Much of what seemed self-evident for decades no longer is. For the next generation, peace and security will look fundamentally different from what those who grew up in the post-1945 era experienced. This is why it matters so much that this new generation does not merely observe, but actively helps to build the security landscape of tomorrow.
Ambassasdor Daalder is a leading expert and commentator on international affairs, geopolitics, and geoeconomics, and served as the U.S. Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from May 2009 to July 2013 under President Barack Obama. He was a member of the staff of United States National Security Council (NSC) during the administration of President Bill Clinton. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center. He served as President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs from 2013-2025.
Yana Rudenko
Co-Founder, DroneAid Collective
Yana Rudenko
Co-Founder, DroneAid Collective
Rudenko is a Ukrainian 2024 Master’s graduate from Leiden University who survived the Russian occupation of Bucha in 2022. She is a co-founder of the DroneAid Collective and the ABBA Student Association, focusing on advocacy for Ukraine and supporting victims of the war.
Rob Jetten
Prime Minister of The Netherlands
Rob Jetten
Prime Minister of The Netherlands
As the youngest Prime Minister in Dutch history, Rob Jetten embodies a new generation of political leadership in Europe. He has been serving as leader of Democrats 66 (D66) since August 2023. Previously, he served as Minister for Climate and Energy Policy and as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Jetten began his political career as a policy advisor for D66 and as chair of the Young Democrats, and served in the municipal council of Nijmegen from 2010 to 2017. He was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2017 general election and was chosen as D66's youngest ever parliamentary leader in 2018.
Benedetta Berti
Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Benedetta Berti
Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Dr Benedetta Berti is the Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly since October 2025. The Secretary General leads the Assembly’s Secretariat as senior executive officer and principal strategic advisor to the Assembly’s political leadership, with responsibility for the Assembly’s activities and policy work, as well as for representing the Assembly externally. Dr Berti previously served as Director of Policy Planning in the Office of the Secretary General at NATO (2018-2025). She is Associate Researcher at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy at Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Visiting Professor at the College of Europe and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Jack Watling
Senior Research Fellow for Applied Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute
Jack Watling
Senior Research Fellow for Applied Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute
Dr Jack Watling is Senior Research Fellow for Applied Military Sciences at the Royal United Services Institute. Jack works closely with the British military on the development of concepts of operation, assessments of the future operating environment, and conducts operational analysis of contemporary conflicts. Jack is the author Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World and The Arms of the Future: Technology and Close Combat in the Twenty First Century. Jack's PhD examined the evolution of Britain’s policy responses to civil war in the early twentieth century. He has worked extensively with the Ukrainian Armed Forces during Russia's full-scale invasion, across NATO, and in Iraq, Mali, Rwanda, on Yemen and further afield.
Cindy Yu
Columnist and contributing editor at The Times and The Sunday Times
Cindy Yu
Columnist and contributing editor at The Times and The Sunday Times
Columnist and contributing editor at The Times and The Sunday Times. Previously, she was assistant editor (broadcast) at The Spectator magazine, where she also hosted the Chinese Whispers podcast, a series on Chinese politics, society and history. She is also a frequent commentator on issues related to China at the BBC World Service, RTÉ, and Sky News.
The inaugural Next Gen: Security Conference The Hague will bring together established leaders and emerging voices in defence, diplomacy and geopolitics for a rare exchange on the future of peace and security. From the Peace Palace to Leiden University Campus The Hague, this conference connects the enduring foundations of international law and diplomacy with the ideas and leadership needed for what comes next.
