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| Security and Defence Agenda | |
|---|---|
| Name | Security and Defence Agenda |
| Formation | 2002 |
| Dissolution | 2014 |
| Type | Think tank |
| Headquarters | Brussels |
| Leader title | Director |
Security and Defence Agenda
The Security and Defence Agenda (SDA) was a Brussels-based think tank and forum active from 2002 to 2014, convening debates on transatlantic relations, European defence, NATO policy, and strategic affairs. The SDA brought together policymakers, diplomats, military officers, academics, and industry representatives from institutions such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, the United States Department of Defense, and the United Nations. It organized conferences that featured speakers from entities including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the European Commission, the Atlantic Council, and the Royal United Services Institute.
Founded in 2002 amid debates after the September 11 attacks and during the Iraq War (2003–2011), the SDA sought to bridge discussions between capitals such as Washington, D.C., Brussels, London, Paris, and Berlin. Early events engaged figures associated with the George W. Bush administration, representatives from the European Commission under Romano Prodi, and military leaders who had served in operations like Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the 2000s the SDA intersected with think tanks including the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, Chatham House, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States, while drawing contributors from academic institutions such as King's College London, the London School of Economics, Harvard University, and Georgetown University. By the 2010s the SDA engaged with initiatives linked to the European External Action Service, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and experts involved in the aftermath of the Libyan Civil War (2011). In 2014, elements of the SDA’s activities were absorbed into successor platforms and networks, reflecting ongoing shifts in European strategic dialogue after events like the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the Euromaidan protests.
The SDA aimed to inform policy debates on defence and security matters affecting actors such as NATO, the European Union External Action Service, the United Nations Security Council, and national ministries including the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, and the Ministry of Defence (France). Goals included enhancing cooperation between transatlantic partners like Canada, the United States, and European states; promoting interoperability with organizations such as the European Defence Agency; and fostering dialogue on crises involving states like Russia, Ukraine, Syria, and Libya. The SDA sought to convene experts associated with academic programs at Oxford University, Princeton University, Stanford University, and Sciences Po to contribute to debates on counterterrorism after the Madrid train bombings and the London bombings (2005) and on cyber policy following incidents like the Estonian cyberattacks (2007).
The SDA operated as a nongovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, with a board comprising former diplomats, military officers, and academics linked to institutions including the NATO Defense College, the European Parliament, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Leadership drew on networks of senior fellows and advisors from think tanks such as the Atlantic Council, the Royal United Services Institute, the Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Centre for European Reform. Program directors coordinated events in collaboration with partners like the European External Action Service, the NATO Allied Command Transformation, the US European Command, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Funding and governance involved stakeholders from foundations such as the Open Society Foundations, corporate partners in the European Defence Agency procurement community, and trusts associated with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
The SDA organized high-level conferences, roundtables, and workshops bringing together figures from NATO Secretary General, ministers from France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and senior officers from formations like ISAF and KFOR. Program areas included transatlantic security dialogues with representatives from the United States Congress, parliamentary briefings for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, seminars on capability development with the European Defence Agency, and crisis simulation exercises featuring experts from the International Crisis Group and the Small Arms Survey. The SDA published policy briefings and hosted lecture series involving scholars from Columbia University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University, and practitioners connected to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, RAND Corporation, and Center for Strategic and International Studies. It ran public outreach events engaging media organizations such as the BBC, Euronews, and Reuters and collaborated on training modules with military education centers like the NATO School Oberammergau.
Through partnerships with entities such as the European Commission, the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, the US Mission to NATO, and national ministries of defence, the SDA sought to shape debates on topics including defence procurement, capability pooling, and crisis management. It convened dialogues involving officials from the European Parliament committees, ambassadors to Belgium, and chiefs of staff from armed forces like the French Armed Forces and the German Bundeswehr. The SDA worked with international organizations including the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the World Bank on security-sector reform, and the International Committee of the Red Cross on humanitarian law. Networks extended to academic partners such as King's College London Defence Studies Department, the European University Institute, and the Hertie School.
Critics raised concerns about ties between policy platforms and defence industry sponsors, citing similar debates involving organizations like the European Defence Agency and controversies that had embroiled think tanks such as the Institute for the Study of War and the German Marshall Fund. Questions were raised about transparency in funding comparable to scrutiny applied to institutions like the Center for a New American Security and the Heritage Foundation, and about potential influence on policy processes involving procurement debates in forums like the European Defence Agency and discussions over NATO capability commitments. The SDA also faced critique over inclusivity from civil society groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch concerning fora that prioritized military and governmental perspectives over humanitarian actors such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee.
Category:Think tanks based in Belgium