"The Role of the Transatlantic Partnership in the Global Security Environment"
Slovak Atlantic Commission, Euro-Atlantic Center and NATO Public Diplomacy Division are pleased to announce the convening of an international conference entitled “GLOBSEC – The Role of the Transatlantic Partnership in the Global Security Environment”. The conference will take place on 27th – 28th of October 2005 in heart of Europe in Bratislava, Slovakia in the Conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This conference will run under the auspices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic H.E. Mr. Eduard Kukan. The thematic focus of the conference will be the new role and mission of the transatlantic partnership as it faces new global security challenges. The terrorist attacks in 2001 in New York, 2003 in Madrid and recently in London showed the vulnerability of our security more than ever before. The world is more interdependent that ever before and this has crucial implications also for the security environment and the security threats we face. In the world of 21st century we learn, that it is not possible to assure our security withot more cooperation, this shows that the collective security and the transatlantic partnership are crucial and very much required. New threats for the transatlantic community can originate outside of the traditional Euro-Atlantic area and these attacks call for more flexible and effective means to cope with them. These can be embodied in both NATO and the European Union. The Alliance is undergoing its deep transformation in order to be able to meet these challenges wherever and whenever they arise. The success of the Alliance in its difficult mission is very much dependent on the commitment of each member and the awareness of the public. This conference wishes to contribute to shape the discussion and raise the public awareness about the new missions of transatlantic partnership in this interdependent and global security environment. This conference is to gather and network Slovak and foreign security experts, parliamentarians, members of governments, NATO and EU representatives and media officials in order to outline the agenda of the transforming Alliance as it deals with global security challenges. Indeed, this flagship conference, cosponsored by NATO and Slovak NGOs and with the support of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, will represent a milestone in the whole range of Slovak public diplomacy activities concerning the future of the transatlantic partnership. By carefully selecting the topics for discussion and inviting both theorists and practitioners, the conference aims to contribute meaningfully to the international discourse on the perspectives of the Alliance and its role in the new security environment. The Conference will consist of four round tables and one workshop. It will focus on key national and international target groups: security experts; parliamentary, government, military and political party officials; media representatives and students.
Round Table 1 – Sustaining the Transatlantic Community: Still the Backbone of Global Security?
The Transatlantic partnership has undergone many stages of development. During the Cold war it was the backbone of the global security, now it is still a partnership based on common values and objective to protect the freedom and democracy. Recent dissacord in this relationship have had consequences on the potency of meeting the challenges of the new security environment. On the European side we have wittnessed a deep and dynamic integration embodied by the European Union, how will this process impact the changing trans-atlantic partnership? Does the transatlantic community have enough strenght and potency to meet the challenges brought by the new security environment?
Round Table 2 – Shaping the Global Security environment
Old Institutions for New Missions NATO operates in a fundamentally different security environment from the one of just 10 years ago; this difference has also implications for the new mission and role of the transatlantic partnership in the global security environment. The security threats for the transatlantic community may originate outside the traditional Euro-Atlantic area. The Alliance, operating in this very complicated and unforseeable global security environment should be able to meet these security challenges wherever and whenever they arise. What is the mission and what should be the new face of NATO in this global security environment?
Round Table 3 – Adapting to Asymmetry: NATO’s Military Transformation
The Alliance is experiencing a profound transformation as it seeks effective ways to respond the new security threats. NATO is undergoing its deep military transformation in order to meet the challenges of the new security environmnet. Will the Alliance maintain its military operability or will it turn into a political club? Will the Alliance measure up to new mission of the 21st Century? The international community is facing asymmetric security threats such as terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Is the Alliance an effective means of coping with them?
Round Table 4 – Projecting Security
NATO Enlargement and Partnerships One of the missions of NATO is making nations work together for collective security. The so called “soft security” is one of the key means of NATO to project peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic Area and beyond. What are the lessons learned from the recent enlargements and how far can NATO go in its enlargements and partnerships to achieve its goals whereas retain effectivity and capability?
Workshop
Transatlantic Partnership and the Public Opinion This workshop will touch the questions of public opinion towards the transatlantic partnership in NATO countries with the special emphasis on Slovakia. The public opinion in Slovakia and other European states towards NATO are instable. There are still old perceptions of NATO and the public doesn’t understand the new mission and role of NATO in the new security environment. The intention is to put together public opinion experts from NATO, national governments, Atlantic Treaty Association members and mass media journalists to discuss the mutual expectations of governments and publics in the era of catastrophic terrorism and try to establish a new perception of the transatlantic partnership. The workshop will present a new edition of the annual survey “Transatlantic Trends”, issued at the beginning of October 2005.
Organizers
Slovak Atlantic Commission
Euro-Atlantic Center
NATO Public Diplomacy Division
Partners
Konrad Adenauer Stifftung, German Marshall Fund of the United States
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak republic, Ministry of Defense of Slovak republic
Atlantic Treaty Association, Institute for Public Affairs, Hotel Danube, FPVMV UMB, UNIS
US Embassy, Bae Systems, Genuine Advertising, Mediatronic
Media Partners
TA3, Radio Twist, .tyzden, TASR, SRo
