Bringing together members of parliaments throughout the Atlantic Alliance, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has provided for half a century an essential link between NATO and the parliaments of the NATO nations, helping to build parliamentary and public consensus in support of Alliance policies.

At the same time, it has facilitated parliamentary awareness and understanding of key security issues and provided greater transparency of NATO policies. Crucially, it has also helped to maintain and strengthen the transatlantic relationship which underpins the Alliance

Since the end of the Cold War the Assembly has assumed a new role by integrating into its work parliamentarians from those countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and beyond who seek a closer association with NATO. This integration has provided both political and practical assistance and has contributed to the strengthening of parliamentary democracy throughout the Euro-Atlantic region, thereby complementing and reinforcing NATO’s own programme of partnership and co-operation.