Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty

Authors

Sherrod Lewis Bumgardner

Abstract

Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty provides for the consultation between the Parties to the treaty under a couple of different circumstances. The characteristic of Article 4 is one of a statement of action, authorizing the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty to take certain action. This Article serves the purpose to identify the broader view of the NATO legal community toward the role of Article 4 during the 70-year history of the North Atlantic Alliance. This Article considers newly declassified materials that reflect the multiple stages of negotiation that took place during the drafting of Article 4. Additionally, this Article discusses the intention of the drafters and the priority to ensure that Article 4 properly addressed the concerns and intended responses authorized by Article 4. Lastly, this Article highlights how the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty have relied on Article 4 to guide actions and policies.

Recommended Citation

Sherrod L. Bumgardner, Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 34 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 71 (2019).
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/eilr/vol34/iss0/6