Belgo-British Conference

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The Belgo-British Conference is a recurring conference organised by the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Egmont Institute and the British Council. [1]

Contents

The aim of the conference is to enrich bilateral relations by bringing together politicians, business people, academics, journalists, and other opinion-formers to debate themes of common and crucial importance to Belgium and the United Kingdom.

History

The Belgo-British Conference was first held in 2000, having been an idea discussed by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, when they met for the first time in Downing Street in November 1999.

The first edition took place in Bruges in 2000. The location of the conference would alternate annually between the United Kingdom and Belgium and takes place under the Chatham House Rule. After the fifteenth edition in 2014, the conference was stopped being held until it was reinvigorated in 2022.

The Belgo-British Conference is currently chaired by Sir Robin Niblett (Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House) and Ambassador Johan Verbeke (former Belgian Ambassador to the UK), who preside over a board which agrees the theme of the conference. Previous chairs include Sir Stephen Wall, Ambassador Lode Willems, André Villeneuve, Count Georges Jacobs de Hagen, Baron Paul Buysse and Lord Simon of Highbury.

Editions

YearDateLocationTheme
200019–21 October Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Bruges None
200125–26 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London None
20023–5 October Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Val-Duchesse Castle, Brussels None
200316–18 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Society, Edinburgh Changing Europe in a Changing World
200425–27 November Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Royal Theatre, Namur Ensuring Europe's Prosperity – Building Bridges
200520–22 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Locarno Rooms, London 2020 – A new horizon for Europe
200616–17 October Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Val-Duchesse Castle, Brussels Globalisation and the Citizen
200713–14 November Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lancaster House, London Bridges Across The Channel
200812–13 November Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Egmont Palace, Brussels Natural Resources: Challenges and Opportunities
200918–19 November Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Council, London Innovating our Way out of the Crisis
201019–20 October Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Egmont Palace, Brussels Player or Spectator? Europe in Tomorrow's World
201117–18 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lancaster House, London Employment and Growth
20128–9 November Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Egmont Palace, Brussels Two Countries, How many Europes? A Belgo-British Dialogue
201310–11 October Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lancaster House, London History and Reconciliation: Engaging a New Generation
201420–21 November Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Egmont Palace, Brussels Creation and Business
20221 July Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Locarno Rooms, London The UK-Belgium Relationship in a Changing Geopolitical Context

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References

  1. Belgo-British Conference Programme 2012 [ permanent dead link ]