A Privilege to Serve

I have arrived at the end of my journey with #NATO. I am grateful to the Sec Gen, NATO International Staff, and Allies for the opportunity to lead by serving as Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management. The 3-year term, marked by Covid response, NATO's new Strategic Concept discussions, and Russia's dehumanizing terror against Ukraine, was nothing short of extraordinary.

My biggest bow goes to the 400-strong Executive Management division, which endured throughout the challenges and continues to successfully enable the HQ operation. This has been a journey of growth, both personally and professionally. And for that I am immensely grateful to my team and to all with whom I've had a chance to interact. It has been an honour and a privilege.

Going forward, the world seems increasingly complex. Two big trends, both also acknowledged by NATO Leaders, are shaping the future of our world - (geo)strategic competition and climate change. These trends are already causing increased uncertainty and volatility, which permeate our daily routines.

In the geopolitical realm, a consensus view now holds that the 21st century will be defined by the battle between democracies and authoritarian regimes. As we witness the savagery of Russian terror in Ukraine and the gathering storm of authoritarianism in China, the imperative to defend democracy becomes increasingly clear. The battle, however, is not only about the great political game or ideological differences. The connectedness of the world underlines an overwhelming complexity, which manifests through accelerating inflation, supply chain interruptions, polarising politics, elevated disinformation space, and much more. Now, more than ever, values-aligned alliances are crucial.

Climate change is here to stay: from ravaging hurricanes (Ian) to sweltering draughts, from unforgiving fires to devastating floods like in Pakistan. These are life altering events, for people, for institutions, for nation states. NATO's Strategic Concept states plain and simple:?"[c]limate change is a defining challenge of our time, with profound impact on Allied security. It is a crisis and threat multiplier."?The latest US National Security Strategy follows closely:"climate change is the greatest and potentially existential [shared problem] for all nations."?In short, as the climate changes, massive security implications will inevitably arise. Hence, to anticipate the change and to be ready to act upon it, unprecedented collaboration is warranted.?

Strategic competition and climate change are also intimately interwoven. This exposes the innate fragility of the world's "architecture," and the urgent challenge becomes how to strengthen #resilience. Are we ready to deal with these challenges? How do we move from fragile-by-design to resilience-by-design? Are our institutions prepared to deal with complexity? Can we grasp the seriousness of global challenges without politicising everything? How to harness the power of exponential technological progress to the benefit of all? How do we lead? And how do we prosper??

As I approach my next adventure, those are the questions I pose to help orientate myself and others. In moments when?"things fall apart,"?tackling complex problems requires multidisciplinary approach, it demands advanced collaboration, it calls for a visionary leadership that is both inclusive and bold. I look forward to it all. God bless.

Sincerely Yours,

Giedrimas