NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday (22 September 2021). The two leaders discussed NATO and the UN’s commitment to maintaining international peace and security, and work to deepen cooperation between the two organisations in areas like peace operations and countering terrorism.
The Secretaries General addressed the situation in Afghanistan. Mr Stoltenberg briefed Mr Guterres on NATO’s ongoing efforts to bring at-risk Afghans to safety, and stressed the importance of holding the Taliban accountable for their obligations, including on safe passage, human rights, and terrorism. The two leaders also addressed other pressing security challenges, including climate change as a crisis multiplier. Mr Stoltenberg explained that countering climate change has become core business for NATO, and that the Alliance is taking action – including on defence planning and capability development, exercises, and assessments – with a clear political commitment among Allies to signficantly reduce military emissions, and for NATO to contribute to the goal of Net Zero.
Cooperation between NATO and the United Nations has expanded over the past decade. Priority areas for joint work include NATO support to UN peace operations, countering terrorism, the protection of civilians, and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. NATO has contributed to developing UN standards to counter improvised explosive devices, and has provided experts to join UN training efforts for peacekeeping personnel. In 2020, Allied airlift supported the World Food Programme with the delivery of a field hospital to Ghana as part of the response to COVID-19.