Authority record. Showing 208 results

The AC/34 chronological series contains the documents of the Working Group on Trends of Soviet Policy(1) . The Working Group was set up by the Council at its 8 October 1952 meeting, and tasked with drafting a report, for the next ministerial session of the Council, on the line of Soviet foreign policy (C-R(52)24, item 5) - which had previously been considered by the Political Working Group(2). To this end national experts met and drafted the document on the basis of the information and views communicated to the International Staff Political Affairs Division by the delegations (C-R(52)24). Other reports followed for the periods April 1953 to December 1953, December 1953 to April 1954, April 1954 to November 1954 and December 1954 to April 1955. The Working Group operated from 29 October 1952 until 19 November 1956. Its work was taken over by the Political Committee(3) which was created in January 1957.

The AC/5 chronological series contains the records of the Working Group on Use of Export Controls. In a resolution adopted on 18 September 1950, the Council Deputies drew attention to the shortage and high cost of the raw materials needed for military production and asked the Deputies to take action (see C5-D/4(Final). The Working Group on Use of Export Controls (hereinafter referred to as the Working Group) was created and its terms of reference approved by the Council Deputies on 8 December 1950 (see D-D/207). The shortage of raw materials was a concern outside the NATO framework. Reports to this effect were sent by various nations to NATO, the OEEC and international conferences on raw materials. The Working Group's mission was threefold. Firstly, it checked that these reports did not run counter to NATO's interests in respect of defence production. Secondly, it assessed the seriousness of the shortage and the prospects for improvement. Finally, if these prospects were not satisfactory, it submitted recommendations to the Council Deputies. The Working Group cooperated closely with the Chairman of the Defence Production Board and reported to the Council Deputies. On 10 April 1951, the Defence Production Board submitted a list of raw materials of which there was a critical shortage and which were needed as a matter of urgency (see D-D(51)94). On this basis, the Working Group began its work. It held its first meeting on 14 December 1950 and its last meeting on 18 June 1951 (see AC/5-R/2).

In the middle of the 1950s, it appeared important to NATO to concern itself not only with political or military issues, but also with civil issues. The aim was to look into the scientific and technical fields which might give NATO the opportunity to employ highly-qualified staff and establish predominance of the West over the Soviet Union in the fields of defence, economy and culture. The report of the Committee of Three (C-M(56)127-REV1), a proposal by the US (RDC(57)53) and the NATO Manpower Planning Committee were all drafted or established along those lines. The Council accepted their views. It approved the setting up of AC/123 (see C-R(57)9) and its terms of reference (AC/123-D/1). AC/123 was chaired by Mr Cullingford (the Chair of the Manpower Planning Committee). The meetings were attended by the Chairs of: -the Defence Production Committee, -the Scientific Working Group on Civil Production, -the Working Group on Trends in Soviet Foreign Policy,-the Annual Review Committee-(but also) by the scientific advisor to SHAPE and consultants from France and the US. The terms of reference of AC/123 stipulated that the working group would:-meet after the meeting of the experts of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) on 11 and 12 March 1957, -base itself on the OEEC report, the activities of the European Productivity Agency and the presentation by the US expert (AC/123-WP/1) in the preparation of its own studies, -decide whether it was preferable for NATO to simply apply the measures advocated by the OEEC, to add to them or to propose its own, -present a report on the topic to the Manpower Planning Committee. The latter would then submit the report to the Council. AC/123 met twice after the OEEC experts meeting. The report was published on 1 April 1957 (see C-M(57)50). On 24 April 1957, the Council approved the recommendations contained in the report (see C-R(57)25), in particular regarding the establishment of a small working group tasked with preparing a conference bringing together experts to discuss scientific and technical cooperation. AC/123 was thus replaced by AC/132.

From 1950 (see C/4-D-4/9 and C-M(55)71), the Council (with the support of the Delegations) affirmed the need for Commodity Boards responsible for: -establishing priority civil and military requirements in wartime -comparing requirements and available resources -proposing the agreements needed. France proposed that this body be created in peacetime so that priorities could be coordinated in advance. There was no unanimity on this proposal. On 31 January 1956, subject to confirmation by those countries which were hesitating, the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee (AC/98) approved the creation of AC/101 (see AC/98-R/1). F.D. Gregh (ASG for Economic and Financial Affairs) was appointed Chairman of AC/101. One representative per member nation, the representative of the Standing Group Liaison Office in Paris and a SHAPE representative also attended the meetings. AC/101 was tasked with finalizing the draft terms of reference for a Central Supplies Agency (CSA) presented by France (AC/101-D/1), i.e.: -decide whether the body should exist in peacetime or wartime-establish the composition and terms of reference of this body. AC/101 delegated this task to a sub-group consisting of representatives of the United States, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The AC/18 chronological series contains the records of the Working Group to examine the question of a permanent headquarters for NATO in Paris. The Working Group was set up by the Council on 28 April 1952 (see C-R(52)1). It was not given any official terms of reference, but its successive activity reports provide more details on its mission. NATO moved into its temporary premises in the Palais de Chaillot on 16 April 1952. The Working Group's mission was to choose the best possible location for the future permanent HQ of the newly-created International Staff in Paris (see AC/18-R/1). It was chaired by Mr Van Vredenburch, Deputy Secretary General (see AC/18-R/1). The Belgian, French, Norwegian, American and Portuguese delegations accepted the Secretary General's invitation and appointed a representative to the Working Group (see C-M(52)24). The Working Group held four meetings, each of which began with a presentation by the French Representative on the new proposals he had received from the French Government. At the end of these meetings, the Working Group submitted its proposals to the Council in the form of reports (see C-R(52)1). The discussions were treated as confidential in order to obviate any danger of prejudicing negotiations in progress for the purchase of the land (see C-M(52)24 and C-M(52)54). The Working Group held its last meeting on 24 June 1952.

The AC/95 chronological series contains the records of the Working Group to Examine the United States Proposal for Reorganization of the Civil Emergency Planning Structure. This working group was set up following a request by the United States to reorganize the structure of the committees tasked with preparing for a future war. This proposal was made at the North Atlantic Council meeting on 13 July 1955 (see C-M(55)75) with a view to overcoming a number of shortfalls in peacetime emergency planning, in particular with regard to the co-ordination of the various committees and the resources used to issue general policy guidelines(1). From the outset, the Working Group focused its efforts on the creation of a committee that would first be referred to as the Steering Committee on Civil Emergency Planning (SCCEP) and later as the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee (SCEPC). This committee was tasked with providing advice to the Council on emergency planning, co-ordinating the activities of the planning boards and committees responsible for civil emergency planning, and setting up working groups on more specific matters. The Working Group to Examine the United States Proposal for Reorganization of the Civil Emergency Planning Structure was eliminated when the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee was established(2).

The AC/27 chronological series contains the records of the Working Party on Ammunition Production and Off-shore Procurement. The Working Party was created by the North Atlantic Council on 31 July 1952 to determine a means for information about each delegation’s ammunition supply, which had already been passed to the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), to be provided to the International Staff. The meetings of the Working Party were chaired by Mr. D.L. Hopkins, Assistant Secretary General for Production and Logistics, and were attended by a representative of the delegations for Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the United States, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Also in attendance were members from the International Staff from a relevant division and Colonel D.O. Monteith, the Standing Group Liaision Officer. The Working Party held its lone meeting on the 31 July 1952 and discussed how the MAAG were willing to help the involved countries prepare the information and assist in supplying the information if necessary. Furthermore, the Working Party deliberated on the urgency of the information and what specific requirements each country had to make. Two information requirements were made evident: the deficiencies of all items of ammunition and the factual data regarding production capacity.

The AC/71 chronological series contains the documents of the Working Party on the Formation of a Defence Production Committee(1). The Working Party was set up by the Council at its 3 March 1954 meeting, to consider the Belgian proposal for a standing committee advising on essential defence production questions(2). Since the 1952 Lisbon Conference this had been under consideration by the Production and Logistics Division. The Working Party comprised experts from Delegations, International Staff members and a Standing Group Liaison Office representative, chaired by the Assistant Secretary General for Production and Logistics, who met to draft terms of reference for the new committee and recommend that it be set up.The Working Party operated from 3 March to 21 April 1954, then was disbanded after the formation of the Defence Production Committee on 20 April 1954(3).