Over the span of three days, twenty students and young professionals from across Sweden stepped into the roles of NATO member states. They explored how NATO should respond to hybrid threats, drafted a joint statement, and held a practice press briefing to present the Council’s conclusions. The simulation gave participants a valuable chance to experience NATO decision-making and to develop their negotiation and strategic thinking skills.

The event began with a welcome reception at the Dutch Embassy in Stockholm. Deputy Ambassador Kim de Jong spoke about the Netherlands’ long-standing commitment to NATO as one of its founding members. Experts also shared their views, Senior Lecturer Magnus Christiansson from the Swedish Defense University gave a talk about NATO’s future. He highlighted the importance of keeping allies united in the run-up to the NATO Summit in The Hague.

By bringing together motivated young people from Uppsala to Malmö, the Model North Atlantic Council encouraged dialogue on European and transatlantic security. It also showed how Sweden’s recent NATO membership is inspiring its youth to think about the Alliance’s future.

A big thank you to YATA Sweden and to all the participants whose enthusiasm and knowledge made this Model NAC such a success. Also many thanks to Magnus Christiansson of the Swedish Defence Academy and to Content Manager and Defence Project Leader Fredrika Storm (@forsvarmedfreddie) for sharing your expertise.