Secretary General of NATO

chief civil servant of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The Secretary General of NATO (French: Secrétaire général de l'OTAN) is an international diplomat who serves as the chief civil servant of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Incumbent
Mark Rutte

since 1 October 2024
Term length4 years
Inaugural holderHastings Ismay
March 24, 1952
WebsiteOffice of the Secretary General

The Secretary General is responsible for coordinating the workings of the alliance, leading NATO's international staff, chairing the meetings of the North Atlantic Council and most major committees of the alliance, with the notable exception of the NATO Military Committee, and acting as NATO's spokesperson.[1]

The current Secretary General is Mark Rutte, the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who took office on 1 October 2024.

List of Secretaries General

change
No. Portrait Secretary General Took office Left office Time in office Previous office Country of origin
1Ismay, HastingsGeneral
Hastings Ismay
1st Baron Ismay

(1887–1965)
24 March 195216 May 19575 years, 53 daysSecretary of State for
Commonwealth Relations
  United Kingdom
2Spaak, Paul-HenriPaul-Henri Spaak
(1899–1972)
16 May 195721 April 19613 years, 340 daysPrime Minister of Belgium  Belgium
3Stikker, DirkDirk Stikker
(1897–1979)
[a]
21 April 19611 August 19643 years, 102 daysMinister of Foreign Affairs  Netherlands
4Brosio, ManlioManlio Brosio
(1897–1980)
1 August 19641 October 19717 years, 61 daysAmbassador to
the United Kingdom
  Italy
5Luns, JosephJoseph Luns
(1911–2002)
1 October 197125 June 198412 years, 268 daysMinister of Foreign Affairs  Netherlands
6Carrington, PeterPeter Carington
6th Baron Carrington

(1919–2018)
25 June 19841 July 19884 years, 6 daysSecretary of State for
Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs
  United Kingdom
7Wörner, ManfredManfred Wörner
(1934–1994)
[b]
1 July 198813 August 1994 †6 years, 43 daysMinister of Defence  Germany
Balanzino, SergioSergio Balanzino
(1934–2018)
Acting
13 August 199417 October 199465 daysDeputy Secretary
General of NATO
  Italy
8Claes, WillyWilly Claes
(born 1938)
[c]
17 October 199420 October 19951 year, 3 daysMinister of Foreign Affairs  Belgium
Balanzino, SergioSergio Balanzino
(1934–2018)
Acting
20 October 19955 December 199546 daysDeputy Secretary
General of NATO
  Italy
9Solana, JavierJavier Solana
(born 1942)
5 December 199514 October 19993 years, 313 daysMinister of Foreign Affairs  Spain
10Robertson, GeorgeGeorge Robertson
Baron Robertson of Port Ellen

(born 1946)
[d]
14 October 199917 December 20034 years, 64 daysSecretary of State for Defence  United Kingdom
Minuto-Rizzo, AlessandroAlessandro
Minuto-Rizzo

(born 1940)
Acting
17 December 20031 January 200415 daysDeputy Secretary
General of NATO
  Italy
11Scheffer, Jaap de HoopJaap de Hoop
Scheffer

(born 1948)
[e]
1 January 20041 August 20095 years, 212 daysMinister of Foreign Affairs  Netherlands
12Rasmussen, Anders FoghAnders Fogh
Rasmussen

(born 1953)
1 August 20091 October 20145 years, 61 daysPrime Minister of Denmark  Denmark
13Stoltenberg, JensJens Stoltenberg
(born 1959)
1 October 20141 October 202410 years, 0 daysPrime Minister of Norway  Norway
14Rutte, MarkMark Rutte
(born 1967)
1 October 2024Incumbent0 daysPrime Minister of the Netherlands  Netherlands
  1. Stikker resigned from his position a year early due to poor health.[2]
  2. Wörner died in office on August 13, 1994, of cancer. The Deputy Secretary General, Sergio Balanzino, took over his daily responsibilities for the last several months of his life and then became acting Secretary General upon his death until the appointment of Willy Claes.[3]
  3. Claes resigned as Secretary General after a bribery scandal, centering on his actions in the Belgian cabinet in the 1980s. After his resignation, Deputy Secretary General Sergio Balanzino served as acting Secretary General until the appointment of Javier Solana.[4]
  4. George Robertson announced in January 2003 that he would be stepping down in December.[5] Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was selected as his successor, but could not assume the office until January 2004 because of his commitment in the Dutch Parliament.[6] Robertson was asked to extend his term until Scheffer was ready, but declined, so Minuto-Rizzo, the Deputy Secretary General, took over in the interim.
  5. Scheffer was named Secretary General of NATO effective January 1, 2004,[7] but he did not take office until January 5, 2004.[8][9]

References

change
  1. NATO Secretary General, NATO
  2. Cook, Don (April 3, 1964). "Resignation announced by Stikker". The Washington Post.
  3. Marshall, Andrew (August 15, 1994). "Hunt is on to find new Nato chief". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  4. Whitney, Craig (October 21, 1995). "Facing Charges, NATO Head Steps Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  5. Smith, Craig (January 23, 2003). "NATO Secretary General to Leave His Post in December After 4 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  6. "Jaap de Hoop Scheffer". Newsmakers. No. 1. Thomson Gale. January 1, 2005.
  7. Crouch, Gregory (September 23, 2003). "NATO Names a Dutchman To Be Its Secretary General". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  8. "NATO Chief Steps Down". The New York Times. December 18, 2003. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  9. Crouch, Gregory (January 6, 2004). "New NATO Chief Takes Over". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-29.