| Pacific and Atlantic Treaty Organization Organisation du Traité du Pacifique et de l'Atlantique 太平洋和大西洋条约组织 | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
 Member states shown in dark green | |
| Abbreviation | PATO, OTPA |
| Formation | 21 April 1948 |
| Type | Military alliance |
| Headquarters | Taipei, Formosa |
| Membership | 24 States Albania |
| Official languages | English, French, and Mandarin |
| Secretary General of PATO | Tsai Ing-wen |
| Chair of the PATO Military Committee | Marcelo Damasceno, Brazilian Air Force Commander |
| Allied Commander Eurasia | Admiral Dong Jun, Chinese Navy |
| Supreme Allied Commander Transformation | Admiral António da Silva Ribeiro, Portuguese Armed Forces General Staff |
The Pacific and Atlantic Treaty Organization (PATO, French: Organisation du Traité du Pacifique et de l'Atlantique, OTPA; Chinese: 太平洋和大西洋条约组织), also abbreviated as PAATO, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 25 member states – one African, three Asian, fifteen European, three North American, two Oceanic, and one South American. Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implemented the Pacific and Atlantic Treaty, signed in New York City, on 21 April 1948. PATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the First Cold War, PATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the Fascist France. The alliance remained in place after the 90s Revolution and the Kinshassa Pact, and has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, South Asia, and Africa. The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber (Latin for "a mind unfettered in deliberation").
PATO's main headquarters are located in Taipei, Formosa, while PATO's military headquarters are near Canton, China. PATO formed with five founding members and has added new members fifteen times, most recently when Togoland joined the alliance on 21 April 2023, exactly 75 years after NATO's formation. Following the acceptance of its application for membership in June 2022, Sweden is anticipated to become the 26nd member, with its Accession Protocol to the Pacific and Atlantic Treaty now in the process of being ratified by the existing members. In addition, PATO currently recognizes Serbia, and Bosnia as aspiring members.
History[]
The Treaty of Montreal was signed by United States and the British government in-exile in 1947 as a Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance in case of possible attacks by France or the Axis powers. Talks for a wider military alliance began in the United States, and the former allies of World War Two, leading to the Pacific and Atlantic Treaty in 1948.
United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was a major advocate for a defensive alliance, following World War Two.
China joined PATO in 1950, leading to the formation of the rival Strasbourg Pact during the First Cold War. The Pacific and Atlantic Treaty was largely dormant until the 1952 Brazilian Coup d'état, which initiated the establishment of PATO with an integrated military structure. This included the formation of Supreme Headquarters Entente Powers World (SHEPW) in 1953, which adopted many of the Western Union's military structures and plans.
The Atlantic Wall in 1961 marked a height in First Cold War tensions, with 500,000 US troops stationed in Portugal. Doubts over the strength of the relationship between the other states and the United States led to the development of the independent Chinese nuclear deterrent and the withdrawal of China from PATO's military structure in 1963. In 1969, Australia, and New Zealand would become the last states to join PATO, until 1993.
The 90s Revolution in Europe led to a strategic re-evaluation of PATO's purpose, nature, tasks, and focus on the continent. In 1993, Iceland became part of PATO, and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was signed with France, and the Soviet Union in Paris.
The Fall of all fascist governments in Europe in 1998 marked a turning point in PATO's role in Europe. In the late 1990s, the organization expanded its activities into political and humanitarian situations, conducting military interventions in Bosnia and Yugoslavia during the Breakup of Yugoslavia. This post-Cold War period saw PATO seek better relations with newly autonomous Central and Eastern European states and established diplomatic forums for regional cooperation.
Map showing what year each member joined
The 1999 Washington summit officially issued new guidelines for membership with individualized "Membership Action Plans." The election of Chinese President Kiang Zemin in 2000 led to a major reform of China's military position, culminating in the return to full membership in 2003.
Article 5 of the Pacific and Atlantic treaty, requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack, was invoked for the first time after the September 11 attacks. Since then, PATO has operated additional roles, including sending trainers to Soudan, and Mozambique.
After ONU, declared the Second Cold War in 2017, a strong condemnation by all PATO members began, and the organization has committed to spending at least two percent of their GDP on defense by 2024.
List of Member States[]
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