NATO Military Committee Conference 2023
From 15 to 17 September 2023, Norway's capital Oslo hosted the annual NATO Military Committee Conference.
Norwegian Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen, welcomed his colleagues from all across NATO to Oslo, for the annual NATO Military Committee Conference (MCC). The conference was held in the weekend of 15–17 September 2023.
During the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, NATO's political level decided to strengthen the alliance in various areas. The goal is to shift the alliance from being focused on international operations to defending its own territories. At the conference in Oslo, chiefs of defence from all member countries gathered to discuss the implementation of the decisions made in Vilnius. This includes increased readiness, modernisation, introduction of command structures, improved logistics, and more joint training.
NATO Military Committee (MC)
The MC is NATO's supreme military authority and acts as the bridge between political decision-makers and NATO's military structure. The committee advises the North Atlantic Council on matters of military policy and strategy. It is responsible for translating political decisions into military direction and recommends measures for the defence of NATO territory and the execution of military operations. The committee also develops strategic policy and assesses the forces and capabilities of countries that may pose a risk to NATO's interests.
The Military Committee consists of high-ranking military officers from NATO member countries. These officers represent their countries' chiefs of defence. Iceland, which has no military forces, is represented by a civilian official. The head of the committee is NATO's highest military representative and speaks on military matters within the alliance.
The committee meets at least once a week to discuss important military matters. At the highest level, the committee meets three times a year: two meetings at NATO headquarters in Brussels and a third meeting in a NATO member country. It is this annual meeting that is taking place in Oslo this September.
Press contacts – Norwegian Armed Forces
- Mr Aleksander Engborg Hage
Telephone: +47 936 30 111
E-mail: aleksander-engborg.hage@fd.dep.no - Mrs Stine Barclay Gaasland
Telephone: +47 957 41 532
E-mail: stine-barclay.gaasland@fd.dep.no
Press contacts – NATO
- Ms Eleonora Russell
- Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to
the NATO Military Committee and International Military Staff
Telephone: + 32 471 61 09 55
E-mail: russell.eleonora@hq.nato.int - Commander Mr Grzegorz Łyko
Deputy Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the NATO Military Committee and International Military Staff
Telephone: + 32 477 570 746
E-mail: lyko.grzegorz@hq.nato.int
