Dutch Ministry of Defence provides relevant insights and scenario’s for the next two decades

11 april 2010

A lot of Dutch Ministries are responsible for parts of the national sustainability agenda. Sometimes this is outright confusing and frustrating: Finance, Economical Affairs, Environment, Agriculture (and what have) all have their say. And despite efforts to coordinate and align the interventions of the various departments, it seems difficult for the government to speak with one voice, let alone act consistently. In this light it is hard to imagine that a report of yet another Ministry would add any value to the sustainability agenda.
However, a recent report of the Ministry of Defence offers a good read for anyone interested in sustainable development and globalisation. This report (in Dutch: Verkenningen, houvast voor de krijgsmacht van de toekomst) is the result of a robust two year exploration process about global developments and the implications for the national army. To me the report is especially interesting because of its views on the next two decades. These will be different and more insecure and therefore present a wide range of (potential) challenges. Globalisation, economic development, climate change, demographics, diseases and more will influence societies and stability. “The power of perceptions” is also something the report addresses.
Four scenarios are presented based on states vs other actors and cooperation vs non-cooperation. These scenarios (multilateral, multipolar, network and fragementation) are followed by policy options. I think it is interesting to take notice of the fact that the Ministry of Defence is anticipating future policy on driving forces that are so much part of the sustainability agenda. If only for that reason I can recommend you to read the report.

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