In Middelburg, youth from 50 nations call for a renewed democracy

Two hundred young people from more than 50 countries gathered in Middelburg last week to demand that world leaders not only protect freedom and democracy but also modernize them. Their final declaration, the “Verdrag van Middelburg,” was officially presented Saturday afternoon to Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, acting King's Commissioner for Zeeland Hugo de Jonge, and Middelburg Mayor Yvonne van Mastrigt.

The declaration includes calls for safeguards against disinformation, deepfakes, and manipulation through social media and artificial intelligence, as well as recognition of emotional safety and mental health at work as basic human rights. The document also states that access to basic necessities should never be negotiable. The initiative was part of the national commemoration of 80 years of freedom in the Netherlands.

The youth participants emphasized that the four freedoms articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear—must be redefined to meet modern threats. These freedoms were central to the conference, which culminated in the joint youth treaty.

Defense Minister Brekelmans praised the conference for giving substance to today’s urgent challenges: “We often see that those who shout the loudest get the most attention, but it is crucial that we continue to talk with each other and reach agreement together. That is what these young people have done over the past few days. They have translated the four freedoms from 1941 into the present. Especially now, when freedom is under pressure worldwide, that is fundamentally important.”

Organizers of the International Youth Freedom Conference said the treaty is intended to be discussed during the NATO summit in The Hague this June. A video message from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was played during the event, along with remarks from Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, granddaughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“In a time when these values are under pressure globally, it is extremely hopeful to see how young people are making their voices heard, immersing themselves in the core of democracy, and taking responsibility for the future,” said Pieter Hendriks, chair of the Stichting 80 jaar Vrijheid Zeeland, which organized the conference.