For its first four decades, the Cold War defined the Alliance – collective defence was NATO’s main role. When that confrontation ended in 1989 and with the collapse of the Soviet Union, some said that NATO had fulfilled its purpose, that it was no longer needed. And yet the Alliance is still here today. So why has NATO stood the test of time? The end of the Cold War offered hope for progress and peace, but it also ushered in a new era of instability. NATO responded to changes in the security environment by shifting its focus and taking on new tasks. Beyond its collective defence role, NATO pursued security through partnership and cooperation. In the early 1990s, the Alliance extended a hand of friendship to non-member countries – including former Cold War adversaries Russia and the countries of the former “Eastern Bloc”. Today, cooperative security – that is, working with non-member countries and other organisations – is another of NATO’s fundamental tasks. It works with over 40 partner countries as well as with other international organisations, like the United Nations and the European Union. NATO has also taken on an increasingly important role in international crisis management. Working closely with partner countries, the Alliance helped to end war and build sustainable peace in the Balkans. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Allied and partner nations deployed forces to Afghanistan to help bring stability. During the Arab Spring, they conducted an air campaign over Libya to protect civilians being targeted by the Qadhafi dictatorship. At sea, NATO and its partners have helped to prevent piracy off the Horn of Africa and are cooperating to fight terrorism in the Mediterranean Sea. NATO is also contributing to international efforts to stem illegal migration and human trafficking in the Aegean Sea. Today, we face a much broader range of threats than in the past. In addition to conflict and instability on NATO’s eastern and southern flanks, we are confronted with terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, cyber attacks and threats to energy supplies as well as environmental challenges with security implications, such as global warming. These challenges are too big for any one country or organisation to handle on its own, so NATO is working closely with its network of partners to help tackle them.
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