Civil society organisations call for a broader approach to Dutch international security policy

The Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS), together with CARE Netherlands, Cordaid, Mensen met een Missie, PAX and WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, has published a joint response to the Dutch Government's recently released International Security Strategy (IVS).

While acknowledging the need to strengthen defence capabilities in response to the rapidly changing international security environment, the joint statement argues that the new strategy places a predominant emphasis on military deterrence, without sufficiently translating its broader understanding of security into concrete policy measures.

The organisations welcome the government's recognition that today's security challenges extend beyond conventional military threats to also take into account polarisation, disinformation, democratic erosion and declining public trust. However, they note that the proposed policy response focuses primarily on military capabilities, state resilience and critical infrastructure, while giving comparatively limited attention to the societal dimensions of security.

In the statement, we argue that resilient societies depend not only on defence investments, but also on strong democratic institutions, active civil society, social cohesion, independent media and inclusive governance. The organisations also express concern that conflict prevention, diplomacy, mediation and peacebuilding have been relegated to a secondary role within the broader security architecture, despite evidence demonstrating that preventive action is both more effective and more cost-efficient than responding to crises after they escalate.

The paper further highlights several areas that require greater attention in the Dutch security strategy, including the Women, Peace and Security agenda, conflict-sensitive approaches to defence investments, due diligence in arms exports, and the contributions of local authorities, religious actors and civil society organisations to sustainable peace and societal resilience.

Although the International Security Strategy refers to a "whole-of-society" approach, the signatory organisations argue that this ambition should be accompanied by a stronger recognition of the independent role that civil society organisations play in early warning, conflict prevention, democratic resilience and social cohesion.

The joint statement concludes with five recommendations to strengthen the Dutch international security policy:

• Organise multi-stakeholder consultations to develop a broadly supported definition of societal resilience and translate it into concrete policy.                 
• Explicitly embed human security as a guiding principle of Dutch security policy.                                                            
• Make sustained investments in conflict prevention, diplomacy, mediation and peacebuilding as core components of security policy.                                   
• Strengthen the role of independent civil society organisations and reinforce the links between security, the democratic rule of law and social cohesion.        
• Fully integrate the Women, Peace and Security agenda into Dutch security policy, recognising women as security actors, peacebuilders and contributors to societal resilience.