The Netherlands and Australia are fortunate to be amongst the safest countries in the world. At the same time, both countries face a growing number of threats that are increasingly complex and interconnected. We cannot afford to be naive about this.

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For example, the geopolitical balance of power is changing rapidly including in the Indo Pacific region. Instability reigns on Europe’s eastern and southern borders, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the ultimate game changer. Cyberattacks are proliferating at an alarming pace, and in today’s digital world, the reliability of information is increasingly at stake. Globalization and modern technologies not only create opportunities, but also new challenges for economic security. Cross border organized crime undermines the stability of societal relations. And the effects of climate change also have a significant and growing impact on our way of life. The uncertainty associated with all these developments is a breeding ground for societal distrust and polarization. This, too, is a security concern.

​​​​​​​International cooperation is crucial to ensure international peace and security. On the basis of the Security Strategy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (video), the Netherlands works closely with partners like Australia to prevent conflict worldwide and strengthen our resilience. Both because it is the right thing to do, and because it is a perquisite for prosperity and economic growth.

NATO Contact Point Embassy

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has assumed, in conjunction with the Embassy of Croatia Croatia, the role of NATO Contact Point Embassy for Australia for the 2021-2024 period. As one of the founding allies of NATO, the Netherlands aids to promote broad and accurate understanding of NATO amongst Australian audiences through public diplomacy.

Economic security

Technological developments, digitalization and globalization are increasing our connectedness. As significant economic players with a large knowledge bases, this offers both Australia and the Netherlands many opportunities. As the ‘gateway to Europe’, the Netherlands is an important logistics hub for world trade. Connectedness also implies vulnerabilities, including those of high-risk (strategic) dependencies in the economic and technological spheres. Increasingly, major state actors focus on creating unilateral high-risk strategic dependencies as a means of exerting pressure to strengthen their geopolitical position. This also increases risks of undesirable knowledge transfer, including knowledge theft, in companies and within our knowledge and educational institutions. The Netherlands and Australia both aim to promote a rules based international trading system while strengthening the resilience of our societies against economic security threats. ​​​​​​​

Cyber security

Digital systems are becoming increasingly intertwined in our society, and it is no longer possible to make a clear distinction between the physical or digital domain. Cyber threats can therefore have a variety of consequences on our social and political stability and physical and economic security. The Netherlands aims to contribute to an open, free and secure cyber domain. We cannot do this alone but work closely with international partners including Australia on the basis of our International Cyber Strategy. ​​​​​​​

Hybrid threats

In the current era of international and geopolitical threats, both state and non-state actors are increasingly using hybrid methods and techniques, largely below the level of open armed conflict. Such means may include the use of military intimidation, espionage and sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, foreign interference in diaspora communities, knowledge theft or economic instruments. This combined -or hybrid- use of means and actors can pose a threat to our national security. It can harm our economic security or affect our social and political stability. The Netherlands and Australia have a shared interest in building resilience against hybrid threats.