24 & 25 June 2025

NATO Summit, The Hague

On 24 & 25 June, the NATO Summit takes place in The Hague, the Netherlands. At the same time as the summit, the NATO Public Forum will be held as well, a public event jointly organized by NATO and the Government of the Netherlands with civil society organisations.

This year the NATO Public Forum is co-hosted by NATO with the Government of the Netherlands, in collaboration with Atlantische Commissie, The Clingendael Institute and The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS).

Check out the full programme on natopublicforum.org

The NATO Public Forum in The Hague will be livestreamed for everyone on the YouTube channels of NATO and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

HCSS at the 2025 NATO Public Forum: A Historic Moment for the Netherlands – and for European Security?

For the first time ever, the NATO Summit was hosted in the Netherlands. Co-organised by HCSS, the NATO Public Forum created space for public dialogue, featuring high-level sessions with global leaders, ministers and experts. While the Summit showed unity and ambition, important questions remain about implementation, burden-sharing, and strategic direction. HCSS is honoured to have helped shape this historic moment — laying the groundwork for a stronger, more resilient Alliance. Read on for a reflective look from our team on the floor.

HCSS at the 2025 NATO Public Forum: A behind-the-scenes look at what we brought to the table

You’ve seen the speeches, the world leaders, and the headlines from the recent NATO Summit in The Hague. But what you haven’t seen is what happened behind-the-scenes. While world leaders took to the stage, our dedicated HCSS team worked tirelessly to make the event run smoothly, from shaping the agenda with last-minute speaker changes, to cross-continent coordination of international panels and managing communications and media requests. We’re excited to share a few sneak peeks from the backstage world here – insights, photos, and stories from that other side of the camera by our team on the scene.

Livestream Day 1, 24 JUNE 2025

Livestream Day 2, 25 JUNE 2025

NATO Summits Series 2024-2025

To set the stage for the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 24 and 25, the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) organized a series of high-level public and private events throughout 2024 and 2025, with topics ranging from seabed security and digital defence capabilities, to deterrence, emerging technologies and the Baltic Defence Line, and more.

BNR podcast De Strateeg: vooruit kijken naar de NAVO-top in Den Haag

In podcast De Strateeg brengen BNR Nieuwsradio en het Den Haag Centrum voor Strategische Studies (HCSS), onder leiding van presentator Paul van Liempt, de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen op het internationale toneel en de gevolgen daarvan voor overheden, bedrijven en mensen. In aanloop naar de historische NAVO-top in Den Haag van afgelopen juni brachten we in een speciale reeks elke week een nieuwe aflevering over verschillende thema’s gerelateerd aan de top.

Live vanuit HCSS: BNR’s De Alliantie blikt terug op de historische NAVO-top

De NAVO krijgt een nieuwe norm. Maar deze top stond toch vooral in het teken van de ‘bromance’ tussen Trump en Secretaris-generaal Rutte. Wat gaan we eigenlijk doen met al dat geld en hoe ziet de toekomst van het bondgenootschap eruit? Om die vragen te beantwoorden riep BNR de geopolitieke kopstukken Rob de Wijk, Bernard Hammelburg en Geert Jan Hahn onder leiding van Liesbeth Staats weer bij elkaar voor een speciale aflevering van De Alliantie – live mét publiek vanuit HCSS.

NATO Public Forum | The Hague, June 2025

During the NATO Summit taking place in The Hague from 24 to 25 June 2025, the NATO Public Forum will be held. HCSS is proud to be one of the co-organisers. The forum is a public event that will bring together experts, politicians, opinion makers, civil society organisations and other groups to discuss the themes of the summit and developments around the world that affect our security.

NATO and the Netherlands: A Journey

In the run-up to the NATO Summit on 24 and 25 June 2025 in The Hague, the touring programme ‘NATO and the Netherlands: A Journey’ will be visiting several cities across the country. The travelling exhibition is being organised by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, in partnership with the Netherlands Atlantic Association, Clingendael, HCSS and other organisations.

GC REAIM Symposium: Next Steps for Responsible Practice | June 26, 2025

HCSS is pleased to invite you to join us for the GC REAIM Symposium: Next Steps for Responsible Practice, on 26 June, 2025 from 10.00 – 16.30 at HCSS (Lange Voorhout 1, The Hague). This is the fifth and final Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) Symposium and the Secretariat is extremely proud to be hosting around the NATO Summit. Register via the Eventbrite link!

Responsible AI in the Military Domain: A Conversation with GC REAIM | June 23, 2025

The Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) invites military attachés from NATO Member and Partner countries to a discussion on AI governance in defense, on Monday, June 23, 2025, from 13:00–15:00 at HCSS in The Hague. From June 24–26, GC REAIM will also host its final in-person Commission Meeting and Symposium, alongside the NATO Summit. Join GC REAIM Commissioners and experts to explore the findings of the Strategic Guidance Report, reflect on the REAIM process, and discuss its broader implications.

From Cloud to Community: Shaping the Future of Digital Defence | June 18, 2025

In the run up to the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague and following our first Symposium on NATO’s digital capabilities in Brussels, this second Symposium will focus on the future of digital defence. On Wednesday, June 18th, HCSS has the pleasure to invite you our symposium at our office in the Hague, where world class experts will discuss military and civilian aspects of digital defences.

Emerging Technologies and the Future of Deterrence | Eindhoven, May 13, 2025

Emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) such as AI, (counter-)space, cyber, directed energy weapons, electronic warfare and hypersonic missiles increasingly affect international security and strategic stability. At this event – part of the NATO Summit Tour – a distinguished panel of international experts will present different viewpoints on the impact of emerging technologies on deterrence and strategic stability.

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NATO Future Fuels and Storage | FETSA, VOTOB & HCSS event (24 April, 2025)

Many European countries are striving for an increase in defence spending. At the same time a climate transition is underway, in which structural changes have to be made to the use of fuels to power the global economy. These two developments interlock and create a puzzle: which fuels will be used in the future? And which structural investments need to take place to make these new fuel systems a reality?

De balans tussen internationale betrokkenheid en Europese defensie | 7 April 2025

Hoe kan de Nederlandse krijgsmacht de balans waarborgen tussen continentale defensietaken (Hoofdtaak 1) en inspanningen om internationale stabiliteit (Hoofdtaak 2) in de wereld te bevorderen? Op 7 april organiseert HCSS, in samenwerking met de Ministeries van Buitenlandse Zaken en Defensie en het Centrum voor Internationaal Conflict Analyse & Management (CICAM) van de Radboud Universiteit een panel om deze vraag te bespreken.

Afschrikkingsvermogen & Langetermijngevechtscapaciteit | 17 April 2025

De Russische oorlogshandelingen in Oekraïne en de potentiële dreiging richting de Europese lidstaten kan niet worden onderschat. Hoe snel zou Rusland na een staakt-het-vuren en vredesverdrag weer op militair avontuur kunnen gaan? Wat is hun regeneratievermogen? Wat is het voortzettingsvermogen van de Nederlandse landmacht? En hoelang zal het duren voordat de landmacht haar gevechtskracht op orde heeft en dat langdurig kan volhouden?

NATO Seminar on Seabed Security | March 27, 2025 (invite only)

Recent incursions by Russian vessels and the sabotage of underwater power and internet cables have exposed critical vulnerabilities in NATO countries’ infrastructure. On March 27, TNO and HCSS, in cooperation with the Dutch Ministries of Defence and Infrastructure & Water Management, will organise a Seminar on Seabed Security.

Defence Industry Symposium - NATO Summit pre-event

NATO Summit Defence Industry Symposium | March 12, 2025

Op 12 maart 2025 zal HCSS in samenwerking met VNO-NCW en het Ministerie van Defensie de Defense Industry Day organiseren, een pre-event van de NAVO-top die op 24 en 25 juni in Den Haag zal plaatsvinden. Toonaangevende experts, beleidsmakers en het bedrijfsleven kwamen samen om te discussiëren over het opschalen van defensie-inspanningen en samenwerken aan een veerkrachtige industrie.

Fit for the Future? Towards a digital-capable NATO alliance for the 21st Century (March 10)

National, NATO-wide, and European Union-level resilience has emerged as a key theme within the defence and security domain. Interoperability of NATO members in the digital realm is of the essence. On March 10, HCSS and Microsoft will organise an event centred around resilience in the cyber domain and other emerging and swiftly evolving technologies.

Dinsdag 28 januari, Den Haag | Start van “NAVO door Nederland-tour”

Op 28 januari start de NAVO door Nederland-Tour, een rondreizend programma over vrede en veiligheid langs een aantal steden in Nederland. De tour is een initiatief van de ministeries van Buitenlandse Zaken en Defensie, met medewerking van de Atlantische Commissie, Clingendael en The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS).

Baltic Defence Line: Strengthening the Defence of NATO’s Eastern Flank

HCSS was honored to host the Baltic Ministers of Defence and the Dutch Minister Ruben Brekelmans, for a symposium on the ‘Baltic Defence Line’ on January 15. Hanno Pevkur (Estonia), Andris Sprūds (Latvia) and Dovilė Šakalienė (Lithuania) discussed the topic of eastern flank defence, NATO, and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

HCSS Insights from the NATO Summit’s Public Forum in Washington D.C.

From 9–11 July, the 2024 NATO Summit took place in Washington D.C., bringing together the heads of state and heads of government of the 32 allies, their partner countries and the EU. HCSS was proud to be an Institutional Partner of the Public Forum taking place during the historic Summit, with Tim Sweijs and Davis Ellison attending the Forum.

NATO Public Forum, Washington DC, July 10 & 11, during the NATO Summit

HCSS is proud to be an Institutional Partner of the NATO Public Forum taking place from 10-11 July 2024 during the historic Summit meeting of NATO’s Heads of State and Government in Washington D.C. Register hereto attend the 2024 NATO Public Forum virtually, or watch the livestream on YouTube.

Symposium, May 14 | Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War

What does the Future of War look like? What lessons can be learned from the current War in Ukraine? Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), the War Studies Research Centre (WSRC), the Royal Netherlands Association for War Studies (KVBK) and HCSS organised the symposium “Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War” on May 14th, 2024.

Event | Commemorating the 25th anniversary of NATO’s 1999 enlargement

In April, HCSS together with the Embassies of Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Sweden to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will co-host an event that commemorates NATO’s enlargement in 1999, celebrates the recent joining of Finland and Sweden, and sets the stage for the upcoming NATO summits to be held in the United States and the Netherlands between 2024 and 2025.

Event | War in Europe: The impact of Russian aggression in Ukraine 2 years on

Two years of war in Europe have changed perceptions of NATO and the defence policies of European countries. On 23 February 2024, two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA), the Royal Netherlands Association for War Studies (KVBK), the Netherlands Atlantic Association, the Clingendael Institute, HCSS and ISGA Leiden University take stock of these developments and ask the question: what does the war mean for Ukraine, for Europe and the world at large?

Tijdens een grote NAVO-top is er óók altijd een NATO Public Forum, een publieksbijeenkomst waar experts, politici, opiniemakers, maatschappelijke organisaties en uiteenlopende groepen uit de samenleving bij elkaar komen. Centraal staat de vraag: hoe de NAVO onze veiligheid kan waarborgen en ons kan beschermen tegen militaire dreigingen en terrorisme, maar ook tegen nepnieuws en cyberaanvallen.

Het NATO Public Forum is voor iedereen binnen en buiten Nederland online te volgen via Youtube (Engelstalig). Een aantal sessies zijn interactief.

Het NATO Public Forum wordt georganiseerd door de NAVO en de Nederlandse regering, in samenwerking met de Atlantische Commissie, het Haags Centrum voor Strategische Studies (HCSS) en het Instituut Clingendael. Ook buitenlandse denktanks zijn actief betrokken bij het NATO Public Forum.