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2019 Halifax International Security Forum

2019 Halifax International Security Forum

Date
November 22-24, 2019
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Participants
300

Agenda & Speakers

Friday, November 22
Saturday, November 23
Sunday, November 24

6:00-8:30

Breakfast

LOCATION: Elements Dining Room at the Westin Nova Scotian

8:30-9:15

The John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service On the record

Presented by Mrs. Cindy McCain

Day Two of the Halifax International Security Forum began with the presentation of the second annual John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service. It was awarded by Mrs. Cindy McCain to the People of Hong Kong for their courage in championing democracy in the face of opposition to their human rights. Mrs. McCain said her late husband would have been proud to witness thousands and thousands of human hearts insisting on their own – and future generations’ – freedom and agency.

The Prize was accepted by Emily Lau and Figo Chan, who stand on the metaphorical and literal front lines in Hong Kong’s battle for freedom. Chan highlighted that democratic values not only belong to the people of Hong Kong, but they are shared by us all. Lau expressed her gratitude for the international community’s steadfast support, promising to bring the prize back to Hong Kong and fight on. The struggle continues and many challenges remain, but the people of Hong Kong can be certain of one thing: The world is paying attention.

“My dear friends, we have a long and difficult road ahead. But it will be gratifying to know that when we are on that journey, we have your support”

— Ms. Emily Lau, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Democratic Party, and Former Chairperson of the Democratic Party, Hong Kong

“It’s unnatural to the human heart to surrender its own agency. That is what’s happening in Hong Kong today”

— Mrs. Cindy McCain, Chair, McCain Institute for International Leadership

“This is a great honour for our people, who are fighting on the streets at this very moment”

— Mr. Figo Chan

9:15-9:45

Halifax Chat On the record

Speakers

Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command
Admiral Philip Davidson

Admiral Philip Davidson

Adm. Phil Davidson is the 25th Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command. As a Surface Warfare  he deployed across the globe in frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers. His sea service assignments include command of Carrier Strike Group 8/Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, USS Gettysburg (CG 64), and USS Taylor (FFG 50). In his most recent assignment, he served as Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command/Naval Forces U.S. Northern Command. He also served as Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet and Commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while simultaneously serving as Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa. Other flag officer assignments included the director, Maritime Operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command/Naval Forces U.S. Northern Command, senior military advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) at the State Department, and the deputy director for Strategy and Policy in the Joint Staff/J-5.

Chief International Correspondent, BBC
Ms. Lyse Doucet

Ms. Lyse Doucet

Lyse Doucet is the BBC’s award-winning Chief International Correspondent who has spent more than thirty years reporting across the BBC’s domestic and global outlets. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and was awarded an O.B.E. in the United Kingdom for services to broadcasting.

Her career began with postings in Abidjan, Islamabad, Kabul, Tehran, Amman, and Jerusalem. She is a regular visitor to the Middle East and Afghanistan and has covered all major conflicts and political events there for more than two decades.

Born in eastern Canada, Lyse has twelve honorary doctorates from leading British and Canadian Universities. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto, and a BA Hons from Queen’s University in Kingston.

Lyse is a Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto, an honorary patron of Canadian Crossroads International, and a member of Friends of Aschiana UK which supports working street children in Afghanistan. She is a trustee of Inter Mediate, a founding member of the Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network, a Trustee of the Frontline Club for Journalists and a member of the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma.

While visiting Beijing last week, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger warned that the United States and China are “on the foothills of a Cold War.” The West’s relationship with China is fraught with numerous risks, rewards and rivalries. But are we truly on the verge of a new Cold War?

Lyse Doucet welcomed Admiral Philip Davidson, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, to this year’s second Halifax Chat. Admiral Davidson began by challenging the narrative that a new Cold War is unfolding, he stressed that American values of liberty, democracy, and free trade remain highly competitive across the Indo-Pacific. Rather than containment, the American approach to China is to referee; making sure they play by the world’s long-established rules. In the meantime, the United States will put its money where its mouth is and continue to equip its Indo-Pacific allies with the tools necessary to not only survive, but thrive in the 21st Century.

“Hong Kong is an international city. It’s a city that is steeped in freedom and liberty, and people around the world are watching”

— Admiral Philip Davidson, Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command

“The message is: freedom is worth defending around the globe. And that requires not just the United States but our allies too”

— Admiral Philip Davidson, Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command

9:45-10:15

Coffee Break

10:15-11:15

Plenary 3: The World’s Democracies: The Importance of Being Allies On the record

Speakers

President, Boeing International
Sir Michael Arthur

Sir Michael Arthur

Sir Michael Arthur is President of Boeing International. He was appointed in April 2019. He reports to Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg and is also a member of the Boeing Executive Council, making him the council’s first non-U.S. citizen. Arthur is responsible for the company’s international strategy and corporate operations outside the United States, overseeing 18 regional offices in key global markets. Previously, Arthur was president of Boeing Europe and managing director of Boeing United Kingdom and Ireland. In this role, Arthur led the company’s European strategy and operations to drive business growth through strengthened regional alignment and improved operating efficiencies.  Before joining Boeing, Arthur spent three decades of international government service with the British Diplomatic Service of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) followed by three years as a founding member of a United Kingdom–based business consultancy.

United States Senator from Virginia
Senator Tim Kaine

Senator Tim Kaine

Senator Tim Kaine serves as a Senator from Virginia in the U.S. Senate. He has made improving the lives of Virginians and boosting job opportunities for everyone a top priority. As co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, Tim focuses on expanding access to job-training programs to ensure that students are prepared with the skills they need for the jobs of the modern economy. Tim has helped lead efforts in the Senate to reduce unemployment for military families and veterans. Tim was first elected to office in 1994, serving as a city council member and four years later, Mayor of Richmond. He became Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2002 and was inaugurated as Virginia’s 70th Governor in 2006. While serving as Governor, Tim improved the education and health care systems, and by the end of his term, leading publications ranked Virginia the best state to raise a child and the best state for business.

Chair, Public Affairs and Communications, Global Public Affairs
Moderator
Mr. Tom Clark

Mr. Tom Clark

Mr. Tom Clark is the Chair of Public Affairs and Communications at Global Public Affairs. Mr. Clark joined Global after almost 45 years at the most senior levels of Canadian journalism. Tom left Global News on January 1, 2017, after serving as the network’s chief political correspondent and host of The West Block. He has interviewed every Canadian Prime Minister since Lester B. Pearson and has covered every federal election campaign since 1974. He has reported in eight active war zones and from over 33 countries. Tom was CTV’s China Bureau Chief and was also its Chief Washington Correspondent for five years.  He has a deep understanding of Canada’s position in an increasingly complicated international dynamic. Tom is the recipient of Radio Television Digital News Association lifetime achievement award and has been named one of the most influential journalists in Ottawa.

Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to the President, Kurdistan Regional Government
Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir

Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir

Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir is the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He was appointed as the first Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) in September 2006. He administered the KRG’s foreign policy and bolsters the Region’s relations with the international community. He promotes bilateral ties between the Kurdistan Region with regions, nations and countries around the world, and represents Kurdistan at multinational fora. Minister Bakir has led the Department for four successive cabinets and has been part of the rapidly expanding relations between the KRG and foreign governments. He previously served as the KRG’s liaison officer to the Multi-National Forces’ Korean Contingent stationed in 2004 and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in 2003 in Erbil. He was also a senior adviser to the Prime Minister of the KRG from 2002 until 2004 when he was appointed Minister of state.

Chief of the General Staff, Polish Armed Forces
General Rajmund Andrzejczak

General Rajmund Andrzejczak

General Rajmund is Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. He has served in leadership roles throughout his military service, including the chief of the Operations Branch in Iraq and the Commander of Polish Task Force/Polish Military Contingent in Afghanistan. In 2008-2010 he served as the deputy commander of the 34th Armored Cavalry Brigade in Żagań. During the years 2010-2012 he served in the 2nd Mechanized Corps in Cracow. In 2012 he took command of the 17th Mechanized Brigade in Międzyrzecz. From December 8, 2014, he was Deputy Commander-Chief of Staff of the 12th Mechanized Division, and from May 2, 2016, he was appointed Commander of the 12th Division. He was awarded the Order of the Second ClassMilitary Cross-Commander’s Cross, Star of Iraq and Afghanistan. On July 2, 2018, he was appointed as Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces and promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Ambassador Keng Yong Ong

Ambassador Keng Yong Ong

Ambassador Keng Yong Ong is Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore since November 2014. Concurrently, he is Ambassador-at-Large in the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore’s non-resident High Commissioner to Pakistan and non-resident Ambassador to Iran. He was High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia from July 2011 to October 2014. Ambassador Ong was Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), based in Jakarta, Indonesia from January 2003 to January 2008.

What does it mean to be an ally with the most powerful nation in the world? Moderator Tom Clark believes that alliances used to be a relationship based on trust and goodwill. Increasingly, it seems that they are transactional and are unpredictable from day to day. Despite the changing nature of alliances in the world, all roads still lead back to Washington D.C. Smaller allies like Canada need to figure out what the new landscape is. What is the new world that we live in? How does this alter the democratic order?

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine thinks that this is a temporary change not a permanent one, but says that allies have every right to be worried. America’s message should be: “You can count on us. And that’s not what’s being projected right now.” Kurdish Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir provided the view from the receiving end of a broken U.S. alliance. “We were left alone,” he said. What does it mean to be an ally when this happens? Who can blame countries for turning to China, when they feel they can’t trust the United States?

It isn’t just shifting politics that redefine alliances. Sir Michael Arthur reminded us that the digital and technological revolution will forever alter how alliances are understood and conducted. America used to be at the forefront of this innovation in space and cybersecurity. Have they dropped the ball as a leader in these industries? At the end of the day, Singapore Ambassador Keng Yong Ong said that alliances may change, but interests do not. Perhaps Poland’s General Rajmund Andrzejczak is correct in reminding us that you cannot buy freedom. You cannot buy values. These are the interests that will never change.

“Company to country partnerships is one of the new elements in the global architecture. It doesn’t replace government to government relations, but it plays an important role going forward”

— Sir Michael Arthur, President, Boeing International

“American foreign policy has paid always looked at Latin America from an east-west axis, not a north-south axis. But we all go by the name “Americans.” We all have deep cultural connections. We should try to go from Patagonia to the Yukon and have more alliances there”

— Senator Tim Kaine, United States Senator from Virginia

“We want to be sitting at the table. We have been on the front line. We have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We opened our doors and borders to host IDPs from Iraq and refugees from Syria”

— Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Kurdistan Region of Iraq

“Our strategy is to build a national capacity, to be credible, and be an energizer for other NATO countries”

— General Rajmund Andrzejczak, Chief of the General Staff, Polish Armed Forces

“We need to think about what the existing rules-based international order has given us. There are problems, but they are not so critical that we need to give up everything that we have”

— Ambassador Keng Yong Ong, Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore

11:15-11:45

Coffee Break

11:45-12:45

Plenary 4: Institution Evolution: International Law and Global Order On the record

Speakers

President, International Committee of the Red Cross
Mr. Peter Maurer

Mr. Peter Maurer

Mr. Peter Maurer is the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, appointed in 2012. Under his leadership, the ICRC carries out humanitarian work in over 80 countries. As President, Mr. Maurer has a unique exposure to today’s main armed conflicts and the challenges of assisting and protecting people in need. He travels regularly to the major conflict theatres of the world including Syria, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan and Myanmar. As the ICRC’s chief diplomat, and through the ICRC’s principled, neutral approach, Mr. Maurer regularly meets with heads of states and other high-level officials as well as parties to conflict, to find solutions to pressing humanitarian concerns. Mr. Maurer has served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in Switzerland as well as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York.

President and CEO, United States Institute of Peace
Ms. Nancy Lindborg

Ms. Nancy Lindborg

Ms. Nancy Lindborg serves as President of the United States Institute of Peace, an independent institution founded by Congress to provide practical solutions for preventing and resolving violent conflict around the world. Ms. Lindborg has spent most of her career working in fragile and conflict affected regions around the world. Prior to joining USIP, she served as the Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) at USAID. Ms. Lindborg led USAID teams focused on building resilience and democracy, managing and mitigating conflict and providing urgent humanitarian assistance. Ms. Lindborg also served as president of Mercy Corps, where she helped to grow the organization into a globally respected organization known for innovative programs in the most challenging environments. She started her international career working overseas in Kazakhstan and Nepal. Ms. Lindborg earned her BA and MA from Stanford University and MA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Executive Secretary, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
Dr. Lassina Zerbo

Dr. Lassina Zerbo

Dr. Lassina Zerbo has served as Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) since August 2013. He has positioned the CTBTO as the world’s centre of excellence for nuclear test-ban verification. Under his leadership, the CTBT global monitoring system has outperformed expectations in the acquisition, management and processing of data. Among his achievements are the CTBTO’s swift response to the nuclear tests by the DPRK. One of his landmark initiatives, the CTBTO Youth Group, counts today over 750 young professionals from 91 countries working daily to promote the entry into force of the Treaty. Dr. Zerbo has been awarded “Arms Control Person of the Year”, Commander of the National Order of Burkina Faso, Grand Cross in the Chilean Order of Bernardo O’Higgins, Special Honorary Citizenship of the City of Hiroshima, the Presidential Medal of Kazakhstan, and the AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy, and the Nazarbayev Prize for a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World and Global Security.

Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy
Moderator
Mr. Jonathan Tepperman

Mr. Jonathan Tepperman

Mr. Jonathan Tepperman is the Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy magazine and author of the book, The Fix: How Countries Use Crises to Solve the World’s Worst Problems. From 2011 until August 2017, he was the managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine. He started his career working as a speechwriter at the UN in Geneva. After stints as a foreign correspondent, he joined Foreign Affairs as a junior editor. He later moved to Newsweek International, where he was deputy editor, and then worked as a political risk consultant before returning to Foreign Affairs in January 2011. Tepperman has written for a range of publications, including Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, and the New Republic, on a variety of subjects. Tepperman has interviewed Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

The times they are a changin’ and global legal institutions are struggling to keep up. As China rises and America retreats, how can institutions circa 1945 stay relevant in 2019? Perhaps the ongoing disruption to the international rules-based order is what’s needed. Call it a recess for our global law and order system. It’s time to take a hard look to see if people in the streets advocating for human rights still have representation. How can we counter the actions of those who seek to keep them silent? Institutional reform must come from within and there’s growing impatience with states that seek to make the rules, then discard them. The world is changing – we can either keep up with it or be painfully left behind.

“I think that we have the opportunity to grasp this moment of extraordinary disruption and violence, but against the backdrop of enormous peace and developments. We all need to double down on figuring out how to breathe back meaning into our values and institutions”

— Ms. Nancy Lindborg, President and CEO, United States Institute of Peace

“You cannot discuss Africa without bringing Africa to the discussion table”

— Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Executive Secretary, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization

“The issue today is that we don’t have safe humanitarian space for neutral and impartial humanitarian action based on needs, and not on political needs or priorities”

— Mr. Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross

12:45-14:00

Mid-Day Meal

LOCATION: Atlantic Ballroom

14:00-14:45

Halifax Chat On the record

Speakers

United States National Security Advisor, Executive Office of the President
Robert O’Brien

Robert O’Brien

Robert C. O’Brien is the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States. O’Brien previously served as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. As SPEHA, O’Brien held the personal rank of Ambassador. He worked closely with the families of American hostages and advised the senior leadership of the U.S. Government on hostage issues. O’Brien served as Co-Chairman of the U.S. Department of State Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan. The PPJRA promoted the rule of law by training Afghan judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers and provided scholarships for young Afghan lawyers to study in the United States. O’Brien was also a member of the U.S. Cultural Property Advisory Committee, which advises the federal government on issues relating to the trafficking of cultural items. In 2005, O’Brien was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as a U.S. Representative to the United Nations General Assembly.

Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
Moderator
Mr. Nick Schifrin

Mr. Nick Schifrin

Nick Schifrin is the foreign affairs and defense correspondent for PBS NewsHour, based in Washington, D.C. He leads NewsHour’s foreign reporting, and has created week-long, in-depth series for NewsHour from China, Russia, Ukraine, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Cuba, Mexico, and the Baltics. The PBS NewsHour series “Inside Putin’s Russia” won a 2018 Peabody Award and the National Press Club’s Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence. Prior to PBS NewsHour, Schifrin was Al Jazeera America’s first foreign correspondent, based in Jerusalem. He led the channel’s coverage of the 2014 war in Gaza, reported extensively on the Syrian war, and covered the revolution in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. From 2008-2012, Schifrin was the ABC News correspondent in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2011 he was one of the first journalists to arrive in Abbottabad, Pakistan after Osama bin Laden’s death and delivered one of the year’s biggest exclusives: the first video from inside bin Laden’s compound. Schifrin is a visiting fellow at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, where he lectures and teaches a foreign policy class. He is also a Council on Foreign Relations term member and an Overseas Press Club Foundation board member.

Say what you will about President Donald Trump – he certainly has his plate full of challenges from Europe and Africa to Asia and the Middle East. National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, is the man tasked with helping deal with them.

During the day’s second Halifax Chat, Nick Schifrin from PBS had the opportunity to talk to Robert O’Brien. The first topic of discussion was no surprise: Ukraine. The country has been at war for years now, but is the United States doing enough to help keep the Russian Bear at bay? O’Brien responded that no other country has been as generous on the world stage as the United States. When crisis hits, when natural disaster strikes, the American government is always the first to offer help. But being generous is not easy. The U.S. has its own problems to deal with at home and must be sure that every cheque sent abroad is being spent effectively.

What about China? According to O’Brien, the issue does not begin and end with the Uyghur re-education camps in Xinjiang. What he worries about most is the surveillance infrastructure that China has built in recent years. With Huawei, this surveillance regime will come right to our doorstep – and it won’t knock before walking in the door.

“It’s tough to be generous in a way that the U.S. is. We have problems at home, and every dollar we spend abroad is a dollar not spent on single moms in the US”

— Robert O’Brien, National Security Advisor to the President of the United States

“I don’t think the President repeats Russian disinformation. We’re going to have to wait and see what the official reports will say. The President ought to be taken at his word”

— Robert O’Brien, National Security Advisor to the President of the United States

14:45-15:45

Plenary 5: 2020s Vision: Responsibility to Pro-Tech On the record

Speakers

Senior Correspondent and Blogger, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Ms. Golnaz Esfandiari

Ms. Golnaz Esfandiari

Ms. Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent in RFE/RL’s Central Newsroom. She was previously chief editor of RFE/RL‘s Persian Service, Radio Farda. Her reporting and analysis on Iran have been cited by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, The Los Angeles Times, and The Weekly Standard, and she is frequently sought out to provide commentary on Iran, including by CNN, NPR, BBC, and Czech, Slovak, Polish, Argentinian, and South African television and radio channels. Esfandiari has worked as a consultant on Iran with Freedom House, authoring several of their reports on human rights and press freedom in Iran. In 2013, she was tagged for the third year in a row in Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Twitterati list (@GEsfandiari).

Chief, Communications Security Establishment
Ms. Shelly Bruce

Ms. Shelly Bruce

Shelly Bruce was appointed to the position of Chief, CSE effective 27 June 2018. Shelly joined CSE in 1989 as a linguist and intelligence analyst within the SIGINT branch. After a series of roles in SIGINT collection, planning, policy, in IT Security, and as executive assistant to the Chief CSE, she served as Director General Access and Facilitation, and Director General Intelligence. In 2007, she was seconded to the Security and Intelligence Secretariat at the Privy Council Office as Director, Operations and also as Deputy, Afghanistan Intelligence Lead Official. Between 2009 and 2017, Shelly was Deputy Chief at CSE, responsible for Canada’s national SIGINT program.

Shelly has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dalhousie University and a Masters in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Toronto.

Minister of Defense of Ukraine
Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk

Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk

Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk is Minister of Defense of Ukraine. He was appointed in August 2019. Since 2006, he has been the founder and CEO of Discovery Drilling Equipment Ltd. (Ukraine), which specializes in new rig construction, component design and fabrication, and a range of support services such as rig modernization, field service support etc. and is a division of Discovery Industrial Services Ltd., London. He was a member of the Management Board until August 2019. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, he was being involved in volunteer support for the army, and in September 2015, Andrii Zagorodniuk headed the Reform Project Office of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine under the Minister of Defense. On July 5, 2019, he was appointed a freelance adviser to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and on July 9 – a member of the Supervisory Board of the State Concern Ukroboronprom.

Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Mr. James Appathurai

Mr. James Appathurai

Mr. James Appathurai was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary General in December 2010. As DASG, he is responsible for NATO’s political relations with countries across the globe, international organisations, enlargement, and arms control. He provides policy advice on political issues affecting the security of the Alliance. He is responsible for implementing and developing NATO’s relations with all its partner countries and organisations, including through Political Agreements, Partnership Cooperation Programmes, and other bilateral and multilateral arrangements. As the Secretary General’s Special Representative, he is responsible for carrying forward the Alliance’s policy in the two strategically important regions of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Mr. Appathurai previously served as NATO’s Spokesperson from 2004 to 2010. Prior to that he served as Deputy Head and Senior Planning Officer in the Policy Planning and Speechwriting Section of NATO’s Political Affairs Division from 1998 to 2004. He served in the Canadian Defence Department from 1994 to 1998.

Chief International Correspondent, BBC
Moderator
Ms. Lyse Doucet

Ms. Lyse Doucet

Lyse Doucet is the BBC’s award-winning Chief International Correspondent who has spent more than thirty years reporting across the BBC’s domestic and global outlets. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and was awarded an O.B.E. in the United Kingdom for services to broadcasting.

Her career began with postings in Abidjan, Islamabad, Kabul, Tehran, Amman, and Jerusalem. She is a regular visitor to the Middle East and Afghanistan and has covered all major conflicts and political events there for more than two decades.

Born in eastern Canada, Lyse has twelve honorary doctorates from leading British and Canadian Universities. She has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Toronto, and a BA Hons from Queen’s University in Kingston.

Lyse is a Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto, an honorary patron of Canadian Crossroads International, and a member of Friends of Aschiana UK which supports working street children in Afghanistan. She is a trustee of Inter Mediate, a founding member of the Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network, a Trustee of the Frontline Club for Journalists and a member of the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma.

We all carry smartphones in our pockets, wear smartwatches on our wrists and keep laptops in our backpacks. These devices have become indispensable. They enable us to remain connected, informed and in tune with the world around us. But what is poised to connect us, may also be the very thing that pulls us apart.

Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk agrees. In a country like Ukraine, where history is being written as we speak, foreign assaults on people’s hearts and minds threaten to derail their very future on a daily basis. The key, according to him, is to keep up. Yet, Shelly Bruce from Canada’s Communications Security Establishment thinks that we should focus on doing more. Resilience is crucial and a capacity to stay one step ahead of such threats can help us remain secure.

But Golnaz Esfandiari reminded us that these threats do not only emanate from foreign actors. In Iran, the government has been using the Internet – intended as a tool for free expression and open dialogue – as an instrument of repression against its own citizens. The fifth plenary of the 2019 Halifax International Security Forum made it clear the threat of cybersecurity is real, complex and present. The question remains: Will we be able to gaze up from our smartphones and start paying more attention to the world around us?

“Using cyber attacks, the Iranian government tries to censor journalists even outside of the country”

— Ms. Golnaz Esfandiari, Senior Correspondent and Blogger, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

“It all adds up to be resilient as a nation, so you can raise the bar and the costs against people looking to have a good cyber time”

— Ms. Shelly Bruce, Chief, Communications Security Establishment

“We have a real challenge working with tech industry because we don’t have the expertise and the time. We need the industry to come to us and share”

— Mr. James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization

“Do you know how long it takes to hack a simple phone? 60 seconds. It happens all the time”

— Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk, Minister of Defence, Ukraine

15:45-16:15

Coffee Break

16:15-16:30

Halifax Address

Speakers

Secretary of the Navy, United States
Secretary Richard V. Spencer

Secretary Richard V. Spencer

Secretary Richard V. Spencer is the 76th Secretary of the Navy. He was sworn in on Aug. 3, 2017. Spencer graduated from Rollins College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Upon graduation he joined the United States Marine Corps where he served as an H-46 pilot until 1981 before departing active duty to enter the private finance sector. Spencer worked on Wall Street for 16 years with responsibilities centered on investment banking services and a particular focus on strategic advisory services and capital market underwriting. Prior to his nomination, Spencer served on the Defense Business Board and the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel.

The United States Navy is the most powerful in the world and the only one that can project power to every corner of the globe. Secretary Richard V. Spencer brought fighting words to the Halifax Address this year. He wanted to reassure allies across the world that America stands strong with them.

Although its never their first choice, the United States is ready and willing to engage with those who seek to undermine stability. “We have the resolve,” he said, and “we are willing to deliver the fight no matter what.”

With China and Russia on the rise, uncertainty in the Arctic and digital attacks in cyberspace, Spencer added that no matter the state of politics, there is a military-to-military relationship that is strong and spans all countries big and small.

When nations persist in criminal conduct, the United States is prepared. While they hope that countries will follow the rules, they also keep watch. At the end of the day, if a country shares its democratic values, then they will learn, adapt and innovate together.

16:30-17:30

Plenary 6: End of the Earth: The Arctic On the record

Speakers

Executive Director Canada, and Editorial Director, Cross-Platform Content, POLITICO
Moderator
Ms. Luiza Ch. Savage

Ms. Luiza Ch. Savage

Ms. Luiza Ch. Savage is the Executive Director of cross-platform content for POLITICO and host of the Global Translations podcast. She works across the newsroom and with business partners to drive and develop ambitious editorial projects that include digital journalism, video, data research, polling, live events, and thought-leadership series. As executive director for Canada, she is responsible for the creation of POLITICO Pro Canada, a cross-border policy intelligence service, and POLITICO’s expansion north of the border. Prior to joining POLITICO, Luiza was the Washington bureau chief for Maclean’s, the national weekly news magazine of Canada. In that role, she covered several presidential elections, wrote and produced two television documentaries, and was a regular commentator on news programs. She previously worked as a reporter for three newspapers. Luiza earned a Bachelor’s in economics from Harvard College and a Master’s from Yale Law School, where she was a Knight Foundation Journalism Fellow

Member of Parliament, The Storting, Norway
Mr. Espen Barth Eide

Mr. Espen Barth Eide

Mr. Espen Barth Eide is a Member of Parliament in Norway (Labour). He was Norway’s Foreign Minister from 2012 to 2013, Minister of Defense from 2011 to 2012, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2011, State Secretary for Defense from 2005 to 2010 and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 2000-2001. Mr. Eide was Managing Director of the World Economic Forum in Geneva (2014-2016). From 2014 to 2017, he served as UN Under-Secretary General and the Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus. Mr. Eide was a senior fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) from 1993 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2005. He is Board Chair of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, Board member of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Board member of the Norwegian Atlantic Committee, senior adviser to the CSIS in Washington, and a member of the European Leadership Network in London.

Major General (Ret.) Tammy Harris

Major General (Ret.) Tammy Harris

Major General (Ret.) Tammy Harris is Former Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the first woman to hold the position. She is also a board member of Halifax International Security Forum. Throughout her distinguished 30-year military career, Tammy has been a trail-blazer for women in the military. In 2007, she became the first woman to command an RCAF wing: 9 Wing Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador. This commandment was followed by a deployment to Afghanistan as the commanding officer of the Canadian Element Roto 8 for the commander of the Kandahar Airfield and the chief J5 planner for NATO at the air base. In 2012 she became the first woman to command a major Canadian Armed Forces base: Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario. Along with responsibility for Canada’s largest training base came command of Canadian Forces Support Training Group at Borden. She began her military career in 1987 as an air traffic controller.

Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command & United States Northern Command
General Terrence O'Shaughnessy

General Terrence O'Shaughnessy

General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy is Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). General O’Shaughnessy has served as the U.S. Pacific Command Director of Operations responsible for joint operations in a region encompassing more than half the globe and 36 nations. General O’Shaughnessy’s joint experience also extends to his time as the Joint Staff J5 Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia where he shaped regional planning and policy in the Asia-Pacific and Central Asia regions, supporting the commanders of U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command. Prior to his current assignment, General O’Shaughnessy was Commander, Pacific Air Forces and Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Deputy Commander, United Nations Command Korea; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air Base, South Korea.

Secretary of the Navy, United States Navy
Secretary Richard V. Spencer

Secretary Richard V. Spencer

Secretary Richard V. Spencer is the 76th Secretary of the Navy. He was sworn in on Aug. 3, 2017. Spencer graduated from Rollins College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Upon graduation he joined the United States Marine Corps where he served as an H-46 pilot until 1981 before departing active duty to enter the private finance sector. Spencer worked on Wall Street for 16 years with responsibilities centered on investment banking services and a particular focus on strategic advisory services and capital market underwriting.  Prior to his nomination, Spencer served on the Defense Business Board and the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel.

The true north strong and free? While China dreams of a polar silk road and Russia builds icebreakers, is Canada doing enough to safeguard the land of the midnight sun? Also, climate change is causing the Arctic ice to melt which could lead to a power shift and the beginning of a new global order. How will Canada navigate these drastic changes that are taking place in its own backyard?

Retired Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Airforce Tammy Harris believes that Canada is not yet an Arctic leader, but it needs to be. Crafting an effective Arctic strategy means working alongside American neighbours, European allies and the Indigneous peoples of Canada. It means creating an Arctic secure in technology, infrastructure and military capabilities. As China and Russia set their sights on the Arctic, the region is at risk of becoming caught in the crossfire of a great power struggle. Tensions are heating up, along with the planet, and all NATO allies have a shared interest in deciding who will be the king of the north.

“We need to be up in the Arctic and present in order to be attentive to what’s going on, because things could change dramatically in a short period of time”

— Secretary Richard V. Spencer, Secretary of the Navy, United States Navy

“We are not trying to militarize the Arctic, but we need to have the ability to defend ourselves”

— General Terrence O’Shaughnessy, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command & United States North Command

“Every nation in this room needs to figure out: what are we going to do in the Arctic? It will be a huge, herculean effort to put an end to what we’ve started”

— General Tammy Harris, Former Deputy Commander, Royal Canadian Air Force

“It is better to let China join our club, than to let them create their own club”

— Mr. Espen Barth Eide, Member of Parliament, The Storting, Norway

18:30

Pre-Dinner Reception

LOCATION: VIA Rail Station

19:30-21:30

Dinner Sessions Off the record

Afghanistan and Iraq: America’s Long Goodbye

  • WITH: Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Kurdistan Regional Government; Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Director and Senior Fellow, South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. W. Bruce Weinrod, Adjunct Professor, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Arab Spring Review: Renew

  • WITH: Mr. Nadim Houry, Executive Director, Arab Reform Initiative; Mr. Nicolas Tenzer, Chairman, Center for the Study of Research on Political Decision
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Leslie Campbell, Senior Associate and Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa Programs, National Democratic Institute

Brexit Forever

  • WITH: Dr. Josef Joffe, Publisher and Editor, Die Zeit, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution; Admiral Henri Schricke, Head of Joint International Affairs, French Forces Joint Staff
  • HOSTED BY: Lady Pauline Neville-Jones, Member, House of Lords

Brutal Borders

  • WITH: Mr. Mark Hetfield, President and CEO, HIAS
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. François Lafond, Special Adviser to Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Republic of North Macedonia

The Chinese Century is Coming: That’s What Xi Said

  • WITH: Mr. Jim Baker, Director of the Office of Net Assessment, United States Department of Defense; Dr. Masashi Nishihara, President, Research Institute for Peace and Security; Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chief of Naval Operations Distinguished International Fellow, United States Naval War College
  • HOSTED BY: Ms. Rosa Brooks, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Policy, Georgetown University Law Center

Climate of Conciliation: Reaching the Skeptics

  • WITH: Mr. Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax,  House of Commons, Canada
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Jerrold Green, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Council on International Policy

Democracy in a Digital World

  • WITH: Minister Jüri Luik, Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Estonia; Professor Yascha Mounk, Contributing Editor, The Atlantic and Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Robin Shepherd, Vice President, Halifax International Security Forum

India à la Modi

  • WITH: Ms. Farahnaz Ispahani, Former Member of Parliament, Quami Assembly, Pakistan; Mr. Dhruva Jaishankar, Director, US Initiative, Observer Research Foundation; Ms. Ruhee Neog, Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations

Iran Provokes, the World Chokes

  • WITH:Mr. Dov Zakheim, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Mr. Jason Rezaian, Global Opinions Writer, The Washington Post
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Mara Karlin, Director, Strategic Studies Program, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, The Johns Hopkins University

Israel’s Friends, and Neighbors

  • WITH: Professor Gerald Steinberg, President and Founder, Institute for NGO Research, and Professor, Political Studies, Bar Ilan University
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Eliot Cohen, Deal, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

NATO@70: The Trials and Tribulations of Being America’s Ally

  • WITH:Dr. Sławomir Dębski, Director, Polish Institute of International Affairs; Mr. James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, NATO; Mr. Roderich Kiesewetter, Member, The Bundestag; Dr. Artis Pabriks, Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Latvia
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Roland Paris, Professor of International Affairs, University of Ottawa

Our Allies: Our China Challenge

  • WITH: Professor Richard Heydarian, Research Fellow, National Chengchi University, and Columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer;  Mr. Szu-Chien Hsu, Director of the Board, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Taiwan
  • HOSTED BY:Mr. Randy Scheunemann, Senior Counselor, Halifax International Security Forum

Russia and China in Africa: The New Scramble

  • WITH: Pastor Esther Ibanga, Pastor, Jos Christian Missions International, and Executive Director and Founder, Women Without Walls Initiative; Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla, Deputy Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense, South Africa
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Member, High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation, United Nations and Senior Advisor, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Space: The Final Command

  • WITH:Mr. Michael Brown, Director, Defense Innovation Unit; General Stephen Wilson, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Ian Brodie, Director of Studies, Canadian Foreign Affairs Institute

Sudan’s Success: Transition in Progress

  • WITH: Dr. Comfort Ero, Africa Program Director, International Crisis Group
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. John Glenn, Policy Director, US Global Leadership Coalition

Tokyo – Seoul: Past Problems, Future Friends

  • WITH: Mr. Seung-joo Baek, Member of the National Assembly, The Daehan Minguk Gokhoe, Republic of Korea; General Noboru Yamaguchi, Advisor, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  • HOSTED BY: Ambassador Mark Lippert, Vice President, International Government Affairs, Boeing International

Trading with Trump: Art of the Deal

  • WITH: Mr. Tsuneo Watanabe, Senior Fellow, International Peace and Security Department, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  • HOSTED BY: Dr. Luis Rubio, Chairman, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations

Turkey: It’s Istanbul, Not Constantinople

  • WITH: Mr. Yusuf Müftüoglu, Managing Partner, CRA Strategic Advisory
  • HOSTED BY: Ambassador Matthew Bryza, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Din Patriciu Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council

Ukraine: All Hands On

  • WITH: Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Senior Fellow, The Future of Diplomacy Project, Belford Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University; Mr. Matt Fisher, Commentator, Global News; Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk, Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Ukraine
  • HOSTED BY: Ambassador Jakub Wiśniewski, Vice President, GLOBSEC, and Director, GLOBSEC Policy Institute

Venezuela: Revolution Betrayed

  • WITH: Mr. Ben Rowswell, President, Canadian International Council; Ambassador Carlos Vecchio, Ambassador of Venezuela to the United States, National Assembly, Venezuela
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. David Smolanksy, Envoy for Venezuelan Migration and Refugee Crisis

White Supremacists and the Changing Face of Terror

  • WITH: Mr. Scott Carpenter, Director of Policy, Jigsaw; Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director, Counter Extremism Project
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. C. Dixon Osburn, Adjunct Fellow, American Security Project

Who’s Your Data?

  • WITH: Ms. Izabela Albrycht, Chair, Kosciuszko Institute; Mr. Richard Fadden, Senior Advisor, Capitol Hill Group; Mr. Chris Brose, Head of Strategy, Anduril Strategies, and Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for Peace
  • HOSTED BY: Mr. Dean Fealk, Chair, Global Strategy & Innovation, Halifax International Security Forum, and Partner, DLA Piper

In Pictures

Clippings

Trump national security adviser won’t say if president will sign Hong Kong bill
Blake Hounshell and Ryan Heath

O’Brien’s comments were made in a news conference with reporters at the Halifax International Security Forum, a gathering of diplomats and military officials from leading democracies. In a public session afterwards, O’Brien said, “The president may very well sign the bill… but that bill is going to become law, looking at the numbers. … I’d be very surprised if that bill does not become law soon.“

People of Hong Kong awarded 2019 John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service – an honour that comes at delicate time in US-China relations
Alvin Lum

Former lawmaker Emily Lau and activist Figo Chan of Civil Human Rights Front to accept honour on behalf of the city’s residents. Some see recognition from the Halifax International Security Forum as a direct challenge to Beijing

Navy secretary denies plans to step down: I'm still here
Newsroom

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer denies a New York Times report that he had threatened to resign or be fired if President Trump stopped the military from removing Eddie Gallagher from the Navy SEALs.

Secretary of Navy Says Trump’s Tweet Is Not a Formal Order
The Associated Press

Spencer, speaking on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, said if the president requests the process to stop, the process stops. “Good order and discipline is also obeying the orders of the President of the United States,” he said.

Congress would override Trump if he vetoes Hong Kong support, says Republican leader
Joe Gould

Barasso was responding to a question at the 2019 Halifax International Security Forum, where The John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service was presented to two residents of Hong Kong in support of their pro-democracy activism. Barasso shared the stage with a bipartisan congressional delegation and Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Senate Armed Services Committee chairman.

Navy chief says he would follow Trump’s instructions on Navy SEAL
Karen DeYoung and Image without a caption Karen DeYoung Associate editor and senior national security correspondent Email Bio Follow Dan Lamothe

“Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said Saturday that he would comply with any order by President Trump regarding the case of a Navy SEAL whose continuance in the elite unit is being reviewed by the service after a controversial murder charge.”

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Congratulations to HFX Global Chair Strategy & Innovation and @DLA_Piper Northern California Managing Partner Dean Fealk on his Wall Street Journal bestselling book! If you are looking to magnify your influence, be sure to check it out 👉 amazon.com/Impact-World-V…

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