15th Annual
Western Hemisphere Security Colloquium
Rethinking Hemispheric Security and Strategy:
Ten Years after the
Mexico City OAS Declaration
May 21-22, 2012
Lincoln Hall Auditorium
Fort Lesley J. McNair
Washington, D.C.
Co-Sponsored By:
- National Defense University - Institute for National Strategic Studies
- U.S. Army War College - Strategic Studies Institute
- Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
- Inter-American Defense Board
- Inter-American Dialogue
- U.S. Southern Command
Colloquium Overview:
In 2003, the Organization of American States (OAS) held a Special Conference on Security in Mexico City. It led to a consensus Declaration that characterized secutiy as multidimensional in scope, and included longstanding social and political issues as well as other challenges of a domestic and regional nature. As the Declaration's tenth anniversary approaches, domestic security conditions have deteriorated in many countries in the hemisphere, which is also marked by the development of extra-hemispheric relationships, persistent interstate tensions, competing regional and sub-regional organizations, and resilent transnational organized criminal networks.
The anniversary of the OAS Declaration provides an opportunity to rethink the nature and scope of hemispheric security so as to maximize shared interests. It also encourages exploring how to respond to a pressing need for new, innovative and collaborative responses to today's complex security challenges and create positive momentum.
The 15th Annual Western Hemisphere Security Colloquium will develop five forward-looking themes:
- The Americas in global security affairs
- Sub-regional contributions to regional security
- Making Inter-American reference points on security and defense more useful
- The role of Latin America, the United States, and others in strengthening military capacities
- Adapting traditional U.S. defense tools to new conditions