The Munich Security Conference
In its 50th year, the Munich Security Conference serves as a key forum for security policy debate.
For many of its participants, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) is the most important conference of its kind. The first weekend in February each year sees senior representatives of international security and defence policy come together in the Bavarian capital. On its 50th anniversary, the conference – which began life as a cosy fireside meeting of NATO defence ministers during the Cold War – will be opened for the first time by Germany’s federal president. Following an opening address by Joachim Gauck on Friday evening (31 January), Saturday will see a number of elder statesmen casting a look back over the conference’s history. Former federal chancellor Helmut Schmidt is expected to attend, alongside former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger.
According to the wishes of conference director Wolfgang Ischinger, the remainder of the programme will be devoted to a broad spectrum of topical security policy issues: from the dangers of possible cyberspace attacks and the current situation in the Syrian conflict to the consequences of the mass demonstrations in Ukraine. As every year, up-to-the-minute questions such as the conflict in the South China Sea are also likely to be added to the conference agenda at the last minute.
According to the organizers, high-ranking guests so far expected at the Bayerischer Hof conference hotel include eight heads of state and government as well as 50 foreign and defence ministers, among them representatives of the USA, Russia and Iran. On the German side, Federal President Gauck has said he will attend, as have Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Social Democratic Party of Germany) and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (Christian Democratic Union). The conference website features up-to-date reports and videos from the conference, speeches given by participants and a bilingual live stream from the conference hall.
50th Munich Security Conference from 31 January to 2 February 2014
Speech by Federal President Joachim Gauck at the opening of the Munich Security Conference “Germany’s role in the world: Reflections on responsibility, norms and alliances”
