NATO Watch Chicago Summit Briefing Series: No.7 ‘Off the agenda’ but on the horizon

No.7 ‘Off the agenda’ but on the horizon

 
 
 
For Immediate Release: 21 May 2012
 
Contact: Dr. Ian Davis | +44 (0)7887 782389
 
With the Chicago NATO Summit under way, this is the final briefing of a seven-part series.
 
Originally planned as an “implementation” summit—to review progress on a series of goals laid out in a new Strategic Concept agreed at the 2010 Lisbon Summit—the alliance is now faced with a wider and more complex range of challenges, many arising from recent geopolitical events. The ante for this summit has been raised with the uprisings in the Arab world, the international financial crisis and the debate over transatlantic burden-sharing becoming major summit issues in their own right.
 
But in accordance with the parable of the wise builder, will NATO's Chicago house be built on a foundation of rock (and hence decisions taken will likely endure beyond 2012) or on a foundation of sand (with outcomes facing potential future subsidence)?  This briefing series has so far previewed the six key items to be discussed in Chicago.
 
This final briefing reviews a collection of other issues also fighting for leaders’ attention, even though they are unlikely to be on the agenda, including Syria, Iran, NATO enlargement, decision-making within the alliance and the broader question of what NATO’s role will be post-Afghanistan.
 
NATO Watch is an independent, not-for-profit ‘virtual’ think-tank which examines the role of NATO in public life and advocates for more openness, transparency and accountability within the Alliance. See our detailed Frequently Asked Questions and our Vision and Mission
 
Sign up to receive Press Releases and other content from NATO Watch