Open Letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Open Letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and WHO Director General Margaret Chan

The European Leadership Network has released today two open letters, one to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the other jointly to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Health Organisation Director-General Margaret Chan. The letters, signed by over forty members of the ELN, including two former NATO Secretaries-General, three former prime ministers and a number of former foreign and defence ministers, call for the assistance of NATO in combating the growing Ebola crisis in West Africa.

The letter to the  UN and WHO sets out the case for NATO involvement, including the need for air and sea logistical support, use of hospital ships, and a possible role for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN) experts. The signatories to this letter call on the UN and WHO to ask NATO for its urgent support.

In the letter to the NATO Secretary-General, we urge the Alliance to respond positively to any such request. We believe that with NATO’s unique capabilities it can truly make a difference in this disaster. We call on Jens Stoltenberg to make it publically clear that if the world calls for its help, NATO will rise to the challenge.

“The international response to the Ebola epidemic must become a demonstration of commitment to our common humanity. NATO could and should be a part of this effort.”

The opinions articulated above represent the views of the signatories, and do not necessarily reflect the position of all members of the European Leadership Network. The ELN’s aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security challenges of our time.