25 years of the Belgo-British Conference: resilience in turbulent times

A Belgo-British conference sparked interesting discussions on resilience in terms of security and health, and on the need for resilient and cohesive societies in these turbulent times. Strong partnerships, like the one with our British neighbour, are a must too.

On 25 March 2025, the 17th Belgo-British Conference took place at the Egmont Palace in Brussels – 25 years after the very first edition in Bruges in 2000, marking a silver jubilee.
 

Original format

Its origins trace back to a meeting at the end of 1999 between the then Prime Ministers of both countries: Tony Blair and Guy Verhofstadt. They saw the value in regularly organizing high-level exchanges of ideas among politicians, academics, businesspeople, and civil society professionals.

The format is original because it goes beyond mere government-level interactions. A Belgo-British conference offers a platform for the wider societies of the United Kingdom and Belgium to freely exchange ideas. This not only builds bridges but also yields valuable insights into how both countries can best tackle their challenges.
 

Resilience

A Belgo-British conference is jointly organized by the FPS Foreign Affairs and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), in close collaboration with the Belgian and British embassies. Co-chairs Prof. Alexander Mattelaer (Egmont Institute) and Sir Robin Niblett (former director of Chatham House) ensure the event runs smoothly. Between 2016 and 2022, the conference exceptionally did not take place due to Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is held alternately in the UK and Belgium.

Each conference revolves around a theme that best addresses the needs of the moment. Past topics have included globalization, employment, and natural resources. For this year's jubilee edition, the organizers chose resilience, a term frequently heard these days. Because in times when everything seems uncertain, we need to be more resilient than ever and able to respond calmly, thoughtfully, and flexibly to the rapidly changing circumstances.
 

Whole of society

Three panels were scheduled to debate national security, healthcare, and the generation gap, respectively. Regarding national security, there seemed to be a consensus that our defence capacity needs to be increased. Both neighbouring countries can, for instance, boost their resilience by increasing cooperation of their naval forces in the North Sea, fighting cyberattacks, and better protecting their infrastructure like submarine cables.

But security is not just about defence or the military. True security is only possible when the entire nation is involved, both at the government and societal levels: whole of government, whole of society. Both countries want to exchange best practices on this.

Moreover, the fight against climate disruption must not fade into the background. Extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and wildfires can significantly undermine national resilience.
 

Regaining trust

The healthcare panel drew lessons from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens need to be better informed and involved, and prevention – avoiding health problems – should receive more attention. Being prepared is not enough. We must be ready for a new pandemic – which will always be somewhat different – and able to act immediately. Accessible data play a key role.

And what about societal divisions? Rapid, unpredictable changes cause unrest. Older people sometimes tend to retreat into nostalgia for seemingly better times, while younger people often face the future with anxiety. Trust in public institutions is eroding in both groups.

Governments thus need to consider how to regain citizens' trust. Greater economic security – affordable housing, meaningful jobs – will go a long way. Furthermore, we can involve citizens more closely in our values – through decent education - and better explain what, for example, taxes are used for.
 

Public figures

In short, the Belgo-British Conference once again sparked rich discussions. The focus remains on mutual learning and better sharing of experiences, because at the end of the day, resilience thrives on solid partnerships. And with our neighbour across the Channel, we already maintain a profound and multifaceted relationship that is invaluable to both countries.

The conference was attended by public figures such as Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden, Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade Theo Francken, Chief of Defence Frederik Vansina, the head of the national crisis centre Leen Depuydt, as well as the mayors of Charleroi and Tienen, Thomas Dermine and Jonathan Holslag, respectively.

On the British side, notable participants included the Minister of Justice Lord Frederick Ponsonby of Shulbrede, the British Ambassador to Belgium Anne Sherriff and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Digital Planning Programme Director Milan Bogunovic.
 

Future

Looking ahead to the future and to the next edition, which will take place in the UK, Belgium and the UK will continue to be close allies, ready to tackle any new challenges that come their way. “Without partnerships, we can't be as prepared and protected as we'd like to be,” emphasized Theodora Gentzis, President of the Board of Directors of our federal public service during the conference. “Let's ride out this geopolitical storm we're currently facing together, calmly and well-informed.”