LOCATION: Elements Dining Room at the Westin Nova Scotian
Presented by Mrs. Cindy McCain to the People of the island of Lesbos, Greece
The second day of the Halifax International Security Forum began with the presentation of the inaugural John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service. It was awarded by the late Senator’s widow, Mrs. Cindy McCain, to the People of the Greek island of Lesbos, for their outstanding efforts in supporting refugees. The empathy and sense of service that the People of Lesbos showed, is exemplary of the values that John McCain stood for. The award was accepted by Giannias Svoros and Xenophon Koukoutas, both of whom served in the Lesbos Scouts, which provided aid and support to migrant families. They highlighted how the People of Lesbos, the decedents of refugees themselves, rose above xenophobia to defend the highest ideals of liberal democracy.
The first Halifax Chat of the weekend featured an open conversation with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., moderated by BBC World News Presenter Yalda Hakim. His key message: the importance of maintaining a unified alliance structure, as a means of countering emerging threats and preserving democratic values globally. General Dunford provided insights on the shift towards great power competition in the most recent US National Defense Strategy and the steps the US military is taking to maintain its technological competitive advantage. General Dunford also fielded questions from the plenary, covering a variety of topics, including the US South-Asia Strategy, the importance of regional partnerships for countering global terrorism, and the US role in NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe.
Admiral Philip S. Davidson, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command introduced members of the plenary to a discussion on the security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific. The rapid growth of the middle-class in the region will have massive implications in the coming decades and will impact the prosperity of all democratic nations around the world. For these reasons, the US has outlined its policy of promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which aims to promote mutual liberal values and politics, as well as maintaining freedom of navigation throughout the region. Numerous challenges remain in the region: a nuclearized North Korea, radicalized terrorism, Russian obstructionism, and an increasingly confrontational China. Admiral Davidson highlighted how commitments to multilateral security are the cornerstone of US policy in the Indo-Pacific, and pursuing engagement and dialogue with all actors in the region remains essential.
What does a ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific look like? What can the US and its allies do to counter Chinese provocations in the East and South China Seas? How should states in the region view China’s Belt-and-Road Initiative? These were some of the central questions discussed during the third plenary session: Asia Values: A Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Speakers from each of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries – the US, India, Australia, and Japan – shared their perspectives and insights on these vital issues.
One of the most immediate questions discussed was over the terminology of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ itself. Different states in the region have different geographical priorities, and ensuring that partner nations’ concerns feel validated will be important for security cooperation. Chinese economic influence in the region requires states to value their relationships with China, but the panelists were unified in their belief that democratic states can and must defend their values and attempt to bring China to the table. Facilitating dialogue between states will be critical in resolving territorial disputes throughout the Indo-Pacific, including in the South-China Sea and Kuril Islands between Japan and Russia.
Militaries should reflect the diversity of their societies, shouldn’t they? Or is this just ‘politically correct’ thinking without basis? Perhaps ideas like diversity and equality are intrinsically Western conceptions, or are those who make that argument merely concerned with maintaining a hold on power? All panelists agreed that women play a key role in adding value to the security space — whether in the combat arms or at the negotiating table during conflict. Key challenges remain in attracting women to a career in the military, including ending stereotypes on the roles of men and women in the military and accepting that war is no longer just sticks and stones wielded by strong men. Difficult but necessary decisions, like the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation HONOUR to root out and eliminate harmful inappropriate sexual behaviour, must be taken. Diversity of thought and diversity of gender, race and other demographics are key to a winning team at home and abroad.
LOCATION: Atlantic Ballroom
The Turkish Minister of National Defense, Hulusi Akar, was the featured speaker for this year’s second Halifax Chat. He spoke with Mr. Robin Shepherd, Senior Advisor with Halifax International Security Forum. Issues discussed ranged from the recent murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, to Turkish-NATO relations, and Turkey’s leadership in handling the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crisis. Minister Akar highlighted the strong lines of communication between Ankara and the White House, and that despite particular issues of disagreement, Turkey shares the same broad values and objectives.
The two most powerful non-democratic states in the world are Russia and China. What threats do these counties pose to the democratic world in the short- and long-term? How do the threats differ and how are they the same? This was the focus of the fifth plenary session — Beijing’s Cravings, Kremlin’s Gremlins: Freedom’s Foes. US Senator Chris Coons began by arguing that Russia has positioned itself as a spoiler. It is actively disrupting global democratic institutions and coercing its closest neighbours. China, on the other hand, remains deeply imbedded within the international political order and economy. It is utilizing more subtle means to expand its influence.
The panelists discussed how China and Russia are strategically cooperating on specific issues, including Ukraine and Syria. However, China’s growing influence in Central Asia – Russia’s historical backyard — could breed division in the coming years. The speakers were in agreement that China poses a larger threat to the democratic order in the long-term. This is especially true as it positions itself to take a commanding role in emerging technologies, such as 5G and artificial intelligence. Panelists were also unified that the best way to counter these threats is through maintaining solidarity and a collective commitment to liberal values.
With over 68 million forcefully displaced persons, and 28 million refugees, the world is currently facing the largest migration crisis in history. The scale and importance of this issue demand its inclusion in this year’s Forum and it is the focus of plenary six, Migration Aggravation: Failing States Flooding Borders.
The panel featured several distinguished speakers, including US Senator Tim Kaine, who was adamant in his view that efforts to address global migration must be based on permanent commitments rather than episodic ones. Mrs. Cindy McCain, Chair of the McCain Institute for International Leadership, spoke to the dangers of populist politics and the use of fear-mongering to vilify migrant populations. Dr. Comfort Ero, the Africa Program Director of the International Crisis Group highlighted the need to broaden our collective narratives of migration to better understand the south-south threat it poses, which represents the majority of total global migration. Dr. Norbert Röttgen, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the German Bundestag offered the European perspective on this issue and spoke to the EU’s difficulties in managing the migration crisis. The panelists spoke passionately and frankly about the importance of this issue and their shared sense of frustration with the current state of global migration governance.
The final Halifax Chat of this year’s Forum featured bi-partisan representatives from the United States Senate. Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire and Senator Mike Rounds from South Dakota focused their discussion on the continuing relevance and importance of the Trans-Atlantic relationship. Both Senators spoke to the enduring commitment of the United States Senate to the NATO Alliance. The Senators stressed the importance of their European partners in meeting their defense spending target of two percent of GDP, but also emphasized that the United States must value the other ways in which European nations contribute to the collective security of the Alliance. This engaging dialogue underscored the United States’ continuing commitment to its allies and partners on both sides of the Atlantic.
LOCATION: VIA Rail Station
Afghanistan: Pivot of Asia
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Africa: Global Security’s Next Big Story
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After Brexit: EUphoria or EUlogy?
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Climate Consequences: It’s the End of the World as We’ve Known It
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Curbing Corruption: Global Magnitsky
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Demography: Destiny’s Child
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Germany and its Alternatives
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Globalizing Dignity: Democracy Works
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Indo-Pacific Security: Battle of the Billions
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Iran: Protection by Pulling Out?
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Monroe’s Doctrine Disinterred
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Nafta My Own Heart: Friends With What Benefits
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NATO Plus 2%
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Oceans 1: Our Collective Resource
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Populism: Popular?
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The Quad Squad: Asia’s Democracy Defenders
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Syria: Sorry
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Testing Turing: AI Update
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USA: U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!
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Venom in Venezuela
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Wavering on Uighurs, Firmer on Burma: Where Muslims Are Minorities
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