7.2.7.1  Alliances and Treaties in Legal Frameworks

(The latest version of this page is at Pattern Descriptions.  An archived copy of this page is held at https://www.patternsofpower.org/edition02/7271.htm)

Countries can reduce their requirement for national armed forces by placing their relationships with their neighbours under formal governance, instead of relying solely on independent Self-Protection:

·      They can set up formal alliances, based on legally-binding treaties. NATO is a prime example; its members have agreed to support each other if any of them is attacked.[1]

·      Or they can choose to make a treaty which specifies an arbitrating power to which they can refer disputes – which would formalise their relationship as a contract within the Legal Dimension (5.3.5.1).

In either case the relationships between them are subject to the law, even though their purpose is Self-Protection against perceived weaknesses in international governance.   

© PatternsofPower.org, 2014                                                 



[1] In May 2014, the text of the NATO treaty was available at http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/stock_publications/20120822_nato_treaty_en_light_2009.pdf.  Article 3 reads:

“In order more effectively to achieve the objectives of this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.”