Urging all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to oppose confirmation of a new Secretary General, if the candidate was a former leader of a member country which did not spend 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense.

declares that the next Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should not be a former leader of a member country that did not spend 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense spending;

emphasizes that the demonstrated ability of countries with economies of all sizes within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to meet the 2-percent defense spending minimum proves that the failure of a member country to meet the commitment is a choice of will and not of circumstance;

acknowledges that it would be hypocritical for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to be led by a Secretary General who formerly led an alliance member country that failed to fulfill the 2-percent gross defense spending minimum;

declares that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will never reach its full potential as long as the Secretary General is a member of a country’s leadership that did not fulfill its commitment to the Organization; and

urges all member countries to prioritize defense spending and to meet their obligations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.