Book presentation Navigating a Fragmenting World Order
On 25 September, the WRR, in cooperation with the Permanent Representation in Brussels, organized the event Navigating a Fragmenting World Order. During the event, the book of the same title, Navigating a Fragmenting World Order, was presented. This publication is the English translation of the WRR report The Netherlands in a Fragmenting World Order. The event was attended by a broad and diverse audience representing various nationalities.
Following a warm welcome by Pieter Jan Kleiweg de Zwaan, the book was presented by Haroon Sheikh and Ruth Mampuys. Their presentation was followed by an interactive and insightful panel discussion with geopolitical experts Luuk van Middelaar (Director of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics), Monika Sie Dhian Ho (Director of Clingendael), and the Ambassador.
The publication Navigating a Fragmenting World Order has been released in Springer’s Research for Policy series and is freely available on Springer’s website, or may be purchased in a deluxe hardcover edition.
The Netherlands in a Fragmenting World Order
On 2 July 2024, the WRR published its report The Netherlands in a Fragmenting World Order. In this report, the council concludes that the era in which the Netherlands could simply adapt to international relations favorable to our country has come to an end. Profound changes are taking place in the international order, and it remains unclear what kind of new world order will emerge. Increasingly, tensions will arise between matters that are traditionally and enduringly of fundamental importance to the Netherlands: security, values, and prosperity. Since the publication of the report, geopolitical shifts have continued apace. The policies of the United States under President Trump’s second term have shaken markets and governments worldwide. Under considerable pressure, NATO member states have decided to raise their defense budgets to 5%. Meanwhile, instead of winding down, several major and violent conflicts (such as in Ukraine and Gaza) appear to be escalating further.
The Netherlands response to a Fragmenting World Order
Following the release of The Netherlands in a Fragmenting World Order. Challenges and Opportunities for the Netherlands, the WRR organized several interactive sessions with ministries, municipalities, businesses, and other stakeholders. During these so-called “GeoTours,” participants were challenged to engage directly with geopolitical issues and tensions within their respective fields of work. The GeoTour sessions reveal a growing awareness that geopolitics affects virtually every area of public policy. The Netherlands is awakening from its geopolitical slumber, yet the pressing question remains whether the country can adapt to the new world order in a balanced, timely, and effective manner. The WRR reflects on this very question in its memorandum How the Netherlands Responds to the Fragmenting World Order.