Since it began, NATO has assured Canada's security. If attacked, Canada knew it had allies to help out. Canada has also benefited from its membership in NATO in other ways. Canada has always had a close relationship with Great Britain, but NATO saw Canada interacting directly with other European nations. This led to increased economic activity between Canada and these nations. Canada has also been able to share the cost of military operations with other countries, and NATO gave Canada a voice in the military affairs of the western democratic nations.

NATO may have started as a military alliance, but it has changed over the years. In the last 15 years, things have changed a great deal in the world. The Warsaw Pact and the Iron Curtain no longer exist, so the era of the Cold War has ended. NATO no longer has to defend against a communist attack. So what does NATO do now?

Instead of being a military alliance, NATO now tries to help countries cooperate with each other. It also sends troops on peacekeeping missions. Member nations send their troops to help restore peace if a conflict threatens the stability of a region or if it appears that it may spread to surrounding nations. You will learn about some of these situations in later lessons. Canada has cut back a great deal on the amount of troops it commits to NATO because the situation has changed so much, but it is still a member of this group.

NORAD has also seen changes in its role since the end of the Cold War. The fear of a missile attack on North America has certainly lessened, but it is not totally gone. Despite nuclear disarmament talks and signed treaties, there are still huge numbers of missiles in the world. Other nations have also increased their capacity to fire long range missiles, so the threat has not gone completely.

NORAD remains the strongest force for the defense of North America, but its focus changed a great deal after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the anxious hours immediately after the attacks, NORAD activated its forces to defend against any other attacks. The focus of NORAD has shifted now to monitoring the air space over North America to stop terrorist attacks.

Since the end of World War II, the focus of treaties has shifted from alliances designed for military protection to ones aimed at making the world a better place. The focus has shifted to reducing the world's arsenal of weapons, human rights, and dealing with environmental issues.

 In 1996, a treaty aimed at reducing the threat of a nuclear holocaust was signed. Under this treaty, the United States and Russia, the two nations with the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, agreed to disarm and destroy many of their weapons. Many other nations agreed not to produce nuclear weapons, but others have not been so cooperative.

 Other treaties have been signed with regards to chemical and biological weapons. Many agreements have been signed with the intention of protecting human rights and improving the quality of life for all people. These agreements have covered topics such as racial and gender discrimination, child labour, and criminal law. The United Nations has played an important role in these areas.

As is the case with any agreement, it is sometimes difficult to have all parties stick to it. A nation may face a new threat, or a new government may no longer support the treaty. Because of this, people may feel that such agreements are a waste of time and money, but supporters see them as an important step in making the world a better place for everyone.