26th Foreign Policy Conference

The war in Ukraine has brought security and defence issues back to the forefront of public and political debate. At the same time, security had long been taken for granted – as an issue that the the state ensured quietly in the background, without requiring broader societal engagement or participation.

Today, democratic societies face security challenges that extend far beyond conventional military threats. Attacks on critical infrastructure, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, as well as the security implications of climate change, are directly affecting us. They highlight the increasingly interconnected nature of internal and external security. Traditional security and defence concepts alone are no longer sufficient to tackle these challenges. A comprehensive approach is required – one that strengthens resilience against both conventional and hybrid threats, while also incorporating the security implications of climate change.

Following the adoption of the revised 'Framework Guidelines for Comprehensive Defence' by the Traffic Light coalition in June 2024, the strengthening of civil defence and protection, intelligence services, and the protection of information technology systems, which was pushed through by Alliance 90/The Greens as part of Germany’s debt brake reform, has politically and financially anchored a security understanding that integrates both military and civil resilience. The current government coalition agreement promises to enshrine measures for comprehensive defence as a “paramount public interest and prioritize them over other state tasks”. Where do we stand today? And what international lessons can guide us in adapting to a rapidly evolving security landscape?

The 26th Foreign Policy Conference takes these questions as its starting point and looks beyond national approaches. What can we learn from Sweden's and Singapore's 'Total Defence' model, or Estonia's cyber resilience strategies? How can Germany implement its new framework guidelines? Can resilience become a new guiding principle for defence in the 21st century? What international legal issues arise? And should security and defence at all rely on the involvement of the entire population?

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Berlin, 29 January 2026

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.   Opening – Keynote I & Opening Conversation
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.   Panel Discussion I
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.   Coffee Break
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.   Breakout Sessions
                                        I)   Zeitenwende – Fit for Our Times? 
                                             Perspectives on Inclusive Comprehensive Defence Strategies
                                              in cooperation with Polis180
                                       II)   Comprehensive Defence in the Climate Crisis: 
                                              Risk Multiplier or Win-Win?
                                      III)   Energy Infrastructure Under Threat: 
                                              The Risk of a Blackout
5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.   Networking Break
5:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.   Keynote II
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.   Panel Discussion II
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.   Reception & Get Together

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The discussion will be held in German and English, with simultaneous interpretation.

Admission is free. We look forward to your participation.

Contact:
Philipp Straub
Project Officer Foreign and Security Policy Division
E straub@boell.de  

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Your Participation in the event

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.

» Livestream
Alternatively, you can follow the event via the livestream without registering.

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