Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on the future of NATO

Chair of the Advisory Council on International Affairs; former Secretary General of NATO and Chairman of the North Atlantic Council Fisher Family Fellow 2012-2013

NATO’s major challenge will be to maintain and strengthen its political cohesion in a global environment which will be dominated by two superpowers: the United States, a democracy and NATO’s founding ally, and China, an ambitious autocracy.

Only on the basis of a strong sense of togetherness will the Alliance be able to face its core responsibility of protecting the territorial integrity of its members, taking on an expeditionary role where necessary and counter 21st century threats in the cyber domain and in space. Security challenges emanating from China should get a prominent place on NATO’s agenda and become part of NATO’s new Strategic Concept.

Last but not least: NATO can only be credible as a value-based Alliance if its members are beyond reproach in the domain of the rule of law and governance. Here there is room for improvement.

What advice do you have for the next generation of diplomatic practitioners?

Please do realize that the core of your profession will be protecting a world where security will not come for free and will need constant maintenance. The same will apply for governance and the rule of law.

Poland’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski speaks on the resilience of European democracies during an event moderated by Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook on February 29, 2016.