Seminar on Cold calculations: The future of Arctic security and the role of the Netherlands

On Tuesday 14 October 2024, the Clingendael Institute, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway to the Netherlands, organised a high-level seminar to explore Arctic security issues and the role of the Netherlands. 

The seminar was based on the Clingendael report Cold Calculations: The future of Arctic security and the role of the Netherlands by Karen van Loon, Ben Bekkering, Youri Verschoor and Dick Zandee.

This event brought together leading experts, policymakers, diplomats and military officials to discuss a variety of strategic security dynamics taking place in the Arctic region.

Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Erling Rimestad, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Netherlands. Morten Hoglund (Former Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials), H.E. Wampie Libon (Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Arctic) and Commodore Frank Lenssen (Director Operations of the Royal Netherlands Navy) provided keynote speeches in which each emphasized on a variety of strategic Arctic security issues that we currently face, ranging from challenges related to climate change and shipping lanes to both hybrid and conventional warfare.

This was followed up by an expert panel moderated by Ben Bekkering (Senior Research Associate, Clingendael Institute) on Arctic Security in which Karen van Loon (Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute), Olivia Salimbier (Defence Policy Officer, NATO), Karsten Friis (Research Professor Security and Defence, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs), and Commodore Frank Lenssen (Director Operations, Royal Netherlands Navy) participated. 

After an insightful Q&A session, the day was concluded with inspiring closing remarks by H.E. Ambassador Wampie Libon as well as a networking lunch.