The memberships of Iceland and France, for instance, illustrate this point. Although each and every signatory to the North Atlantic Treaty is subject to the obligations of the Treaty, there remains a certain degree of flexibility which allows members to choose how they participate. On signing the Treaty, countries voluntarily commit themselves to participating in the political consultations and military activities of the Organization. United States: Mr Dean Acheson attended and chaired meetings of the North Atlantic Council, which was particularly important before the creation of the position of NATO Secretary General.United Kingdom: Mr Ernest Bevin was a main driver behind the creation of NATO and, as Foreign Secretary from 1945 to 1951, he attended the first formative meetings of the North Atlantic Council.

Lange was one of the 'Three Wise Men' who drafted the report on non-military cooperation in NATO. Stikker served as NATO Secretary General from 1961 to 1964. Robert Schuman was a key architect of the European institutions, who also initiated the idea of a European Defence Community. Pearson negotiated the Treaty and was one of the 'Three Wise Men' who drafted the report on non-military cooperation in NATO, published in 1956 in the wake of the Suez Crisis. Paul-Henri Spaak served as NATO Secretary General from 1957 to 1961. Some of the foreign ministers who signed the Treaty were heavily involved in NATO's work at a later stage in their careers: Within the five months following the signing ceremony, the Treaty was ratified by the parliaments of all 12 countries, sealing their membership. NATO's founding member countries were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. On 4 April 1949, the foreign ministers from 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Twelve countries from Europe and North America signed the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949 in Washington, D.C.

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