2020 Transatlantic Security Jam: securing the Post-COVID Future

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2020 Transatlantic Security Jam: securing the Post-COVID Future

Summary

In May 2020 Friends of Europe hosted one of the six platform debates that made up the Transatlantic Security Jam. This global online consultation extended over two days and brought political leaders and prominent experts together with the interested public for an open debate on the key security challenges of our time. We were proud to have the opportunity to contribute to this event. Our Friends of Europe platform on the theme of Autonomy and Cooperation was designed to inject a perspective from the capital of Europe in Brussels and provide a distinctly European voice in this wider transatlantic exchange.

Over the two days of the discussions our platform welcomed more than a thousand key policy makers and experts on a broad range of topics that covered security in all its dimensions. We debated the major threats and the military challenges facing NATO and the EU, as well as the economic and social dimensions of security. Moreover as security is first and foremost about keeping our citizens safe, prosperous and properly informed about the world around them, we examined not just the classical security challenges from geopolitical rivalries but also more hybrid challenges such as cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns. The Jam proved invaluable in this respect, offering a snapshot of how our political leaders and policymakers see the current security agenda, the priorities they are focusing on and the worries that could keep them awake at night.

When the Jam was over we realised that the two intensive days had produced a number of innovative insights and important recommendations. For instance on improving the resilience of the European Union to deal with major crises such as COVID-19.
Or enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy by extending it into the industrial and technology domains. Or in strengthening the transatlantic security partnership and NATO through greater political consultation in the alliance and more equitable burden sharing among allies.

As a result we decided to produce this report, both as a way of recording the many interesting discussions for those who took part as well as a means of presenting the conclusions of our particular Jam platform to a wider audience. We hope that you will find it a useful and relevant read given the urgency of many of the challenges that the EU and the transatlantic security community are facing. We hope even more that at least some of the recommendations will find a favourable echo and, even more importantly, be implemented.

About

About

This year’s Transatlantic Security Jam focuses on the overarching topic of “Securing the Post-COVID Future”. The Security Jam is a three-day virtual global brainstorm that allows several thousand participants to discuss issues in real time on an IBM online platform, from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. VIP contributors, similar to speakers at a real-world conference, come online at regular intervals to share their perspective with jammers and sound out this global community on specific issues.

The Security Jam will be divided into 6 discussion forums which will run in parallel for three days. Friends of Europe will host a forum on the topic of ‘’Cooperation and Autonomy: The global role of the EU post COVID-19’’.
Other forums hosted by partner think tanks within the 2020 Security Jam include: ‘’Competition for Influence: In a world transformed by COVID-19’’, ‘’NATO Mission and Core Tasks in Action: Resilience, readiness and responsiveness’’, ‘’Transatlantic Security, NATO-EU Relations: Challenges and collaboration’’, ‘’Technological and Industrial Edge: Bringing technological and industrial cooperation to bear’’, and ‘’COVID-19 Relations with China: Implications for NATO and the EU’’.

The 2020 Transatlantic Jam will feed into a report summarising the attitudes, perceptions and innovative ideas of our jammers on how to secure the Post-COVID future. Participants in the forums will interact directly with VIPs and contributors from around the world. The Jam’s top recommendations and its in-depth report will be distributed to leaders around the globe.

The 2020 Security Jam is hosted by IBM and coordinated by The Partnership for Peace Consortium. Friends of Europe is delighted to collaborate with these partners, as well as the other international think tanks involved, including among others the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), the Atlantic Council of the US, and the George C Marshall Center.

Please note: The Security Jam is a written virtual brainstorm; therefore, the entire session will be written.

This event is by invitation only and is under Chatham House rules.


Our events include photos, audio and video recording that we might use for promotional purposes. By registering, you give your permission to use your image. Should you have any questions, please contact us.

PHOTO CREDIT: Christian Lue on Unsplash

Schedule

Schedule

Cooperation and autonomy – the global role of the EU
Expand Cooperation and autonomy – the global role of the EU

The European Commission embarked on its new mandate setting a clear objective: to become a Geopolitical Commission. However, no one could predict to what extent its global role would be tested within its first year of action. By challenging the EU’s effectiveness in times of crisis, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not only testing its legitimacy and solidarity but also its role as a global actor. The way the EU approaches the crisis will determine its stand on transatlantic relations and its ambitions for strategic autonomy.

  • How has the COVID-19 crisis affected the EU’s global role?
  • How will the crisis shape its ambitions of strategic autonomy?
  • How can the EU increase the internal cohesion between its member states?
  • Who is winning the global battle of narratives in the crisis? Can the EU keep up its own narrative?

Hosts

Jamie Shea

Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Paul Taylor

Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe

Stefani Weiss

Senior Expert at Bertelsmann Stiftung

Start of the Transatlantic Security Jam
Ambassador Hans-Dieter Lucas, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germanyon the North Atlantic Council, Brussels
Expand Ambassador Hans-Dieter Lucas, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germanyon the North Atlantic Council, Brussels

Topic: NATO- EU Strategic partnership: even more relevant with the challenge of the Corona pandemic.

Christian Friis Bach, Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Nordic Impact Fund, former Danish Minister for Development Cooperation
Expand Christian Friis Bach, Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Nordic Impact Fund, former Danish Minister for Development Cooperation

Topic: The importance of peacebuilding and state building: European state building capabilities and trade as a vehicle for interconnectivity and interdependence.

Victor Kisob, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Expand Victor Kisob, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN-Habitat

Topic: The state of the world depends on the state of our cities and the state of cities depends on the health of our peoples. Let us create healthy, climate friendly and resilient cities for a post-Covid-19 world.

Sean Maguire, Executive Director of Global Influence and Partnerships, Plan Internation
Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, Naval Officer, Italian Army, former Minister of Defence of Italy, former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
Expand Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, Naval Officer, Italian Army, former Minister of Defence of Italy, former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

Topic: NATO-EU: from cooperation to a strategic partnership

Dorthe Bach Nyemann, Senior Lecturer, Royal Danish Defence College
Sherri Goodman, Senior Advisor for International Security, The Center for Climate and Security, former first Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security)
Expand Sherri Goodman, Senior Advisor for International Security, The Center for Climate and Security, former first Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security)

Topic: Transatlantic approaches to a sustainable, resilient recovery from COVID – Can the pandemic steer us towards a cleaner economy for global security?

H.E. Dr. Eng. Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General, United Arab Emirates Space Agency
Continue to DAY 2
Cooperation and autonomy – the global role of the EU
Expand Cooperation and autonomy – the global role of the EU

The European Commission embarked on its new mandate setting a clear objective: to become a Geopolitical Commission. However, no one could predict to what extent its global role would be tested within its first year of action. By challenging the EU’s effectiveness in times of crisis, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not only testing its legitimacy and solidarity but also its role as a global actor. The way the EU approaches the crisis will determine its stand on transatlantic relations and its ambitions for strategic autonomy.

How has the COVID-19 crisis affected the EU’s global role?
How will the crisis shape its ambitions of strategic autonomy?
How can the EU increase the internal cohesion between its member states?
Who is winning the global battle of narratives in the crisis? Can the EU keep up its own narrative?

Hosts

Päivi Tampere

Head of Communications at The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE)

Paul Taylor

Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe

Joe Litobarski

Editor-in-Chief of Debating Europe

Giles Merritt

Founder of Friends of Europe

Jamie Shea

Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Johan Öhlén

Board Member of EUROMIL

Dharmendra Kanani

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Spokesperson of Friends of Europe

Ambassador Veronika Wand-Danielsson, Embassy of Sweden to France, former Swedish Ambassador to NATO
Raluca Csernatoni, Visiting Researcher at Carnegie Europe & Professor at the Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussels
Expand Raluca Csernatoni, Visiting Researcher at Carnegie Europe & Professor at the Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussels

Topic: AI-enabled Technologies and Surveillance in the EU in Times of the Pandemic: Between Hype and Reality

Angela Kane, Professor at SciencesPo Paris and Senior Fellow at the Vienna Center for Disarmament & Non-Proliferation, former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and Under-Secretary-General for Management in the United Nations
Expand Angela Kane, Professor at SciencesPo Paris and Senior Fellow at the Vienna Center for Disarmament & Non-Proliferation, former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and Under-Secretary-General for Management in the United Nations

Topic: The United Nations in the time of COVID-19: addressing the global threat to peace and security or struggling to respond?

Radmila Shekerinska Jankovska, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Republic of North Macedonia
Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Ambassador at Large for Cyber Diplomacy, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
James D. Bindenagel, Senior Professor at Bonn University, former US Ambassador
Expand James D. Bindenagel, Senior Professor at Bonn University, former US Ambassador

Topic: The coronavirus pandemic will determine the fate of the European Union. Will Germany accept leadership in the EU to support unity, and take the steps necessary to convince the German public that the collapse of the European market for its exports will return Germany to the role of the economic “sick man of Europe?”

Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
Peter Ricketts, Visiting Professor at King's College London, former United Kingdom National Security Adviser, former British Ambassador to France, former Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCO, former British Permanent Representative to NATO
Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University, Executive Director, Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance
Expand Scott Shackelford, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University, Executive Director, Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance

Topic: The EU’s Role in Shaping our Polycentric Future: Insights from Elinor Ostrom

Monica Sanders, Professor and Policy Director at Georgetown University, Policy Expert in Humanitarian Response and International Law
Expand Monica Sanders, Professor and Policy Director at Georgetown University, Policy Expert in Humanitarian Response and International Law

Topic: Taking positive and negative examples of cooperation from the United States and parts of Asia, while examining the impacts of hyper-autonomy on public health and international security.

H.E. Raimundas Karoblis, Minister of Defense of Lithuania
Expand H.E. Raimundas Karoblis, Minister of Defense of Lithuania

Topic: Failing to exercise and enhance responsibility, resilience, and readiness, Europe risks compromising its security and falling into oblivion in the post-COVID-19 world. From defence budgets to dangerous dependencies, now is the time to evaluate the lessons of crises present and past.

Dr. Helge Martin, Centre for Science and Peace Research, University of Hamburg
Maciej Popowski, Deputy Director General, Southern Neighbourhood, Turkey, Migration, Refugees and Security Issues, European Commission
Emmanuel Jacob, President, European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL)
Expand Emmanuel Jacob, President, European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL)

Topic: Will this crisis shake up our governments and ensure that in the future our armed forces will have the necessary resources to stand ready for the next crisis? Political leaders will have to make tough choices to avoid social dramas on the one hand and restore the economy on the other. How can armed forces function in this time of crisis and at the same time prepare for and execute their essential missions?

Diego Mellado, Ambassador of the European Union to Peru
Brice de Schietere, acting Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Canada
Expand Brice de Schietere, acting Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Canada

Topic: EU-Canada relations : an example of joint action in addressing the pandemic and its consequences based on shared values and a strengthening of global coordination

Izumi Nakamitsu, Under Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations
Expand Izumi Nakamitsu, Under Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations

Topic: Could Covid-19 lead to disarmament as countries have to cut their defence budgets? Which is and will be the role and influence of the EU and the Europeans global debates leading to disarmament as 5 members of the UNSC are from Europe?

Continue to DAY 3
Cooperation and autonomy – the global role of the EU
Expand Cooperation and autonomy – the global role of the EU

The European Commission embarked on its new mandate setting a clear objective: to become a Geopolitical Commission. However, no one could predict to what extent its global role would be tested within its first year of action. By challenging the EU’s effectiveness in times of crisis, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not only testing its legitimacy and solidarity but also its role as a global actor. The way the EU approaches the crisis will determine its stand on transatlantic relations and its ambitions for strategic autonomy.

  • How has the COVID-19 crisis affected the EU’s global role?
  • How will the crisis shape its ambitions of strategic autonomy?
  • How can the EU increase the internal cohesion between its member states?
  • Who is winning the global battle of narratives in the crisis? Can the EU keep up its own narrative?

hosts

Charline Burton

Executive Director, Europe, Search for Common Ground

Carme Colomina

Associate Researcher and member of the editorial board of the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)

Jamie Shea

Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Fernando Aguiar

Strategic Adviser on Conflict and EU Politics for the Brussels International Center

Paul Taylor

Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe

Marjolijn Van Deelen Head of Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
Expand Marjolijn Van Deelen Head of Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands

Topic: We cannot afford efforts related to the corona crisis to crowd out efforts related to two other existential threats: nuclear weapons and climate change.

Michael Simm, Head of Strategy & Policy, European Defence Agency (EDA)
Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
Pol Morillas, Director, Centro de Estudios y Documentación Internacionales de Barcelona (CIDOB)
Alison Smale, Veteran correspondent, NY Times, Herald Tribune & AP; former UN Undersecretary General global communications
Despina Spanou, Head of Cabinet of the European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas
Grzegorz Malecki, President of the Board, Institute of Security and Strategy Foundation, Warsaw
Expand Grzegorz Malecki, President of the Board, Institute of Security and Strategy Foundation, Warsaw

Topic: Strengthening EU countries’ intelligence cooperation to create an effective, integrated intelligence system as a tool for the EU and its Member States to counter and prevent future political and economic security threats, in the post-COVID era.

Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
Rubén Arcos, Rey Juan Carlos University
Expand Rubén Arcos, Rey Juan Carlos University

Topic: Ensuring democratic communication dominance in the (dis)information environment, and managing risks associated with vulnerabilities created by the crisis that can be exploited by actors to harm EU cohesion through disinformation and influence campaigns in other domains.

Rudy Priem ,Director, Government Relations Europe & NATO Raytheon Technologies (RTX), and Chairman of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG)
Expand Rudy Priem ,Director, Government Relations Europe & NATO Raytheon Technologies (RTX), and Chairman of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG)

Topic: What lessons can we draw from the management of the pandemic for future EU-UK cooperation post-Brexit?

Marc Otte, President of the Brussels International Center and Belgium Special Envoy for Syria
End of the Transatlantic Security Jam
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