On 20 June 2025, the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy at the Geneva Graduate Institute, in partnership with the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP), the European Endowment for Democracy, and International IDEA, convened a high-level policy dialogue in Brussels. This was the third in a series of expert roundtables organized under the Foundation and the Centre’s joint initiative on democracy and global governance.
The meeting brought together leading voices from international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector to reflect on the place of democracy in the new security agenda. Building on a policy brief prepared for the event by Eliza Urwin, Apolline Foedit, and Keith Krause, the discussion examined both external threats, such as those posed by authoritarian powers, and internal dynamics, including polarization, judicial capture, and declining public trust.
Structured around four themes, the dialogue produced a forward-looking outcome document that outlines actionable recommendations. First, participants emphasized that democracy and security are mutually reinforcing. Efforts to treat them as separate agendas were described as strategically short-sighted. Drawing on national and international experiences, speakers underlined that public trust, accountable institutions, and effective governance are essential foundations for lasting security.
Second, the roundtable underscored the strategic importance of democratic resilience for the Euro-Atlantic alliance. NATO was urged to embed democracy into its core operational agenda, with calls for a permanent structure to coordinate democracy-related initiatives and ensure that collective defense strategies address institutional safeguards, civilian oversight, and election integrity. Third, the discussion highlighted the European Union’s responsibility to reaffirm its leadership in defending democracy. Participants pointed to the need for stronger commitments in EU funding and security strategies, ensuring that democratic governance and civic resilience are recognized as pillars of stability and peace.
Finally, the roundtable looked beyond the Euro-Atlantic space. Speakers stressed the importance of broadening global support for democracy, learning from innovations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and responding to locally expressed demands for assistance. Sustained support to independent media, digital safeguards, and democratic leadership was seen as a strategic investment in global stability.
The recommendations emerging from the Brussels dialogue include:
- Explicitly integrating democratic resilience into EU and NATO security strategies,
- Establishing a NATO Center for Democratic Resilience,
- Ensuring a dedicated share of EU external action funding for democracy and governance, and
- Expanding global partnerships with governments and civic actors working to defend and deepen democratic institutions.
The outcome document reaffirms that democratic backsliding, hybrid threats, and political polarization are not only challenges to values but pressing security risks. Addressing them requires coordinated action across institutions and regions.
Read the full outcome document, including detailed recommendations, here.
Read the policy brief that informed this roundtable, authored by Eliza Urwin, Apolline Foedit, and Keith Krause, here.