Previous editions – Bucharest Security Conference

Bucharest Security Conference 2017

The second edition of the international Bucharest Security Conference took place in Bucharest September 28-30, 2017. The event was organized by the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), in collaboration with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) and the Romanian Defense Ministry (MApN). The event was co financed by SNSPA and NATO Public Diplomacy Division (NATO PDD. Event partners included Piraeus Bank, Transilvania Bank, Romanian Banking Institute, as well as media partners: Foreign Policy Romania, Agerpress, Calea Europeana, DC News.

The overarching goal of the whole project was to increase NATO visibility and to raise awareness on the new challenges, on NATO policies with a strong emphasis on its firm commitment to collective defence, the development of NATO’s partnerships and its global role in crisis management. Our goal was achieved as the conference gathered more than 60 speakers, high level decision-makers, academics and experts who provided strategic reflections on the implementation of key decisions at Warsaw’s Summit and Brussels Meeting (2017), respectively, debated the necessity of a new strategic concept, the future of NATO’s partnerships, in particular the welcomed recent impetus in NATO-EU relations and also highlighted Romania’s role in the region as a factor of stability. The purpose of this conference was to enhance dialogue and promote a shared vision among all allies regarding the risks and threats we are confronted with.

Through this conference, SNSPA continued its close cooperation with NATO, contributing to the strategy of creating a broader framework for excellence in education and research projects, enhancing also the regional dimension of SNSPA’s academic programmes and our presence in the Wider Black Sea area.

The second objective was related to the B9 Format initiated in 2015 through the ECE regional Summit hosted by Romania and leaded to a better understanding on how regional formats of cooperation can contribute to the allied effort of meeting new threats.

The objectives of the conference translated into a series of both immediate and longer-term deliverables that we consider equally relevant contributions for NATO and for Romania, as well as for fostering regional cooperation.

Apart from the clear immediate benefit of constructive interaction and networking of senior representatives of institutional, political and academic communities, our conference delivered a policy report – that was distributed to the participants. The policy report was based on NATO actions and conclusions of the B9 ministerial meeting, in order to contribute to the process of enhancing regional cooperation and to enrich the substance of the forthcoming ECE Summit this year.

The materials distributed were:

BSC 2017- Policy Report- Regional cooperation in Eastern and Central Europe NATOs resilience: the role of B9 Format
BSC 2017 – BEYOND LIMITS- Building Resilience on the Euro-Atlantic Frontier Projecting Stability in the Eastern Neighborhood – edited with Foreign Policy Romania

Bucharest Security Conference 2016

The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) organised, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defence and NATO Headquarters, a high level international conference on the 11th and 12th of November 2016 to address NATO’s historic decisions to respond to recent security developments and evolving threats on the Euro-Atlantic frontier.

The conference “A Changing Security Environment: New Threats, New Solutions” organised by the NATO Partnership Studies Center within the Department of International Relations and European Integration was a flagship event in the series dedicated to the celebration of SNSPA’s 25 years of existence as an independent university and school of government and governance.

The organizers intend to transform this event into an annual conference in Bucharest which will serve as a platform for analysis and debate, concerning the specific evolutions of the Euro-Atlantic security environment, especially on its frontiers, in Central and Eastern Europe and the Wider Black Sea Area, entitled “Bucharest Security Conference” (BSC).

The conference gathered high officials from the ministries of foreign affairs and defence from B9 member states, other West European states, USA and partner states from the Wider Black Sea Area, as well as experts and academics.