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Our history with Europe

May newsletter from Wilton Park CEO Tom Cargill

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The new agreement between the UK and European Union this week is an important moment to reflect on how Wilton Park’s work promotes UK interests by facilitating honest discreet dialogue.

Building peace and prosperity in Europe has been at the core of Wilton Park’s work since we were founded in 1946. When rationing was still in place and money tight, there was a recognition that supporting honest closed door discussions with European counterparts – in good times and bad – is vital to our basic freedoms, jobs, and prosperity at home in Britain.

The 80th Anniversary of VE Day was an opportunity to remember why these original drivers of Wilton Park’s mission have not gone away, or in some cases, have sadly made a return in recent years.

As Wilton Park approaches our 80th anniversary in 2026, we are working to better understand our early years, and the ongoing resonances with our mission today. As part of this we talked to Karl Freudenstein, now in his 90s, who as a young man was one of the first German civilians to attend Wilton Park in 1950. Karl shared powerful testimony with us on his experience, and why he believes Wilton Park remains critical to peace and prosperity in 21st century Europe. You can hear his story below.

To mark our 80th anniversary in 2026, we’re collecting your memorable moments – from breakthrough conversations to lasting connections made at Wilton Park. If you have a story to share, please complete our short form. Selected submissions will feature in anniversary publications, with opportunities for interviews.

Tom Cargill

Chief Executive

Wilton Park at 80: rebuilding from the rubble of war

Karl Freudenstein was still at high school in Germany when people around the world celebrated Victory in Europe in 1945. Five years later, he travelled to England to report on some of the earliest sessions held at Wilton Park.

Now in his nineties, Karl shared his Wilton Park story with us to mark our own upcoming 80th anniversary, and reflected on lessons from the Second World War that must not be forgotten.

Below, you can listen to him tell that story in his own words.

 Listen now

Mobilising partners to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment

This event, hosted by the Government of the United Kingdom and UN Women, addressed challenges to gender equality, particularly in multilateral contexts, and explored innovative financing solutions during financial constraints.

It built on recent Commission on the Status of Women outcomes while connecting to Beijing +30 and the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.

Framed as a moment of crisis and opportunity, discussions focused on strengthening multilateral gender equality support at a time of UN reform, building new partnerships to tackle the pushback on the rights of women and girls, and how to secure sustainable financing for women’s empowerment.

Sustainable and effective resourcing models to protect against sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment

We recently partnered with FCDO to convene global stakeholders to discuss how to resource Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) work.

SEAH disproportionately harms women, children and other vulnerable groups, with perpetrators abusing the power they derive from delivering humanitarian, development or peace-related work.

The statistics are stark: 90% of victim-survivors are female, 1 in 3 victims are children, and approximately 25% of cases involve rape or sexual violence. Around 25% of female employees experience SEAH annually, with thousands of cases going unreported.

This issue is especially relevant as declining aid budgets and rising poverty and instability heighten PSEAH risks while limiting organisational response capacity.

We heard how failing to act to prevent and respond appropriately to SEAH can damage people and cause lasting reputational damage; how tackling PSEAH is cost-effective, good for business, and essential—not optional. Like fraud prevention, it should be considered a fundamental cost of doing business.

The full report will be available on our website next month.

Protecting Congo Basin Forests, Peatlands & People: A Roadmap to COP30

The Congo Basin forests are the world’s second lung. 80 million people directly rely on them for food, health and livelihood needs. How can this vital ecosystem of forests and peatlands be protected while the six countries they span develop and grow to improve the livelihoods of their populations?

This question and others were explored at our high-level roundtable on ‘The Congo Basin Forests to Belém and beyond: what follows the Pledge?’

Read the full report, which includes agreed elements of a Roadmap to COP30.

Read the report

An aerial view of evaporation ponds on lithium fields

Latest reports

Read our latest reports, on democratic governance, advancing sustainable urbanisation and accelerating progress of the lithium battery value chain.

Read the reports

Upcoming events

The good, the bad and the actionable: a Global Partnership initiative to counter and leverage WMD-relevant technologies

This June, Wilton Park and Global Affairs Canada will convene a diverse group of thought leaders to address one of today’s most pressing security challenges.

As technological innovation accelerates—particularly in artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, biotechnology, and quantum computing—we face both heightened risks and unprecedented opportunities in weapons of mass destruction control.

This dialogue will bring together leading experts from government, academia and private sector to explore this dual-edged reality. Together, participants will identify strategies to mitigate emerging threats while leveraging these same technologies to strengthen global non-proliferation and counter-terrorism frameworks.

 

Food systems and power: towards collective action for systemic change

Wilton Park, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and EIT Food, is hosting a roundtable on food systems transformation.

This high-level dialogue brings together experts from government, civil society, academia and business to address how entrenched power dynamics hinder progress toward sustainable food systems.

Participants will develop actionable strategies for a new multi-partner Food & Power Initiative, aimed at creating resilient, equitable food systems at a time when over 700 million people face hunger globally.

Learn more

 

Ambassadorial Summit 2025

In the context of ever growing global uncertainty, driving sustainable growth remains of key point of common interest across the Commonwealth.

This Wilton Park event will provide an opportunity for dialogue and networking between High Commissioners and representatives from HMG and business on where growth opportunities now lie, and what sustainability might mean in a fast changing global context.

Learn more

 

Sussex Growth Forum: Global Connections

This event brings together stakeholders from across Sussex to discuss the region’s global potential and relationships.

Representatives from national and local government, MPs, business, higher education and cultural organisations across Sussex will discuss how to meaningfully connect the needs and aspirations of local communities to international opportunities at a time of significant local, national and global change.

If you are a Sussex business and would like to participate, contact us.

 Learn more

Recent events

Global Impact Group Retreat

Last month we held the inaugural meeting of our Global Impact Group, which provides a unique platform for members to shape international policy discussions and provide direct input to government policymakers on pressing challenges.

Senior business leaders gathered to discuss strengthening UK resilience during uncertain times and explored collaborative opportunities between government and industry.

The meeting was characterised by productive and energetic discussions that laid a strong foundation for future collaboration. Recommendations were made and we will be working with Global Impact Group members to take these forward.

 

Global Wind Energy Council Summit on the geopolitics of the energy transition in a multipolar world

In partnership with the Global Wind Energy Council, European Climate Foundation and Stanley Center for Peace and Security, we hosted a strategic summit examining the intersection of geopolitics and the energy transition.

This high-level forum explored how energy shapes power dynamics between nations while investigating which emerging powers stand to gain from leading in renewable development. Participants specifically addressed how wind energy can be positioned as a cornerstone of energy security in today’s complex geopolitical landscape.

Look ahead

Towards demographic dividends in Africa: action and investments

The population in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is projected to rise from its 1.2 billion today to around 2.1 billion by 2050, comprising more than 20% of the world’s population, and with more than half under age 25. By 2040, Africa will have the largest population of under 25’s in the world. These demographic trends have profound implications for the continent and globally.

Planning and investment in policies to accompany the demographic shifts must be led by governments and the private sector, and supported by external partners. Building on the Heads of States Human Capital Summit held by the World Bank in Tanzania in 2023, this event is an opportunity to have a focused discussion among regional government representatives and other experts in a discreet setting on how to leverage these demographic trends to be a source of sustainable economic growth and development for the region.

View all events

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