Our Twelve Concepts are guiding principles for our service structure. The concepts summarize the hard-won experience of our fellowship’s first forty years with such things as responsibility, authority, delegation, leadership, accountability, spiritual guidance, participation, communication, open-mindedness, fairness, and finances. The Twelve Concepts, together, help ensure that our fellowship’s service structure remains forever devoted to service, not government.
The 12 Concepts for NA Service
These concepts have been crafted from our experience. They are not intended to be taken as the “law” for NA service, but simply as guiding principles. We find that our services are stabilized when we conscientiously apply these concepts, much as our steps have stabilized our lives and our traditions have stabilized and unified our groups. The Twelve Concepts guide our services and help ensure that the message of Narcotics Anonymous is available to all addicts who have a desire to stop using and begin practicing our way of life.
1. To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have joined together to create
a structure which develops, coordinates, and maintains services on behalf of NA as a
whole.
2. The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the NA groups.
3. The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority necessary to fulfill the
responsibilities assigned to it.
4. Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous. Leadership qualities
should be carefully considered when selecting trusted servants.
5. For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single point of decision and
accountability should be clearly defined.
6. Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to influence our
decisions.
7. All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that body’s decisions
and should be allowed to fully participate in its decision-making processes.
8. Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness of our communications.
9. All elements of our service structure have the responsibility to carefully consider all
viewpoints in their decision-making processes.
10. Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress of a personal
grievance, without fear of reprisal.
11. NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must be managed
responsibly.
12. In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our structure should
always be one of service, never of government.
© Narcotics Anonymous