The 12 experts appointed by Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to lay the ground for NATO’s new Strategic Concept met at the Alliance’s Headquarters for the first time on 4 September. The group is chaired by Dr Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, and deputy chaired by Jeroen van der Veer, former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell.

Dr Albright and Mr van der Veer met first with the Secretary General before the three spoke with the press.

During the press conference, Mr Rasmussen said that “The need for a new strategic concept is clear. The current one dates from 1999, before September 11th, before the conflict in Afghanistan, before cyber attacks, before piracy, and when NATO only had 16 members.

“The world has changed, the threats have changed. So has NATO. We need and we will have a strategic concept that takes account of today’s realities and tomorrows challenges as well.”

Dr Albright spoke of “…the necessity of looking at all the crucial issues of the 21st century as they affect the world’s greatest alliance,” adding that the group will work in a way that is open and transparent.

Later in the day, all 12 experts met with the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s highest decision-making body. The group’s work will facilitate the development of the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept, which will aim to guide NATO’s activities in addressing current and future security challenges.