Beyond the emergency problematique: how do security IOs respond to crises—a case study of NATO response to COVID-19

This article explores the discourses and strategies of security international organisations (IOs) during COVID-19 pandemic, applying NATO as a case study. To build argument, analyses speeches public interventions by SG DSG coded in NVivo. First, results empirical analysis suggest that crisis discourse focussed on its ability to perform core functions, constructing identity, generating “positive” legitimacy, or increasing relevance military capital. Second, findings show main elements organisation’s management strategy were: proactiveness, continuous review planning ahead, stepping-up activities efficiency, lessons learned, adaptability, solidarity civil-military cooperation. Third, logic IO exceptionalism ‘emergency problematique’, underpinned mission creep, could not be conclusively confirmed based analysed sample. The adds theoretical distinction literature global governance times emergency. It demonstrates IOs might always seek explicit authority leaps through lowering checks balances (horizonal) reducing legal protection subjects (vertical), due risks sanctioning.Keywords