Military Capabilities –

The Kingdom of Netherlands has a conventional armed force. The number of active personnel in the armed forces is 35,722 and has a reserve force of 5,046.[1].

The Kingdom is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and as such has access to the military capabilities of its NATO allies in order to defend itself against any threats to its security or sovereignty.

The Netherlands ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Biological Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention. Thus, Kingdom does not possess any WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) or Nuclear Weapons.

But the Kingdom of Netherlands is part of the NATO and participates in nuclear weapons sharing arrangements with other NATO member states. The kingdom is also training to deliver nuclear weapons for the United States of America.[2]

Geo-political context and threats to the Kingdom of Netherlands –

The mainland of the Kingdom of Netherlands is in Europe and faces similar threats as other European nations such as security threats from Russia and other countries who believe in an “anti-west” philosophy, Refugees fleeing crisis and war-torn regions and seeking refuge and terrorism, in specific Islamic terrorism.

The Kingdom of Netherlands has taken in over 75,000 refugees from war-torn states such as Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan etc. This possesses unique threats since the screening process for refugees is a complicated process and not a fool-proof one. Therefore, this could lead to the rise of radical Islamism and also create a clash of cultures between the citizens and the refugees as was seen in Germany.

Just as other countries around the world, the Kingdom of Netherlands is not immune form the threats of terrorism. In September 2018, the Police and the Intelligence agencies of the Kingdom of Netherlands discovered plans for a complex attack which led to the arrest of seven people. In March of 2019, the city of Utrecht fell prey to a terrorist attack which led to the death of 3 Dutch nationals. Due to the following reasons mentioned above, the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism has had the threat level for the Kingdom of Netherlands at lever four (on a scale of 1-5) since early 2018.[3] 

The Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of Netherlands could also face a refugee crisis due to its proximity to South-American countries such as Venezuela and Columbia which are going through economic and humanitarian crises.

Summary –

The Integrated International Security Strategy 2018-2022 of Netherlands can be divided into two parts-

The first, is the analysis of security threats that the Kingdoms of Netherlands faces. It doesn’t just talk about the security threats of the mainland, but also of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.

The strategy does analyse the usual threats such as terrorist threats and military threats but does it in the context of the current world order. The threat of nuclear proliferation and the use of chemical weapons by both state and non-state actors is also addressed in this document. When it comes to state actors, only the states the Russia and North Korea are specifically mentioned.

Given the technological advancement the world over, the threats of cyber-attacks have become clearer and more evident. Thus, this document also mentions cyber-attacks as another possible avenue for attacks. The framers of this document look at the internet not just as a venue to steal information but also cause significant damage to the economy of the nation given how digitised the nation’s economy is. This also poses a significant threat since the Dutch financial sector is highly concentrated, with four commercial banks possessing over 80% of banking assets and is four times the size of Dutch GDP.[4]

The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, plays an important role as a European transportation hub[5]. As such, the Dutch Government is also wary of threats of their economy. In specific, they are wary of threats of piracy in their shipping routes and to cyber threats to the financial sector due to its centralized nature. The Dutch Government is also wary of untowardly investments by outsiders that might undermine the stability of the nation.

The second part of this document is the security strategy. The security strategy for -Netherlands is based on three principles- Prevent, Defend and Strengthen. Using these principles, the strategy states various security goals that the state will try to achieve. There are 13 different security goals set out under this strategy.

There are four goals under the first principle. These goals are- preventing conflict around Europe and the Kingdom; eliminating the root causes of terrorism; disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; clear international norms for cyber activity. These goals aim to prevent security risks from evolving at the grassroot levels.

To prevent conflict in and around the Kingdom of Netherlands, the strategy proposes working towards “an integrated conflict prevention agenda that combines security, migration, foreign trade and development cooperation priorities.” To further prevent conflict, the strategy suggests that the government of the Kingdom of Netherlands aim to “eliminate root causes of terrorism by discouraging the systematic marginalisation and repression of vulnerable groups by authorities, and by enhancing resilience of young people in regions which face a risk of radicalization”. To fulfil the third goal of disarmament and non-proliferation of WMDs, the strategy suggest that the government of the Kingdom of Netherlands continue to help make, improve and enforce international agreements and frameworks governing the possession, use and proliferation of WMDs. The strategy also looks at conventional arms control as a major security concern and suggest continuous work “for improved application and renewal of international legal and political frameworks.” To reach its fourth goal regarding the prevention of cyber-attacks, the strategy suggests that the Kingdom of Netherlands “actively contribute to negotiate new international agreements that can reduce cyber threats”.

The second principle is to defend. Under the second principle, the Kingdom of Netherlands wants to ensure the security of the mainland territory of Netherlands, other territories part of the kingdom, and the territory of NATO allies by means of modern self-defence. There are six goals under defend- Modern collective self-defence and protection of Dutch and NATO territory; Forceful cyber deterrence; counterterrorism; societal resilience to foreign interference; safeguarding economic security; tackling cross-border crime.

As a member state of NATO, The Kingdom of Netherlands has an obligation to not just defend itself but also be a part of the collective self-defence efforts of all NATO member states. To fulfil these efforts, the strategy proposes that the Kingdom focus on strengthening its armed forces, also work towards strengthening its defences against cyber warfare. The strategy also suggests the nuclear doctrines to be modified to include security and stability as their focus. It also focuses on making the external border controls and management more efficient and places special emphasis on the Caribbean parts of the kingdom.

To make itself resilient to cyber threats the government is investing in cyber intelligence and has as announced the coalition agreement, according to which it is investing in a cybersecurity agenda. The Kingdom of Netherlands has invested substantially at national, EU and international level in addressing the terrorist threat and hence to fulfil its next objective the Kingdom is helping to build capacity in third countries. Along with diplomatic counterterrorism cooperation with the private sector and civil society organisations is a crucial step in countering terrorism. Netherlands will try to resist unwanted foreign interference by focussing on “a sound information position, conducting dialogues with the countries concerned, and an increased resilience in the Netherlands.” Other key efforts include investing in bilateral co-operations, a joint EU approach, protecting those who hold office, and investing in targeted strategic communication to counter disinformation. A key aspect to a country’s security is its economic security. Due to the open nature of the Dutch economy, its security has an international dimension to it. Ensuring economic security involves “keeping trade routes open, combating cyber espionage and threats, ensuring a secure supply of energy and raw materials and ensuring that foreign investments do not undermine national security.” It is particularly concerned with the vulnerability of the Caribbean parts of its kingdom to hostile takeovers. To take care of all these anticipated problems the Netherlands is working hard to keep the land, sea, and air supply routes secure. In addition to this it is also taking steps to prepare for international developments like the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and the growing accessibility to the north pole region. The next goal addresses the problem of cross-border crimes. The aim of this report is to tackle this problem through their ‘upstream disruption’ efforts. Upstream disruption is an effort wherein the police try to combat crime at an early stage. The efforts are prevalent in the digital domain. The main aspects of this effort are public-private partnerships international information exchange, participation in missions, and EU initiatives.

For the implementation of all the goals stated above, the strategy does not propose the creation of any new structures. The strategy will be implemented within the frameworks and agencies already present and working within the current government structure.

 The document also states that the government submit an Integrated International Security Strategy (IISS) progress report to the House of Representatives, every two years. The document also tells the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider any new and evolving trend to terrorism worldwide and make any changes to the strategy in accordance with the changes.

Critique –

The Integrated International Security Strategy 2018-2022 of Netherlands, although not very lengthy is quite comprehensive. It keeps up with the modern times and takes into consideration the current security threats and also the current geo-political situation around the world. The document does not just state the security threats but also proposes a strategy to counter these threats. While the emphasis for this strategy is mainland Netherlands, the Caribbean territories of the Kingdom are not ignored and the security threats for them are also addressed.

Also, while most security strategy documents for states are usually quite rigid, this strategy document emphasises that the Government does update the strategy document every two years depending on the change in emphasis on some security issues or the rise of any new issues.

The negatives about this strategy report is that, while it does state various national security goals to be achieved, these goals are very general, and the report does not go into the specifics of how these goals need to be achieved.

Overall, the Integrated International Security Strategy 2018-2022 of Netherlands is a comprehensive national security report and addresses most of the immediate security concerns of the country while considering the nation’s limitation and also the current geo-political climate around the world.

-Abhinav Padmanbhan

References :-

1. Country Military Strength - Netherlands. (n.d.). Retrieved from Global Firepower: https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=netherlands
2. Rozoff, R. (2018, May 10). NATO’s Secret Transatlantic Bond: Nuclear Weapons In Europe. Retrieved from Global Research: https://www.globalresearch.ca/nato-s-secret-transatlantic-bond-nuclear-weapons-in-europe/16394
3. Terrorist Threat Assesment In Netherlands. (2019). Retrieved from National Coordinatior for Security and Counterterrorism - Minisrty of Justice and Security : https://english.nctv.nl/organisation/counterterrorism/TerroristThreatAssessmentNetherlands/index.aspx
4. The World Factbook -Europe-Netherlands. (n.d.). Retrieved from Central Intelligence Agency: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nl.html