign against Allies’ and partners’ democratic institutions and critical
infrastructure, and the need for NATO to operationalise its defence of democracy.
In
his acceptance speech, President Marcos Perestrello
committed to continuing in outgoing President
Connolly’s footsteps, stating that “democracy is the best instrument we have to achieve lasting peace,
stability and prosperity.”
Committee reports looking at developments from Ukraine to the Western Balkans, from Georgia to the
Global South and from the Republic of Moldova to Asia showcased the intensity, breadth and global
nature of the threat posed by autocracies to Allied and partner democracies. In his
report on NATO and
the Global South, Audronius Azubalis
writes that “the Euro-Atlantic community has the ability to change
the dynamics and, in collaboration with the Global South, to stabilise the international system and push
back against aggressive revisionism.” Closer to home, in her report on
NATO’s approach to so-called
partners at risk,
Romanian lawmaker Ana Maria Catauta warns that “Russia employs the entire hybrid-
war arsenal, including disinformation, intimidation, espionage and organised crime networks as well as
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bribing the population to achieve its goals. In this context, it is imperative for democratic countries to
step up and help Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova to withstand these
very real threats which they are facing.”
Throughout 2024, the Assembly monitored and denounced Georgia’s democratic backsliding, while
affirming its continued support to the Georgian people’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
“Respect for the shared values of individual liberty, democracy and the rule of law is an essential
condition for becoming a NATO member”, the head of the
NATO PA delegation for the observation of
the 26 October parliamentary elections, Turkish lawmaker Faik Oztrak,
stressed at the post-election
press conference. “This election was yet another critical test for Georgia’s democracy, and its aftermath
will be another,” he added.
Reinforcing democratic resilience in Allied and partner countries through whole-of-society approaches
emerged as a central theme of the
Rose-Roth seminar hosted by Poland in September.
“Hybrid wars
are now being waged in the minds of our citizens”, warned Senate Speaker Malgorzata Kidawa-
Blonska. The seminar focused in particular on the importance of continued support for Ukraine, as well
as on ways to support the Belarusian people’s aspiration for democracy.
Speaking at the Annual Session in Montréal, Canada, in November, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader
of the Belarusian democratic forces and head of the country’s United Transition Cabinet, highlighted
how “the only ones who should be afraid of NATO are dictators. And dictators are afraid. They fear what
NATO represents — freedom, democracy, and solidarity.”
The commitment to shared democratic values and the rules-based order stands at the heart of the
reform of the Assembly’s partnerships initiated in the wake of Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine.
The Assembly took important steps in 2024, and the reform will be completed in 2025.
The Assembly also stepped up its public engagement on the issue of democratic resilience, with
addresses by the NATO PA President and the Policy Fellow for Democratic Resilience at think tank
events and conferences, notably on the margins of the NATO Summit in Washington and during
President Connolly’s visit to Prague.
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BOLSTERING DETERRENCE AND DEFENCE
An ironclad commitment to collective defence is the foundational pillar of NATO, enshrined in Article 5
of the North Atlantic Treaty.
By extension, strong and interoperable armed forces are the tensile strength of the Alliance’s deterrence
and defence posture. The Assembly’s work on deterrence and defence throughout 2024 highlighted
how the ability to adapt this posture to meet the challenge of the evolving international security
environment has been the measure of the Alliance’s success for 75 years.
The year 2024 was marked by an increasingly complex, interconnected, and fast-changing threat
environment. Russia’s large-scale attacks across Ukraine included Iranian drones and North Korean
missiles and artillery shells, while Chinese technologies sustained Russia’s defence industrial
production – North Korea even went so far as to send its own forces into Russia’s Kursk region to fight
alongside Russia. A growing wave of grey zone attacks across the Alliance underscored Russia’s
intensifying confrontation with the Allies and their partners. The most striking examples included
severed undersea cables, large-scale election interference, industrial sabotage, and assassinations.
The continuation of large-scale conflicts in the Middle East threatened broader disruption and violence
across NATO’s Southern Flank.
In their
declaration in the run-up to the Washington Summit in July,
NATO PA legislators summed up
today’s international security environment as the “greatest test for collective security and defence in a
generation.” Indeed, the Assembly called for Allied leaders to focus on making the Alliance capable of
defending “every inch of Allied territory at all times under Article 5” via significantly augmented defence
investments and the elimination of “obstacles to defence trade and investment among Allies”, and “to
reaffirm the commitment to collective defence at 360 degrees against all threats from all directions.”
The Washington Summit continued with a range of transformative decisions to further bolster collective
defence and deterrence. Such decisions began in 2014 but have taken on a new significantly
heightened pacing after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to Allied security […] this threat will persist into
the long term,” stated a
resolution
presented by
Slovak lawmaker Tomas Valasek
and adopted by the
Assembly at its Annual Session in Montréal.
The Assembly championed the new tempo of collective defence and deterrence adaptation and
modernisation throughout its 2024 programme by urging Allied governments to sustain the political need
to implement and maintain NATO’s new deterrence and defence baseline. Across the Assembly’s
Committees, Allied legislators engaged with wide-ranging agendas that included visits to 18 of the 32
Allied nations in order to understand first-hand how Allied defence industry, Allied national and NATO
military commands, and governments are positioning themselves to implement the new baseline for
deterrence and defence across the Alliance.
A report by
Turkish lawmaker Utku Cakirozer centered on the growing complexity of air and missile
threats to Allied security.
“Integrated Air and Missile Defence is fundamental to the Alliance’s core tasks
of deterrence and defence, but since the end of the Cold War, we have neglected this crucial pilar of
collective security,” Cakirozer warned. “We are, in effect, shields down as the international security
environment evolves rapidly around us.”
The related resolution,
adopted by the Assembly at the
Montréal session, tasked NATO governments to “adapt the Alliance’s missile-defence architecture to
the state and non-state threats it faces, particularly to the clear and present challenge of Russia.”
As the Assembly’s work highlighted, getting Allied adaptation and modernisation right is both an urgent
priority today, and a long-term pacing challenge to sustain strong, modern, and capable deterrence and
defence for tomorrow. “Maintaining NATO and Allied technological superiority is paramount in a security
environment characterised by renewed strategic competition between democratic allies and autocratic
powers,” said a
resolution adopted by the Assembly in Montréal.
A separate resolution
called on Allies to consider further raising NATO’s defence spending target beyond
2% GDP in order to ensure full implementation of NATO’s new defence plans. This was a main theme
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of the
Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum,
which stressed that the need for higher investment in defence
will be a major focus of the 2025 NATO Summit. Closely linked to increased defence spending, another
crucial element for success is a strategic focus on an expanded and much more robust defence
industrial capacity.
NATO PA President Marcos Perestrello
has made strengthening Europeans’
contribution to transatlantic security and industrial capacity a key priority and highlighted this as
essential for further bolstering the all-important transatlantic bond.
A
report
by
Hungarian legislator Tamas Harangozo
warned that Russia has built a “more insulated war-
time economy,” supported by steady oil and gas revenues as well as high defence spending. It called
on Allies and partners’ “need to establish far more effective enforcement regimes,” including with
secondary sanctions on countries re-exporting proscribed goods to Russia, and criminal penalties for
sanctions-busters.
“Strong and credible deterrence and defence is the best guarantee for peace”.
Marcos PERESTRELLO, NATO PA President, Annual Session, Montréal, 2024
Looking ahead to 2025, Allied parliamentarians stressed the need to develop, by the next Summit in
the Netherlands, a common strategic approach to Russia, focusing on fully preparing the Alliance to
contain and counter Russia’s hostile actions across the board.
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ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS
In 2024, the NATO PA took substantial steps to strengthen its partnerships, responding to a rapidly
changing security landscape shaped by renewed geostrategic competition.
Reforms to the Assembly’s partnership framework and a focus on four key regions – the Western
Balkans, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova; the Southern neighbourhood; and Asia and the Indo-
Pacific – reflected the NATO PA’s dedication to fostering dialogue, resilience, and security, while
promoting shared democratic values, both within and beyond the Euro-Atlantic area.
A key milestone in 2024 was the adoption of a comprehensive reform of the NATO PA’s partnership
framework during the Spring Session in Sofia. This reform aimed to adapt the Assembly’s partnerships
to a world of renewed geopolitical competition by better aligning them along shared interests as well
as, crucially, along a commitment to shared democratic values. The framework includes updated
categories, statuses, and benefits for partner countries, to be implemented in phases.
A central feature of this reform was the
recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine
as NATO Candidates,
granting them greater participation and representation in NATO PA activities. This
recognition underscored the Assembly’s support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of their populations.
Furthermore, Malta joined as a new Associate Member, and the Assembly of Kosovo’s status was
upgraded from Parliamentary Observer to Associate Member.
To further enhance cooperation, the reform introduced tailored measures for engagement with specific
groups of partners: those in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa; the Indo‑Pacific; and partners
at risk in the Alliance’s neighbourhood – namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and the Republic
of Moldova.
The reform also aimed to reinvigorate the
Rose-Roth Programme
– the Assembly’s main platform for
engagement with partners, with a renewed focus on democratic resilience. The Assembly expresses its
gratitude to Switzerland and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) for their
continued support to this Programme.
2024 PARTNERSHIP EFFORTS IN FOUR KEY REGIONS
Beyond a steadfast support for
Ukraine,
the NATO PA’s partnership efforts prioritised four critical regions
in 2024:
THE WESTERN BALKANS
The Western Balkans remain vital to Euro-Atlantic security. Significant progress has been made in
regional integration within NATO and the EU. However, unresolved issues such as corruption, political
instability, and external interference continue to pose risks that could destabilise the region if left
unaddressed.
In his
report on the region, Lord Lancaster (United Kingdom)
calls for a renewed NATO commitment to
the Western Balkans. He notes that “Moscow uses its influence not only to shape regional politics, but
to have broader influence in Europe as well.” While they may have different regional objectives, Moscow
and Beijing “are aligned in their broader counter-West efforts, which include the splintering of Allied
consensus and blocking the consolidation of the Euro-Atlantic,” the report argues.
NATO PA delegations visited
Albania, Croatia, Montenegro,
and
Slovenia
– four NATO Allies playing a
leading role in relations with the Western Balkans. These visits offered valuable insights into the region’s
security dynamics and reaffirmed the importance of sustained NATO and EU involvement to mitigate
vulnerabilities and prevent renewed tensions.
GEORGIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
In 2024, the NATO PA marked 25 years of partnership with Georgia, reaffirming its support for the
Georgian people’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. However, concerns about democratic backsliding and
political polarisation cast doubt on Georgia’s trajectory towards NATO and EU membership.
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In May, the
NATO PA Bureau condemned
the adoption of the repressive law on foreign influence, and
issued a statement urging the government to “return onto the path of democratic reform and democratic
consolidation.” In October, a NATO PA delegation observed the parliamentary elections in Georgia and
expressed concerns about voter pressure, divisive campaign rhetoric, and increasing polarisation.
Given the persistence of this democratic backsliding, the Assembly decided, at its Montréal Annual
Session, that it will review its relations with Georgia.
In her
report on NATO’s partners at risk,
Romania lawmaker Ana-Maria Catauta contrasts developments
in Georgia and in the Republic of Moldova. The report urges Moldova’s democratic partners to provide
“urgent and comprehensive support to strengthen the country’s resilience,” noting that “Moldova’s
progress on its ambitious reform agenda and its commitment to democratic values continue to be
pivotal, not only for its stability but also as a testament to Euro-Atlantic solidarity with nations facing
authoritarian pressures.”
THE SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURHOOD
The Southern Neighbourhood continued to be a priority for the NATO PA in 2024, given its strategic
importance for Euro-Atlantic security. “While NATO Allies are very focused on deterring Russia along
the Eastern flank and supporting Ukraine, they must also pay heed to the malignant influence Moscow
is exercising throughout the Southern neighbourhood,”
Theo Francken
(Belgium) writes in his
report
for
the Assembly’s
Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group
– the Assembly’s main platform for
engagement with partners across the Southern neighbourhood.
The Assembly continued to call for enhanced attention to the Southern neighbourhood, including in its
engagements with the independent group of experts on relations with the South, appointed by the NATO
Secretary General. In a
resolution adopted at the Annual Session in Montréal,
Canada, it urged Allies
“to expand NATO’s engagement with Southern partners, building on the action plan adopted at the
Washington Summit.” The
GSM seminar in Italy
and visits to
Algeria, Greece,
and
Portugal
emphasised
the importance of the region for the Alliance and explored avenues for collaboration.
Looking further afield, a
report
by Lithuanian lawmaker
Audronius Azubalis
on the Global South urges
Allied governments and parliaments to “enhance NATO’s capacity as an organisation to engage with
its Southern neighbourhood and partners across the globe,” as well as “utilise fully the parliamentary
track of engagement with the Global South.”
ASIA AND THE INDO-PACIFIC
The Indo-Pacific emerged as a critical area of focus for the NATO PA in 2024, reflecting its growing
significance in global security. “Despite the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, the global centre of gravity
continues to shift to the Indo-Pacific,” Slovak lawmaker
Tomas Valasek
writes in his
report on NATO’s
priorities after the Washington Summit.
A separate
report
by US Congressman
Neal Patrick Dunn
highlights the growing linkages between
developments in the Euro-Atlantic and in Asia. “In the high-stakes game of deterrence, [...] the
battlefields of Eastern Ukraine and the Straits of Taiwan are now inextricably linked,” he writes. “If China
judges that Russia’s strategy has succeeded, Beijing might then pursue a more aggressive path to
achieve its aims in Taiwan,” he warns.
In a world of growing strategic competition and authoritarian collaboration, Mr Dunn’s report, as well as
declaration 490
and resolutions
493
and
494
all call for Allies to strengthen collaboration with like-
minded partners in the Indo-Pacific to help defend the rules-based international order. The first-ever
participation of a parliamentary delegation from New Zealand at the Annual Session in Canada marked
a milestone in the NATO PA’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific, reflecting the Assembly’s commitment
to deepening ties with regional democracies under its newly reformed partnership framework.
“Strong as our Alliance is, when faced with threats of such magnitude, we must continue
expanding the network of friends both in our direct neighbourhood and far beyond”.
Marcos PERESTRELLO, NATO PA President, Annual Session, Montréal, 2024
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ADDRESSING TECHNOLOGICAL AND CLIMATE CHALLENGES
Emerging and interconnected threats, such as climate challenges and the geopolitical implications of
technological competition, remained at the top of the agenda for the Assembly throughout 2024.
When unchecked, the application of emerging technologies across a spectrum of uses and domains
raises numerous challenges for the Alliance. The Assembly urged NATO to continue to demonstrate,
just like it has done over the past 75 years, that its success largely relies on its ability to adapt and
maintain its technological edge.
In his report,
Sven Clement
(Luxembourg),
explores the challenges and opportunities of the military
applications of Artificial Intelligence
(AI). Mr Clement argues that the incorporation of AI into the work of
the Allies’ armed forces constitutes an irreversible trend, adding that, NATO as a democratic Alliance
should “engage in close discussions to strike a balance between political and military considerations to
ensure an ethical, legal, and responsible use [of AI] whilst reaping military rewards.” In the related
resolution
adopted at the Annual Session in Canada, the Assembly urges NATO Allies to “continue
developing and enforcing joint operational and tactical standards to strengthen collective defence and
address future interoperability challenges, including misaligned data, data sovereignty issues, and
system integration gaps.”
The challenge posed by autocrats’ investment in critical technology was in sharp focus. In her report on
Critical Dual-Use Technologies,
Harriett Baldwin (United Kingdom), warns that “authoritarian technology
leaders like China are now selling these technologies to like-minded regimes sharing their anti-
democratic ambitions. This poses a growing military, political and commercial challenge to Allied
democracies.” The report urges Allies to “continuously work to coordinate export controls on emerging
dual-use technologies and protect strategic intellectual property so that technology developed for Allies
is not easily available to rival states like Russia and China.”
In
his report on the pivotal role semiconductors play in the geopolitics of technology and strategic
competition, Njall Trausti Fridbertsson
(Iceland) points out that semiconductors are “central to and
indicative of today’s technological competition, which carries both economic and strategic implications.”
Mr Fridbertsson urges Allies to “critically assess dependencies and supply chain risks vis-à-vis China
in the area of semiconductors, whilst continuing to engage with the PRC wherever possible and when
it is in the Alliance’s interest to do so, using the engagement opportunities to encourage China to act as
a responsible global player.”
US Congressman
Neal Patrick Dunn
makes a similar case in
his report on the need for Europe and
North America to deepen their partnership with the Indo-Pacific.
He presses NATO governments to
secure vital supply chains by reducing dependence on China in certain strategic sectors, and to work
closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific to manage strategic competition.
Synthetic biology is another area of strategic competition expected to benefit from advances in AI. In
his
report,
German member
Joe Weingarten
explains that synthetic biology presents opportunities for
armed forces in domains such as energy storage and generation, novel and advanced materials,
sensing, medical treatments, and human enhancement. “There are security risks, including the
possibility of using synthetic biology to (re)create and modify pathogens. Even if many of these
possibilities are not yet a reality, there is no time to lose in accelerating synthetic biology advancements,”
Weingarten noted.
Extreme climate events also remain a growing security risk to all Allies and their partners, causing
wildfires, floodings and draughts. Water scarcity is one major challenge, and as it becomes more acute,
tensions over water access and distribution heighten, potentially sparking conflicts and exacerbating
existing geopolitical frictions. In
her report on the topic, Merle Spellerberg
(Germany), stresses that “as
of 2022, roughly half of the world’s population had already experienced severe water scarcity for at least
part of the year, and climate change will only further worsen the situation.” Warning that “the proliferation
of water crises beyond the Alliance’s borders can have a detrimental impact on Euro-Atlantic security”,
Ms Spellerberg emphasised that “addressing water‑related challenges on a global scale is therefore
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imperative for safeguarding the stability and security of the Euro-Atlantic area in an era marked by
complex interdependencies and shared vulnerabilities.”
NATO Parliamentarians explored Allies’ response to pressing challenges in technology and climate
during their visits to
Belgium and the Netherlands,
the
Czech Republic
and
Norway and Sweden.
“Maintaining NATO and Allied technological superiority is paramount in a security environment
characterised by renewed strategic competition between democratic allies and autocratic
powers.”
Resolution 493, presented by the Economics and Security Committee and adopted by the Assembly at
its Annual Session in Montréal, Canada, November 2024.
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WOMEN IN PEACE AND SECURITY
Throughout 2024, the Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the implementation of United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.
Through debates, reports, and resolutions, parliamentarians underscored the importance of integrating
gender perspectives into security and defence policies while strengthening the Alliance’s efforts to
promote gender equality and the meaningful participation of women.
The Assembly
presented its annual “Women for Peace and Security” award to Avril Haines,
the first
woman to serve as United States Director of National Intelligence. Ms. Haines was honoured for her
leadership of the US intelligence community and her steadfast support for Ukraine in its fight against
Russia’s aggression. In her acceptance speech at the Annual Session in Montréal, she commended
“the thousands of deeply committed professionals — many of them women — who work tirelessly
across NATO’s intelligence services to keep us safe.”
“Only by ensuring that women are represented, supported, safe, and empowered will all NATO
strengthen its capacity and show that we are serious in our collective efforts to achieve lasting
peace and stability throughout the world.”
Avril HAINES, United States Director of National Intelligence, winner of the NATO PA Women for Peace
and Security Award
At the same session, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, head of
the country’s United Transition Cabinet, and 2023 recipient of the NATO PA “Women for Peace and
Security” award, addressed parliamentarians. She emphasised that Ukraine’s fight is crucial for
safeguarding freedom and democracy across Europe and beyond. “Without Ukraine’s victory, Belarus
cannot be free,” she stressed.
Through their work, Assembly members continued to prioritise the implementation of the WPS agenda.
In a
resolution on conflict-related sexual violence,
authored by
Julie Dzerowicz
(Canada), the Assembly
highlights that “the empowerment of women and girls is a core principle of the WPS agenda and a key
component in the realisation of durable peace and security.” The resolution calls for greater
representation of women, as well as victims and survivors, “in security, peacekeeping, law enforcement,
and military roles to foster trust in institutions, empower survivors and victims as agents of change, and
contribute to durable peace.”
In a
report on the same topic,
Ms Dzerowicz stresses that women and girls disproportionately bear the
burden of conflict-related sexual violence. “Sexual violence is often rooted in structural inequalities
between women and men, perpetuated by societal acceptance of harmful gender norms that uphold
male dominance and promote macho and misogynistic ideas of masculinity,” she adds. She further
underscores that “women and girls are by far the most affected by sexual violence.”
In her
report on the need to protect cultural heritage in conflict,
Ms. Dzerowicz highlights the intersection
of gender and cultural heritage, noting that “the production, identification, and preservation of cultural
heritage has traditionally been influenced by power imbalances between women and men.” She further
emphasises that “cultural heritage destruction in conflict has a differential impact on men and women.”
The report calls for gender considerations to be fully integrated into all cultural heritage protection
policies and practices.
Similarly, in her
report on the link between water insecurity and conflict, Merle Spellerberg
(Germany)
highlights that “women and girls bear a disproportionately heavy burden when it comes to water
insecurity,” with detrimental effects for their health, education, security, and socioeconomic
opportunities.
Discussions on Allies’ implementation of the WPS agenda featured prominently throughout the year.
During a
visit to Albania,
for instance, the Committee on Democracy and Security engaged with key
stakeholders, including the country’s first female Deputy Chief of the General Staff, the UN Women
country representative, and the leader of an NGO supporting women and girls facing domestic violence.
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At the Annual Session in Montréal, Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, Jacqueline
O’Neill, shared best practices and challenges in implementing the WPS agenda.
The NATO PA Secretary General’s latest
report on gender mainstreaming
highlights continued progress
in gender balance within the Assembly, with women comprising a record 20.7% of national delegations
in March 2024. However, it also notes persistent challenges: only six delegations were led by women,
and eight were composed entirely of men. Some indicators, such as the representation of women in top
leadership roles (down from 43% in 2023 to 35.7% in 2024), showed a decline, underscoring the need
for continued efforts toward gender equality.
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BUDGET & FINANCE
Most of the Assembly’s funding comes from contributions from the parliaments or governments of
member nations.
National contributions are determined according to the same budget key used for the NATO civil budget.
The Assembly also receives a subsidy from NATO.
Over the past 25 years, special contributions have been made at various points by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
(DCAF), the governments of Switzerland, Norway, Luxembourg and Denmark, as well as NATO to
support the Assembly’s Rose-Roth outreach seminars and training programmes.
The annual budget is used to cover the International Secretariat’s operating costs. National delegations
are responsible for funding the participation of their members in Assembly activities.
The Assembly’s budget amounted to EUR 4,486,225.00 in 2023. Execution of the budget led to a
surplus of EUR 219,430.73 at the end of 2023.
The Assembly’s Treasurer, a parliamentarian who is an elected officer of the Assembly and who ensures
that the budget is consistent with the Assembly’s political objectives, is responsible for drafting the
Assembly’s budget.
The Treasurer submits the draft budget to the Standing Committee and the full Assembly for
consideration and adoption. The Secretary General implements the budget under the oversight of the
Treasurer.
The Assembly’s finances are audited by the International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN). In its audit,
IBAN considers whether, in accordance with the Financial Reporting Framework adopted by the
Assembly’s Standing Committee, the information in the financial statements fairly presents the financial
year-end position, the financial performance, and cash flows for the year as well as whether accounts
are properly supported by underlying records and source documentation. In addition, IBAN also
considers whether transactions are in compliance with budgetary authorisations and applicable NATO
PA regulations.
Because the audit takes place in the spring of the following year, the figures are the audited
financial
statements for 2023.
The 2024 audited finances will be made public on the NATO PA website after
adoption by the Plenary Assembly in May 2025.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AT 31 DECEMBER 2023
INCOME
CONTRIBUTIONS
•
•
From member countries
NATO subsidy
•
•
€ 4,427,892.00
€ 58,333.00
2023
BUDGET UPDATES, FUNDING,
PROVISIONS
•
•
•
•
Updates of the budget
Funding Swiss Ministry of
Defence
Use of provisions
Use of Emergency Reserve
•
•
•
•
€0
€ 15,000.00
€ 35,678.82
€0
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€ 50,678.82
TOTAL INCOME OF THE YEAR
€ 4,536,903.82
EXPENDITURE
•
•
•
•
Chapter 1- Personnel costs
Chapter 2- Operational
costs
Chapter 3- Sessions
Chapter 4- Missions,
seminars, external relations
2023
•
•
•
•
€ 3,349,333.65
€ 333,042.94
€ 352,396.49
€ 343,064.50
TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF THE
YEAR
Surplus (within the budget)
Total Other Income/Expenditure
TOTAL SURPLUS
€ 4,377,837.58
€159,066.24
€60,364.49
€219,430.73
Contributions 2023 from Members countries - Based on the NATO civil budget key
Member Country
Albania
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Contribution key %
0.0908%
2.1043%
0.3656%
6.8789%
0.2995%
1.0558%
1.3116%
0.1248%
Contribution
€ 4,021
€ 93,176
€ 16,188
€ 304,590
€ 13,262
€ 46,750
€ 58,076
€ 5,526
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France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Türkiye
United Kingdom
United States
10.4913%
16.3444%
1.0573%
0.7595%
0.0642%
8.7812%
0.1595%
0.2566%
0.1693%
0.0291%
3.4506%
0.0778%
1.7771%
2.9861%
1.0491%
1.2279%
0.5160%
0.2276%
5.9908%
4.7266%
11.2823%
16.3444%
€ 464,543
€ 723,712
€ 46,816
€ 33,630
€ 2,843
€ 388,822
€ 7,062.00
€ 11,362
€ 7,496
€ 1,290
€ 152,789
€ 3,445
€ 78,688
€ 132,221
€ 46,453
€ 54,370
€ 22,848
€ 10,078
€ 265,266
€ 209,289
€ 499,568
€ 723,712
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In accordance with previous practices, the pro rata contribution for 2023 from Finland (EUR 30,077)
has been added to the provision of Chapter 4.
20