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2016 Halifax International Security Forum

2016 Halifax International Security Forum

Date
November 18-20, 2016
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Participants
300

Agenda & Speakers

Friday, November 18
Saturday, November 19
Sunday, November 20

6:00-8:30

Breakfast

LOCATION: Elements Dining Room at the Westin Nova Scotian

8:30-9:45

Plenary 2
: The Superpower’s Enduring Priorities: Trade, Justice and the American Way On the record

Speakers

Editor, Foreign Affairs
Moderator
Dr. Gideon Rose

Dr. Gideon Rose

Dr. Gideon Rose is the Editor of Foreign Affairs. He served as Managing Editor of the magazine from December 2000 to September 2010. From 1995-2000 he was Olin Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and from 1994-95 he served as Associate Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. In 1986-87 he was Assistant Editor at The National Interest, and in 1985-86 held the same position at The Public Interest. He has taught American foreign policy at Columbia and Princeton universities. Mr. Rose received a B.A. in Classics from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Department of Government at Harvard University. His recent works included How Wars End (Simon & Schuster, 2010), Understanding the War on Terror (edited with James F. Hoge, Jr.; Council on Foreign Relations, 2005) and America and the World: Debating the New Shape of International Politics (edited with James F. Hoge, Jr.; Council on Foreign Relations, 2002).

Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Georgetown University Law Center
Ms. Rosa Brooks

Ms. Rosa Brooks

Rosa Brooks is the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center. She also writes a column for Foreign Policy and serves as a Senior Fellow at New America. From 2009-2011, Brooks served as Counselor to Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy. From 2005-2009, Brooks was a weekly op-ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Brooks’ experience also includes stints as a Senior Advisor at the US Department of State, as the Special Counsel to the President of the Open Society Foundations and as a consultant for Human Rights Watch. Brooks has taught at Yale Law School, Harvard and the University of Virginia, and has served as a fellow at the Carr Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She currently serves on the Open Society Foundation’s US Programs Advisory board and the Harper’s Magazine Foundation Board. Her most recent book, How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything, was published in August 2016 by Simon and Schuster. She is a member of the Halifax International Security Forum Agenda Working Group.

Commander, United States Pacific Command
Admiral Harry Harris

Admiral Harry Harris

Admiral Harry Harris was born in Japan and reared in Tennessee and Florida. Following graduation from the US Naval Academy in 1978, he was designated as a naval flight officer. Harris commanded VP-46, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1, Joint Task Force-Guantanamo, the US 6th Fleet, Striking and Support Forces NATO, US Pacific Fleet, and in May 2015, assumed command of the US Pacific Command. Harris has logged 4,400 flight hours, including more than 400 combat hours, in maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. Harris’ graduate education includes Harvard’s Kennedy School, Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, Oxford University, and MIT Seminar 21 Fellow.

Publisher-Editor, Die Zeit
Dr. Josef Joffe

Dr. Josef Joffe

Josef Joffe is editor of the German weekly Die Zeit. Previously he was columnist/ editorial page editor of Süddeutsche Zeitung (1985-2000). He obtained his Ph.D. in Government in 1975 from Harvard. Abroad, his essays and reviews have appeared in: New York Review of Books, New York Times Book Review, Times Literary Supplement, Commentary, New York Times Magazine, New Republic, Weekly Standard, Prospect (London), Commentaire (Paris). His second career has been in academia. In 2007, he was appointed Senior Fellow of Stanford’s Institute for International Studies. A Courtesy Professor of political science at Stanford since 2004, he is also Abramowitz Fellow of the University’s Hoover Institution. He has also taught at Harvard, Johns Hopkins and the University of Munich. His most recent books are The Myth of America’s Decline, 2014, WW. Norton and Überpower: America’s Imperial Temptation (2006, translated into German, French and Chinese).

The first discussion of Day Two focused on the uncertainty within the international defence community following the recent U.S. presidential election. Moderator Gideon Rose began the session by reminding panelists that the familiar world of mutually beneficial cooperation is being challenged. He stated that now more than ever, the conversations that take place in Halifax will be significant in predicting what happens next within the “global operating system,” a metaphor used by Admiral Harris. Speakers felt that while there was uncertainty, the threats to our security hadn’t changed in practice – yet. The discussion then continued to focus on the possible consequences of President-elect Trump’s victory. The panelists debated and mostly agreed that America’s allies have a collective responsibility in holding the new U.S. administration accountable for their future foreign policy decisions.

“I am firmly convinced that our commitments to our allies will remain as strong tomorrow as they were yesterday.”

— Admiral Harry Harris

“The United States’ enduring interests remain the same. Whether we have a president in the White House that pursues that interest… that we just don’t know yet.”

— Dr. Rosa Brooks

“It is totally inconceivable to me that America, after 70 years, will give up what they fought so hard to maintain.”

— Dr. Josef Joffe

“Exit would be a disaster…complacency would be almost as bad.”

— Gideon Rose on America’s global alliance

9:45-10:15

Coffee Break

10:15-11:30

Plenary 3
: Great Continent, Great Responsibility: Finding China’s Role On the record

Speakers

Author, The End of the Asian Century
Moderator
Dr. Michael Auslin

Dr. Michael Auslin

Dr. Michael Auslin is the author, most recently, of The End of the Asian Century: War, Stagnation, and the Risks to the World’s Most Dynamic Region (Yale). A former professor of history at Yale University, he is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C., and also serves as the vice chair of the Wilton Park USA Foundation. He is a long time contributor to The Wall Street Journal and publishes in Foreign Affairs, Forbes, Politico, and other leading media. He is a member of the Halifax International Security Forum Agenda Working Group.

Professor of International Relations, National Defense Academy of Japan, and Adjunct Fellow, Japan Institute of International Affairs
Professor Matake Kamiya

Professor Matake Kamiya

Matake Kamiya is professor of international relations at the National Defense Academy of Japan and a leading security expert in Japan. He is also adjunct research fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, director and senior principal research fellow at the Japan Forum on International Relations, and director of the Japan Association for International Security. His research interests include the Asia-Pacific security, the U.S.-Japan security relations, Japanese foreign and security policies, and nuclear issues including Japan’s non-nuclear policy. Professor Kamiya is co-editor of Introduction to Security Studies, the most widely read textbook on security studies in Japan (Chinese and Korean translations have been published), and author of more than three hundred articles, book chapters and other works in the areas of international relations and international security. The extensive list of his English-language publications has included articles in The Washington Quarterly and Arms Control Today, among others.

National General Secretary, BJP, and Director, India Foundation
Mr. Ram Madhav

Mr. Ram Madhav

Mr. Ram Madhav is the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Director of the India Foundation. India Foundation is an independent think tank focused on the issues, challenges and opportunities of the Indian polity. Mr. Madhav has also held the positions of being the national executive member and the spokesperson of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS); in this capacity he held the interface between the RSS, media and the intelligentsia. Mr. Madhav has been a journalist for more than 30 years and is the author of several books. His latest book was ‘Uneasy Neighbours – India and China after 50 years of the war’, written on the eve of the 50 years of the 1962 war between India & China. The book proposes that the two countries will remain fierce competitors and hence it is imperative for India to understand the thinking, tactics and trajectory of its ‘uneasy neighbour’. Mr. Madhav has also extensively travelled and visited 30 countries to interact with the political, academic and thought leadership.

Senator from Alaska, United States Senate
Senator Dan Sullivan

Senator Dan Sullivan

Dan Sullivan was sworn in as Alaska’s eighth United States Senator on January 6, 2015. Sullivan serves on four Senate committees vital to Alaska: the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Armed Services Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Sullivan served as Alaska’s Attorney General and Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. As Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Sullivan managed one of the largest portfolios of oil, gas, minerals, renewable energy, timber, land, and water in the world. Sullivan is one of a select number of Alaskan attorneys who has held judicial clerkships on both the highest federal and state courts in Alaska. He served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Andrew Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Fairbanks, Alaska and for Chief Justice Warren Matthews of the Alaska Supreme Court in Anchorage, Alaska. Sullivan also served as a judicial law clerk/intern for Judge James L. Buckley on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Sullivan has a distinguished record of military and national security service. He is currently an infantry officer and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Over the past 21 years, Sullivan has served in a variety of command and staff billets on active duty and in the reserves, including: TRAP Force Commander and 81mm mortar Platoon Commander, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Weapons Company Executive Officer, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines; Commanding Officer, Delta Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion; Executive Officer, Echo Company, Fourth Reconnaissance Battalion; and Commanding Officer, 6th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO). In 2004, Sullivan was recalled to active duty for a year and a half to serve as a staff officer to the Commander of U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, spending substantial time deployed in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and Central Asia. In July 2013, Sullivan was recalled to active duty to serve with a Joint Task Force in Afghanistan focusing on dismantling terrorist networks and criminalizing the Taliban insurgency. Sullivan served in the Administration of President George W. Bush as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He focused on fighting terrorist financing, and implementing policies relating to international energy, economic, trade, finance, transportation, telecommunications, and Arctic issues. Sullivan also served as a Director in the International Economics Directorate of the National Security Council staff at the White House. Sullivan earned a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University in 1987 and a joint law and Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1993. Dan and his wife Julie Fate Sullivan were married over 20 years ago in Julie’s hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska. They have three teenage daughters: Meghan, Isabella and Laurel.

Uncertainty continued as a theme in the discussion on China’s trajectory in establishing its global role in the world. Moderator Michael Auslin noted the timeliness of the conversation given that next year will mark the forty-fifth anniversary of President Nixon’s engagement with China. The panel debated the role of regional powers in the Indo-Pacific region, including India and Japan, and their relations with China. Given its influence in the region, India has increasingly had to navigate China as both a continental and maritime power on its borders. The panelists concluded the discussion by contemplating China’s ability to fit into the global world order moving forward and whether it is more likely that China will create its own version of a global operating system.

“The road ahead for China looks far bumpier than it did three, or five, years ago.”

— Dr. Michael Auslin

“When the Chinese government senses a power-vacuum, they do not hesitate to use force.”

— Professor Matake Kamiya

“The rise of China and how it fits in—or doesn’t—in the international order is our greatest challenge.”

— Senator Dan Sullivan

“We want China to be part of the global operating system”

— Admiral Harry Harris

“As the world’s largest democracy, India has to give up its reticence in foreign policy.”

— Mr. Ram Madha

11:30-12:00

Coffee Break

12:00-13:15

Plenary 4
: Because Syria: I’m Your Friendly Neighborhood Terrorist On the record

Speakers

Presenter, Impact, and Correspondent, BBC World News
Moderator
Ms. Yalda Hakim

Ms. Yalda Hakim

Yalda Hakim is an award winning foreign correspondent and currently anchors the flagship program, Impact on BBC World News. She joined BBC World News in December 2012 as a presenter and correspondent and made her on-screen debut in March 2013 presenting a special three part series of Our World entitled, Iraq: Ten Years On. For the past twelve months Yalda has reported extensively from Iraq on the rise of ISIS, and from Nigeria on the country’s fight against Boko Haram. Her other investigations include the United States’ use of drones in Yemen, people-trafficking and torture of Ethiopian migrants in Yemen, and following the Bangladesh garment factory collapse, uncovered workers still being put at risk in unsafe premises. Yalda was born in Afghanistan and moved to Australia in the late 1980s. She began her career at SBS’s World News Australia and filmed her first story for Dateline in 2008 called ‘Yalda’s Kabul’. Before joining BBC, Yalda was the presenter of SBS Dateline in Australia. Yalda was a finalist for the Australian Young Journalist of the Year Award and won the United Nations Media Peace Prize for Best Australian Television News coverage in 2009.

Co-Director, Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, The Brookings Institution
General John Allen (Ret.)

General John Allen (Ret.)

General John R. Allen, US Marine Corps (Ret.) was named the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL by President Obama on September 12, 2014. He served in that position until November, 2015. From April 2013 to May 2014, he served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense on Middle Security leading the Security Dialogue of the Middle East Peace Process. General Allen commanded the NATO International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces in Afghanistan from July 2011 to February 2013. Prior to that tour, he served as Deputy Commander, of the US Central Command. From 2007-2008, as the Deputy Commander of Multi-National Force – West in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, he played a major role in the Sunni tribal “Awakening Movement” or Sahawa al Iraq. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. General Allen holds a B.S. in operations analysis from the US Naval Academy, a M.A. in national security studies from Georgetown University, a M.S. in strategic intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College, and a M.S. in national security strategy from the National Defense University.

Minister for European Union Affairs, Turkey
The Hon. Ömer Çelik

The Hon. Ömer Çelik

Ömer Çelik serves as the Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief Negotiator of the 65th Turkish Government since 24 May 2016. He previously served as Minister of Culture and Tourism of the 61st Turkish Government between January 2013 and September 2015. He previously served as AK Party’s Vice Chairman in charge of Foreign Affairs between March 2010 and January 2013 and in charge of Promotion and Media between September 2015 and May 2016. He has also served as Political Advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan since 2002, was elected as the Deputy of Adana in 22nd, 23rd and 24th legislative periods, and is a Member of NATO Assembly of Parliamentarians Turkish Group, Turkish Grand National Assembly Commission of Foreign Relations and Commission of Environment. He graduated from Gazi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, the Department of Public Administration and got his master’s degree from the same university, in the Department of Political Science. He is a political scientist and strategist.

Minister of Defence, France
The Hon. Jean-Yves Le Drian

The Hon. Jean-Yves Le Drian

After having been elected Deputy for Morbihan in 1978 for the first time, Jean-Yves Le Drian left the National Assembly in 2007. All along these mandates, he sat on the National defence committee. He was more specifically involved in Defence matters and, among others, he was rapporteur for the budget of the French Navy, as well as rapporteur for the commission of inquiry on the safety of Sea transport of dangerous products and polluting agents. President François Mitterrand appointed Jean-Yves Le Drian as Junior Minister for the Sea (1991-1992) to Paul Quilès, who was Minister for Public Works, Housing, Transport and Space (Edith Cresson Cabinet). Among others, he was in charge of setting up the modernization policy of the harbours (reform of the dockers). In 2004, François Hollande, the then First Secretary of the Socialist Party, appointed him as National Secretary in charge of defence matters. He entrusted him with a similar responsibility as Head of the Defence pole during the 2012 Presidential campaign. The President of the Republic appointed Jean-Yves Le Drian as Minister for Defence on May 16, 2012. Jean-Yves Le Drian completed Military service (1972-1973) with Transport battalion GET 512 (Groupement d’escadrons de transport) in Saint-Lô, Normandy.

Senator from Arizona, United States Senate
Senator John McCain

Senator John McCain

The Honorable John McCain has attended the Forum since 2009 as a Republican Senator of the state of Arizona. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986. Senator McCain attended college at the United States Naval Academy and launched a 22-year career as a naval aviator upon his graduation. Senator McCain’s last Navy duty assignment was to serve as the naval liaison to the United States Senate. He retired from the Navy in 1981. His naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1982, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, serving until his election to the U.S. Senate. Senator McCain is currently the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also serves on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Moderator Yalda Hakim opened up the plenary with a reminder of just how important the discussion on Syria was. She encouraged all participants to remember that cities like Aleppo continue to be subjected to bombardment. Ms. Hakim then asked the panelists to offer solutions that would end the suffering of civilians. Speakers strongly agreed that something must be done, beginning with addressing the root causes of conflict. The conversation concluded with the call for developing a much more comprehensive strategy that addresses the growing global network of terrorism.

“As long as the Assad regime is present, Daesh will rise.”

— The Hon. Ömer Çelik

“Some of the great acts of genocide in history are taking place while we sit and talk about less important issues.”

— Senator John McCain

“It’s not beyond a reasonable expectation that we will see Daesh attempt a strategic counterattack.”

— General John Allen (Ret.)

“We should have intervened.”

— The Hon. Jean-Yves Le Drian

13:15-14:30

Lunch

“I don’t give a damn what the president wants to do… we will not waterboard. We will not torture people.”

— Senator John McCain

“Is it up to us to override the American people? I don’t think so.”

— Senator John McCain

“There may not be when we come together here next year, a European Union.”

— Senator John Barrasso

“I hope so” – on whether the United States will sign a free trade deal with Britain before the EU

— Senator John McCain

“We benefit from trade with Mexico and Canada, and we need to preserve it.”

— Senator John McCain

14:30-15:00

Halifax Chat On the record

Speakers

Senior Advisor, Halifax International Security Forum
Moderator
Mr. Robin Shepherd

Mr. Robin Shepherd

Mr. Robin Shepherd is Senior Advisor to the Halifax International Security Forum. He has held senior fellowships with several top think tanks in the United States, Britain, and Europe. Before entering the think tank world, he was a foreign correspondent, firstly for Reuters and subsequently The Times of London, where he was the Moscow bureau chief. He has been associated with Halifax International Security Forum since its inception and is a member of the Halifax International Security Forum Agenda Working Group.

Senator from Arizona, United States Senate
Senator John McCain

Senator John McCain

The Honorable John McCain has attended the Forum since 2009 as a Republican Senator of the state of Arizona. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986. Senator McCain attended college at the United States Naval Academy and launched a 22-year career as a naval aviator upon his graduation. Senator McCain’s last Navy duty assignment was to serve as the naval liaison to the United States Senate. He retired from the Navy in 1981. His naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1982, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, serving until his election to the U.S. Senate. Senator McCain is currently the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also serves on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Senator from Wyoming, United States Senate
Senator John Barrasso

Senator John Barrasso

Senator John Barrasso has a long and distinguished career in both medicine and public service. In 2012, Barrasso was reelected to the US. Senate with over 75% of the vote to represent his home state of Wyoming. He is the fourth-ranking member in the Senate Republican leadership as Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. He serves on committees that directly impact Wyoming’s economy, energy interests, public lands, national parks, and trade. He is also Chairman of the Senate Western Caucus. Senator Barrasso is known by many as Wyoming’s Doctor. During his 24 years as an orthopedic surgeon, Barrasso served as President of the Wyoming Medical Society and was named Wyoming Physician of the Year. Barrasso has three children: Peter, Emma, and Hadley. He and his wife Bobbi live in Casper.

This intimate conversation explored the checks and balances in the United States’ three branches of government – the executive, the legislative and the judicial – within the wider context of the recent presidential election. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) agreed that there are ways for both Democrats and Republicans to work together to assist President-elect Trump in governing the country. Both stressed that cooperation between the two parties was even more critical when it comes to major pieces of legislation. Their discussion also addressed the importance of recognizing and respecting the election result as a display of what the American people want.

15:00-16:15

Plenary 5
: NATO: Necessary On the record

Speakers

Senior Advisor, Halifax International Security Forum
Moderator
Mr. Robin Shepherd

Mr. Robin Shepherd

Mr. Robin Shepherd is Senior Advisor to the Halifax International Security Forum. He has held senior fellowships with several top think tanks in the United States, Britain, and Europe. Before entering the think tank world, he was a foreign correspondent, firstly for Reuters and subsequently The Times of London, where he was the Moscow bureau chief. He has been associated with Halifax International Security Forum since its inception and is a member of the Halifax International Security Forum Agenda Working Group.

Deputy Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Ms. Rose Gottemoeller

Ms. Rose Gottemoeller

Rose Gottemoeller took up her position in October 2016, after serving nearly five years as the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the U.S. Department of State. As Under Secretary, Gottemoeller advised the Secretary of State on arms control, nonproliferation and political-military affairs. She was acting in this position from 2012 to 2014, while concurrently serving as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (2009-2014). In this capacity, she was the chief U.S. negotiator of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the Russian Federation, which entered into force on February 5, 2011 and is currently in implementation. During her time as Undersecretary of State, Gottemoeller focused on defense and security cooperation in Europe and Asia, peacekeeping policy and training, and weapons and mine abatement in post-conflict locales around the world. Prior to the Department of State, beginning in 2000, she was a senior associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with joint appointments to the Nonproliferation and Russia programs. She served as the Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center in 2006-2008. From 1998 to 2000, as Deputy Under Secretary of Energy for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation and before that, Assistant Secretary and Director for Nonproliferation and National Security at the U.S. Department of Energy, she was responsible for all nonproliferation cooperation with Russia and the Newly Independent States. Prior to her work at the Department of Energy, Gottemoeller served for three years as Deputy Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. From 1993 to 1994, she served on the National Security Council staff as Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs, with responsibility for nuclear threat reduction in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Previously, she was a social scientist at RAND and a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow. She has taught on Soviet military policy and Russian security at Georgetown University and is fluent in Russian. Gottemoeller was born in Columbus, Ohio. She received a B.S. from Georgetown University, and an M.A. from George Washington University. She is married to Raymond Arnaudo, a retired diplomat and expert on polar policy. They have two grown sons, Daniel and Paul, who work in information technology.

President, Republic of Croatia
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović

President Grabar-Kitarović began her career in 1992 in the Ministry of Science and Technology and in 1993 moved on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she held various positions. She was Minister Counselor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2003, and in November 2003 was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 7th electoral district. That same year, she was sworn in as the Minister of European Integration, and in 2005 was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, an office she held until 2008. In 2008, President Grabar-Kitarović became the Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America. In 2011, she was appointed NATO Assistant Secretary-General for Public Diplomacy, a position she held until 2014, as the first woman to be Assistant Secretary-General in the history of NATO she became the highest-ranking woman in NATO. She is married and is a mother of two. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and has some command of Italian, French and German.

Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
The Hon. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze

The Hon. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze

Before being appointed in April of 2016 to the post of Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration since 2014 she was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, served as a First Deputy Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee and led Ukraine’s Parliamentary Delegation to NATO PA. Since mid-2011 was heading Yalta European Strategy – an independent international network promoting the development of fair, democratic and prosperous Ukraine and supporting reforms necessary for Ukraine’s European integration. Since October 2007, Ivanna worked as a Deputy Director of Programs, and later – as a Director of the International Charity Organization “Open Ukraine Foundation”. For 5 years (2002-2007) Ivanna was the Radio BBC Ukrainian Service correspondent in the USA (Washington D.C.) and in the Caucasus (Tbilisi). From 1998 till 2002 she worked for the East-West Institute’s Kyiv Center as a Project Manager and for one year carried out the responsibilities of EWI KC’s Acting Director. Ivanna began her career in 1993 year as a Project Manager at the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR) in Kyiv, and later became the Head of the Department of International Relations in UCIPR. Mrs. Klympush-Tsintsadze is co-editor of the book: “Black Sea Region: Cooperation and Security Building”.

Senator from New Hampshire, United States Senate
Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Senator Jeanne Shaheen has served in the United States Senate since 2009 and is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and is Ranking Member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. She is the first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator. Between her time as Governor and election to the U.S. Senate, Shaheen served as the Director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. Senator Shaheen earned a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University and a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi.

This panel discussed the necessity and relevance of NATO in light of the recent US presidential election campaign. Every speaker stressed that the commitment to the alliance will remain strong, but agreed there was a need for increase defence spending. The panel concluded that more – not less – NATO is needed as the world faces new and more dangerous threats. They also underlined the importance of upholding mutual obligations that extend beyond security in order to ensure stability – both among its member states and in the larger community.

“Defense spending is not spending, it’s an investment.”

— President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović

“We are standing between NATO and the Stan bloc.”

— The Hon. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze

“There are concrete and very powerful steps afoot in terms of building up defense capacity and being able to defend and deter.”

— Ms. Rose Gottemoeller

16:15-16:45

Coffee Break

16:45-17:45

Plenary 6
: Climate Security, Energy Security and the Politics of Slow Moving Threats On the record

Speakers

Senior Fellow, Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, George Washington University
Moderator
Ms. Jeanne Meserve

Ms. Jeanne Meserve

Ms. Jeanne Meserve has been an Anchor and Correspondent for CNN and ABC News, winning two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award. As Director of Training for The Communication Center, she now travels the world providing executive coaching to clients from top corporations, government, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. This year she conducted national security conversations with presidential contenders for Americans for Peace, Prosperity, and Security. She also moderates interviews and policy debates for the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and other academic and policy groups. She continues to do voiceover and on- camera work and is a Senior Fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security and a member of the Aspen Institute Homeland Security Advisory Committee. A graduate of Middlebury College, Meserve is a recipient of the college’s Alumni Achievement Award. Find her on Twitter: @JeanneMeserve.

Senator from Delaware, United States Senate
Senator Chris Coons

Senator Chris Coons

Senator Chris Coons has served in the United States Senate since 2010 and is a member of the Senate Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Ethics committees. He is the senior Democrat on two subcommittees: the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. Senator Coons’ election to the Senate in 2010 followed a decade of service in New Castle County, Delaware government, including positions as New Castle County Council President and New Castle County Executive. Prior to serving as County Executive, Coons worked as an attorney for Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates, one of the 200 largest privately held companies in the United States. Coons graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Chemistry and Political Science, and earned his law degree from Yale Law School and a Master’s in Ethics from Yale Divinity School.

President, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Germany
Mr. Ralf Fücks

Mr. Ralf Fücks

Ralf Fücks has written widely on environmental policy and political economy, and is currently President of the Heinrich Böll Fundation, an influential public policy organization advancing green visions and projects. He has served as leader of the national Green Party in Germany and as senator for the environment and urban development in the state of Bremen.

Chief, United States National Guard Bureau
General Joseph Lengyel

General Joseph Lengyel

General Joseph L. Lengyel is the 28th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He advises the President, Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and is the Department of Defense’s official channel of communication to the Governors and State Adjutants General on all matters pertaining to the National Guard. He is responsible for ensuring that the more than 453,000 Army and Air National Guard personnel are accessible, capable and ready to protect the homeland and to provide combat ready resources to the Army and Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, General Lengyel served as the Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau. He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours primarily in the F-16. Additionally, General Lengyel served as the Senior United States Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, United States Central Command, Cairo, Egypt.

Chief of Defence, Netherlands
General Tom Middendorp

General Tom Middendorp

President, Research Institute for Peace and Security
Dr. Masashi Nishihara

Dr. Masashi Nishihara

Masashi Nishihara is President of the Research Institute for Peace and Security. Until March 2006 he served as President of the National Defense Academy, Yokosuka, for six years. In 1977-99 he was Professor of International Relations at the Academy. He received B.A. from Kyoto University, M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra, in 1979, and at the Rockefeller Foundation, New York, in 1981-82. He specializes in international and Asian security. He is the author of many works on Japanese foreign and security policy issues, including U.N. Peacekeeping: Japanese and American Perspectives (co-editor, 1995), Vietnam Joins the World (co-editor, 1997), Nichibei doomei saikoo (The Japan-U.S. Alliance Reconsidered) (co-editor, 2010). He won The Sankei Shimbun’s best Seiron column writer for 2013. In 1986-95 he served on the Council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London. In 2001-2004 he was a member of Prime Minister Jun’ichiro Koizumi’s Task Force on External Relations. In 2014 he was a member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s consultative committee on the establishment of a national security council, and in 2015 he also was on the same prime minister’s experts panel to prepare for his statement commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. He specializes in East Asian security and international security.

Nuclear Physicist, University of Nevada, Reno
Mr. Taylor Wilson

Mr. Taylor Wilson

Taylor Wilson was born in Texarkana, Arkansas in 1994. In 2009 at age 14, Taylor became the youngest person in history to produce nuclear fusion, and went on to develop many novel nuclear technologies including security, medical, and energy innovations, founding companies to bring these inventions to the marketplace. Alongside running his commercial endeavors, he directs academic laboratories for fundamental and applied research in nuclear science. In addition to these commercial and scientific interests, Taylor is passionate about communicating science to the general public, studies the history of science, and works to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers to use the tools of science and technology to solve the major problems facing our species and improve the lives of others throughout the world.

In the final plenary session on Saturday, panellists were asked to reflect on climate change as not just an environmental threat, but an economic threat. Speakers agreed that there is a final opportunity in transitioning to a ’new energy economy’. The panel noted that President-elect Trump’s commitment to becoming a more fossil-focused country could actually take the U.S. backwards. Taylor Wilson noted that new energy sources have jump-started struggling economies in the past. Speakers concluded that climate change, rising water levels and natural disasters have the potential to become a major security in the medium term. They also agreed that if the U.S. walked away from the Paris agreement, it will be a massive blow to the planet.

“We can look at the new energy economy as a threat, or we can look at it as a tremendous opportunity.”

— Mr. Taylor Wilson

“We have one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Half of that population live below sea level.”

— General Tom Middendorp

“Coal comes with a price, not only to CO2 emissions but with environmental and health costs.”

— Mr. Ralf Fücks

“I’m not hopeful that our contributions will meet our Paris goals if the Trump administration maintains the course it set in the election.”

— Senator Chris Coons

“If US steps away from renewables China will become a global leader.”

— Mr. Taylor Wilson

18:30

Pre-Dinner Reception Off the record

LOCATION: VIA Rail Station

19:30-21:30

Dinner Sessions

Beneath the Waves: Submarine Surge
WITH:

  • Admiral Yoji Koda (Ret.), Vice Admiral, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force
  • Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chief of Naval Operations Distinguished International Fellow, United States Naval War College
  • HOSTED BY: Minister Peter MacKay, Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Toronto and Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Department of Justice

 

Can Liberal Institutions Survive Democracy?
WITH:

  • Dr. Shlomo Avineri, Professor of Political Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
  • Mr. Walter Russell Mead, Professor, Distinguished Fellow at the Hudson Institute, James Clarke Chace Professor at Bard College, and Editor-At-Large at The American Interest
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Robin Shepherd, Senior Advisor, Halifax International Security Forum

 

Catastrophe in South Sudan
WITH:

  • Mr. Daniel Bekele, Executive Director, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch
  • Dr. J. Peter Pham, Vice President for Research and Regional Initiatives and Director, Africa Center, Atlantic Council
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Heather Hurlburt, Director, New Models of Policy Advocacy Project, New America Foundation

 

Colombia’s Peace: Latin Lessons for All
WITH:

  • Ms. María Victoria Llorente, Executive Director, Fundación Ideas para la Paz
  • Mr. Antonio Rodiles, Director, State of SATS
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Christopher Sabatini, Executive Director, Global Americans and Lecturer of International and Public Policy, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs

 

Defense, Development, Diplomacy: Difficult
WITH:

  • Mr. James H. Baker, Director, Office of Net Assessment, United States Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, Chief of Defence, Norwegian Armed Forces
  • Mr. Jürgen Hardt, Member of the German Bundestag, Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation, Foreign Policy Spokesman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group, Federal Foreign Office
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. John Glenn, Policy Director, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition

 

Drugs: America’s Addiction, Mexico’s Affliction
WITH:

  • Dr. Mauricio Meschoulam, Professor, Universidad Iberoamericana; Researcher and International Analyst, Mexico Research Center for Peace
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Luis Rubio, Chairman, Center of Research for Development

 

The End of Secrecy: The End of Diplomacy?
WITH:

  • Dr. Dawisson Belém Lopes, Professor of International and Comparative Politics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
  • Dr. Sławomir Dębski, Director, Polish Institute of International Affairs
  • Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Digital and New Media, Government of Nigeria
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Rosa Brooks, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Georgetown University Law Center

 

Energy as a Weapon: An Idea Whose Time Has Passed?
WITH:

  • Mr. Ilya Ponomarev, Former Member of Parliament, State Duma
  • Mr. Laurent Ruseckas, Senior Advisor, Eurasian Gas, IHS Energy
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Ian Brodie, Associate Director, Centre for Military, Strategic and Security Studies, University of Calgary

 

India: Last BRIC in the Wall
WITH:

  • Dr. Michael Auslin, Author, The End of the Asian Century
  • Dr. Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations

 

ISIS in Africa
WITH:

  • Mr. Mohamed Ali, Executive Director, Iftiin Foundation
  • General Lamine Cissé, Former Chief of Defense Staff, Former Minister of Interior, Former UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), President of the Board, Partners West Africa-Senegal, Senegalese Armed Forces
  • Mr. Japheth Omojuwa, Columnist, The Punch Newspaper, Leadership Newspaper and Naij.com
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. François Lafond, President, Blue Networks and Opportunities

 

London Calling, Europe Falling
WITH:

  • Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones DCMG, Chairman, Cyber Security Advisory Panel to the Bank of England, House of Lords
  • Mr. Fabrice Pothier, Senior Associate, Rasmussen Global
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Bruce Weinrod, Senior Counsel, Global Impact

 

Maidan, Crimea and the Obstacles to Democracy in Ukraine
WITH:

  • Mr. Michael Bociurkiw, Former Spokesperson, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
  • The Hon. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
  • Sir Andrew Wood, Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
  • Mr. Bohdan Yaremenko, Chairman of the Board, Maidan of Foreign Affairs
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. David J. Kramer, Senior Director for Human Rights and Democracy, The McCain Institute for International Leadership

 

Old Enemies, New Friends?: Realignment in the Middle East
WITH:

  • Mr. James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • Ms. Isabelle Lasserre, Associate Editor, Le Figaro
  • Dr. Dov Zakheim, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Paul Salem, Vice President for Policy and Research, Middle East Institute

 

Power Corrupts, Corruption Corrodes
WITH:

  • Dr. Leila Alieva, Academic Visitor, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford
  • Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Chairman, Stimson Center
  • Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Sikyong, Central Tibetan Administration
  • Mayor David Smolansky, Mayor, El Hatillo Municipality, Venezuela
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director, Center for Justice and Accountability

 

Reconciliation or Escalation: The Korean Conundrum
WITH:

  • The Hon. Toshiro Iijima, Ambassador in charge of Policy Planning and International Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
  • Mr. Seongmin Lee, Student, Columbia University
  • Rear Admiral Sungbae Park, Director General of Foreign Intelligence, Korea Defense Intelligence Agency
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Dean Fealk, Partner and Group Chair, DLA Piper

 

Securing Afghanistan, Losing Pakistan
WITH:

  • Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Director and Senior Fellow, South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute
  • Ambassador Said Jawad, The Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief Executive of Afghanistan
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Jerrold Green, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Council on International Policy

 

Terror: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
WITH:

  • H.E. Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Minister, Head of Foreign Relations Department, Kurdistan Regional Government
  • Mr. Richard Fadden, Former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, Canada
  • The Hon. Moshe Ya’alon, Former Minister of Defense, Israel
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Eliot Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

 

Top Cop: Fulfilling the UN’s Eternal Promise
WITH:

  • The Hon. Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Defence, France
  • The Hon. Harjit Singh Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, Canada
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Associate, Democracy and Rule of Law Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

 

Turkey’s Failed Coup and the Consequences for the Rest of the World
WITH:

  • The Hon. Ömer Çelik, Minister for European Union Affairs, Turkey
  • Ms. Heather Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic and Director, Europe Programs, Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Leslie Campbell, Senior Associate and Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa Programs, National Democratic Institute

22:00

After-Dinner Sociable

LOCATION: Westin Lobby

Clippings

Chance of Trump following through with campaign promises keeps Europe guessing
Mark MacKinnon

“The Defence Secretary, who will deliver a keynote speech at the Halifax International Security Forum that opens on Friday, says he expects a significant gap between Mr. Trump’s rhetoric to date and what the president-elect will actually do once in office. The message from London is: Give the new guy some time.”

Morning Defense
Jeremy Herb

“HAPPENING TODAY — HALIFAX SECURITY FORUM: The annual Halifax International Security Forum kicks off today in one of Morning D’s favorite parts of Canada. Among the bold-faced names headed north for the meetings that runs through the weekend: Sens. McCain, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), retired Gen. John Allen and James Baker, director of the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment. The full schedule is here.”

General Who Thinks ‘It’s Fun to Shoot Some People’ Is Front-Runner for Trump’s Pentagon
Kimberly Dozier

“’I think one of the reasons why it would be good to have him is that he has recent combat experience in both theaters (Iraq and Afghanistan). So he really understands complex situations on the ground,” McCain told The Daily Beast, on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum.”

Halifax Security Forum: Could Trump-Putin Relationship Foster Greater NATO Unity?
Jen Judson
Trump’s NATO commentary ‘nothing new,’ U.K. defence leader says
Michael Tutton

“The defence secretary of the United Kingdom and his Canadian counterpart kicked off an international security conference in Halifax today with reassurances they expect key military alliances will endure as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take power.”

NATO ‘eagerly waiting’ to hear from Trump and his team, general says
Steven Chase

‘“We witness different kind of statements during election periods [that] are not materialized after,” Gen. Pavel, chair of NATO’s military committee, said in an interview at the Halifax International Security Forum, an annual gathering of 70 countries on foreign affairs and defence matters.”

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