In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Allied nations decided to continue their alliance, politically and militarily, in order to prevent the international spread of communism: a dangerous threat to the Western democracies’ existence. That alliance became known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), named after its establishing North Atlantic Treaty. In the latter half of the 20th century, NATO was confronted by the Warsaw Pact, a rival military organization associated with the Soviet Union and the rapid rise of communism. With the fall of the Soviet Union, however, NATO is adapting to the 21st century and has increasingly assumed a role as a peacekeeping organization beyond that of a defensive military alliance.
This committee is specifically designed for intermediate and experienced delegates. Position papers, although strongly recommended, are not required. However, delegates who wish to be considered for an award must submit their position papers by January 22, 2027, at 23:59 PST. More information about position papers can be found in the Position Paper Guide, on the Delegate Resources Page.
Topic A: Enlargement of NATO (Click to show summary)
NATO enlargement is the process by which the alliance admits new members. The North Atlantic Treaty, the founding legal document of the alliance, outlines this process under Article 10, which mandates unanimous agreement as well as an “open door policy” that allows any European nation to apply for membership. Since 1949, the alliance has grown from twelve states to thirty-two across ten rounds of accession. Finland and Sweden are the newest members, joining in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine remain official aspirants, though draft peace frameworks circulated in late 2025 proposed that the alliance commit to refusing enlargement. Debates over the open-door policy have intensified, as many fear its consequences now outweigh its costs.
Topic B: Strategic Autonomy (Click to show summary)
Historically, the United States has supplied much of the military power behind NATO. Strategic autonomy broadly describes efforts to improve Europe’s capacity to defend itself without American support; however, different nations hold competing views on what the term means. France treats it as the ability to act alone militarily. At the same time, Poland and the Nordic states simply understand it as strengthening Europe within NATO, and the European Commission emphasizes industrial and technological independence. With Washington decommitting itself from Europe under its current administration, it expects European allies to lead Europe’s conventional defence. Although new command arrangements, a French offer to extend nuclear cooperation, and unprecedented European spending have emerged, critical gaps remain in intelligence, refuelling, and air defence.
Matthew Du | Director
A Grade 11 student at St. George’s School, Matthew is beyond honored to be serving as the Director of NATO. Matthew started his MUN journey in Grade 6, not knowing what that three-letter abbreviation even stood for. MUN for Matthew began as just a fun weekend away with his friends. However, it was in those late-night Mario Kart games and the zealous debates on GMOs where Matthew found a growing passion for diplomacy and political advocacy. After four years as a delegate, Matthew is excited to help cultivate an unforgettable weekend for his delegates at VMUN 2027. Outside of MUN, you can find Matthew working at his favorite bubble tea shop, reading philosophical thought experiments, trying not to crash his bike, or rowing on the Fraser River. Matthew is looking forward to meeting everyone at VMUN 2027!
Xavier Proulx-Sy | Chair
Entering his Grade 11 year, Xavier is delighted to serve as the Chair of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this year. His Model UN career began two years ago, when his director had to force him to give a timid first speech, followed by him giving nine more. Ever since, Xavier has authored a plethora of reasonable and productive resolutions, scribbled several less-than-ideal private directives, and learnt that the real awards are the friends we made along the way. Outside of committee, Xavier can be found rowing, skiing, sailing, taking photos, or attempting to improve at the violin. In his spare time, he attends Argyle Secondary School. As VMMUN 2027 draws near, Xavier looks forward to welcoming delegates to come together, debate, and perhaps even learn a lesson or two along the way.
Juno Williams | Assistant Director
Just as Model UN has been part of so many peoples journeys, Juno has loved every part of that process from Grade 6 to her Junior year of high school. Experiencing a vast variety of topics such as the Salem Witch Trials or formulating AI policy within the House of Commons, it is safe to say Juno has learned to love diving into unknown discussion. Other than her love of Model UN, she thrives on exploring hikes on Vancouver Island, building Pokemon decks, and street photography. Through her time as a staff member at various conferences, Juno enjoys seeing delegates find their footing and challenging their skill sets in new environments, and hopes to foster the same thrill of debate in other delegates.
You can contact the Director at nato@vmun.com. Any questions regarding the committee or its debate procedures will be answered by email. Position papers must also be submitted to this address.