About the Forum
Halifax International Security Forum
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), in cooperation with the Government of Canada, has launched the Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia to address the top global security
challenges facing the transatlantic community. This major international conference is the first of its kind on the North American continent.
Serious conferences about regional and global security have traditionally taken place outside of the United States and Canada. However, no country and no continent are immune to the world’s new dangers. GMF’s mission to promote cooperation between North America and Europe on a wide range of concerns led to the creation of a major international security conference in Canada. By bringing together leading policy and opinion makers from around the world, Halifax Forum will help shape a new transatlantic security agenda that can adapt to changing global realities and emerging threats.
The Agenda and Format
Building on the model of GMF’s successful Brussels Forum, the Halifax International Security Forum will feature a mix of plenary sessions and smaller breakout sessions, with emphasis on intimate and interactive exchanges between panelists and participants. On-the-record panels will cover broad themes such as international law, nuclear proliferation, and global transatlanticism. Breakout sessions held under the Chatham House Rule will explore challenges associated with North Korea, development, climate change, and counter terrorism, among other topics. The agenda reflects the growing diversity of issues at the core of the transatlantic security relationship as well as the increasing geographic reach of transatlantic cooperation. Finally, the Saturday night dinners, also under the Chatham House Rule, give every participant a unique opportunity to further discuss key issues in a more intimate setting and at the same time sample local cuisine.
The Partners
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is delighted to welcome as key partners to this initiative the Government of Canada along with the Department of National Defence and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. We are grateful for all of their help in planning the inaugural Halifax International Security Forum.
• The German Marshall Fund of the United States is a grantmaking and public policy institute dedicated to strengthening transatlantic cooperation.
• The Government of Canada
• Department of National Defence
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
