About

The Norwegian Atlantic Committee was established in 1955 after an initiative by then chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Norwegian Parliament, Finn Mo. The Committee is politically independent and is working on informing about and increasing the understanding of Norwegian foreign, defence and security policy, with special emphasis on the North-Atlantic cooperation.

The Norwegian Atlantic Committee organises meetings, seminars, and regional courses on security policy, study trips and some major conferences. The Committee is also seeking to gain understanding for Norwegian foreign and security policy abroad, through meetings and conferences, individual study trips and group excursions abroad.

During the last decade the Committee has been working with a broader definition of “security”, which focuses not only on Norwegian defence and the Trans-Atlantic security policy cooperation, but also topics such as nuclear safety, environment and energy, and disarmament, terrorism, human rights and civil defence. In addition we have a broader geographic field of interest, which includes the Arctic, Europe, Russia, the Balkans, the Black Sea, Caucasus and the Middle East.

The Norwegian Atlantic Committee is primarily working with mediators, such as the media, politicians, organisations, ministries, military personnel, diplomats, scientists and teachers in secondary schools. Students are also an important target group for the Committee. Furthermore the Committee is a secretariat for The Atlantic Association of Young Political Leaders (AAYPL) and Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) in Norway.

For its activities the Committee receives public funding, mainly from the ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, but also from NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division.

A board led by former MP Kjell Engebretsen governs the Committee. In its day-to-day work the Committee is run by a secretariat with six employees (two part-time), and up to two fellows.