NOVEMBER 11
Online
16:30 – 18:00
Riga time (UTC+2)
WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
Discussion is organized the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia the Embassy of Canada to Latvia and the Riga Graduate School of Law.
NATO recognises the disproportionate impact that conflict has on women and girls, the vital roles women play in peace and security, and the importance of incorporating gender perspectives in all that the Alliance does. In 2018, NATO Heads of State and Government endorsed the revised Women, Peace and Security (WPS) policy that introduced the principles of integration, inclusiveness and integrity.
The Canadian government has demonstrated strong leadership and accumulated a lot of experience while implementing the policy in practice. Their experience is highly relevant for other nations starting out on policy introduction. Some of the most important issues are of a very practical nature in preparing for some of the already identified main challenges and on how to overcome them.
Therefore, within the framework of the Riga Conference 2020, the aim of the event is to kick-off this important discussion in Latvia while taking Canada as a committed role model and example of good practice.
16.30-16.40 Opening Remarks
H.E. Kevin Rex, Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Latvia
16.40-17.40 Panel discussion
Jacqueline O’Neill, Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security
Clare Hutchinson, Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security at NATO
Kaspars Ozoliņš, Head of Security Policy and Intl. Organisations Directorate
Arvo Anton, Deputy Coordinator for UN Security Council Affairs
Moderator: Prof. Žaneta Ozoliņa, Chairwoman of the Board of Latvian Transatlantic Organisation
17.40-17.55 Q&A Session
17.55-18.00 Closing Remarks
Prof. Žaneta Ozoliņa, Chairwoman of the Board of Latvian Transatlantic Organisation
NOVEMBER 12
Online
10:00 – 11:30
Riga time (UTC+2)
FUTURE OF NATO. ADAPTING TO NEW REALITIES
Discussion is organized by Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in a cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Latvia and supported by EEA and Norway Grants
NATO has remained relevant for more than 70 years and has provided peace and stability in the Euro- Atlantic space. The Alliance’s unity, responsibility and shared values of the members have provided its strength and sustainability. Today NATO is facing new, unprecedented internal and external challenges which create unpredictability and uncertainty regarding the future of the Alliance, as well as seed the sense of insecurity between member states and their main partners.
The event aims to demonstrate the relevance and sustainability of NATO in the 21st century through a facilitation of discussions on a broad range of issues. The discussion will highlight internal and external challenges to which it is expected that functional, institutional and conceptual recommendations will be given.
10.00-10.10 Opening Remarks
H.E. Kristian Ødegaard, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Latvia
10.10-10.30
John Andres Olsen, Colonel in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, Defence Attaché of the Kingdom of Norway to the UK and Ireland
10.30-10.40
Jānis Karlsbergs, Under Secretary of State – Policy Director at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
10.40-10.50
Martin Povejšil, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Security and Multilateral Issues, Czech Republic
10.50-11.00
Marian Majer, the State Secretary (Deputy Minister) of Defence of the Slovak Republic
11.00-11.20 Q&A Session
11.20-11.30 Closing Remarks
Prof. Žaneta Ozoliņa, Chairwoman of the Board of Latvian Transatlantic Organisation
13:00 – 14:30
Riga time (UTC+2)
BALTIC ENERGY SECURITY AND PERSPECTIVES FOR GREEN TRANSITION
Discussion is organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation in a cooperation with the Latvenergo and the Latvian Association of Power Engineers and Energy Constructors.
Development of the energy sector is one of the pillars of security policy. Even though, formally, energy security is no longer justified as a priority, it is still a critical aspect of national security and thus the representatives of the sector should be seen as those providing a significant contribution to it. The Baltic states have historically operated in connection with the electric power systems of Russia and Belarus. In order to provide more secure electric market, decision-makers took a decision to synchronise with the European grid already in 2007. Since then, considerable measures have been taken, and the Baltic States have taken significant steps to secure the electricity market and create a consumer-friendly environment. As a result, the synchronisation of the Baltics with the European electric power networks is planned for 2025. However, there are still number of challenges and a need for further steps for creating more secure and more green energy sector. It is possible to highlight the three most important dimensions in which the activities of energy professionals make an important contribution to the long-term security of society: development of the infrastructure and integrated market in sectors of the natural gas and electricity; development of renewable energy resources; wider electrification, especially in the transport and heating sectors. What is status quo of the Baltic electricity market and what are the main challenges of building more sustainable and secure network?
13.00-13.10 Opening Remarks
Uldis Mucinieks, Sales Director of Latvenergo AS
13.10-13.20
Andris Piebalgs, Former European Commissioner for Energy
13.20-13.30
Riku Huttunen, Director General of the Energy Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland
13.30-13.40
Marija Zjurikova, Deputy Head of the Department of Energy Market and Infrastructure, Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia
13.40-13.50
Viljar Veebel, Researcher of the Department of Political and Strategic Studies at the Baltic Defence College
13.50-14.20 Q&A Session
14.20-14.30 Closing Remarks
Moderator, Gunārs Valdmanis, Managing Director of the Latvian Association of Power Engineers and Energy Constructors
14:30 – 16:40
Riga time (UTC+2)
QUAD ROUNDTABLE
The Quad Roundtable is a special side event of the Rīga Conference 2020, Session Quad Roundtable” the Quad Group, AIWS Social Contract and solutions for world peace and security”, co-organized by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation and the Boston Global Forum.
Concept notes:
The Quadrilateral Initiative – informally named the Quad – first began in May 2007 with a meeting between the US, Japan, India and Australia in the Philippine capital Manila.
The informal grouping, championed by Japan’s then prime minister Shinzo Abe, was viewed by analysts as an attempt to step up co-operation in the face of a rapidly rising China.
Prime Minister Suga told reporters he would seek to “promote a free and open Indo-Pacific” and also “build stable relations with neighbouring countries including China and Russia”. So when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greeted each other in front of a bank of American and Japanese flags on October 6, 2020 in Tokyo, they exchanged what was surely the longest fist bump in their nations’ seven-decade alliance, a nearly 15-second joining of knuckles.
US State Secretary Pompeo’s remarks on October 6 evening, he said that the Quad’s members needed to protect their people from China’s “exploitation, corruption and coercion,” and he blamed China for a cover-up of the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. A statement about Mr. Pompeo’s meeting with the Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, described their discussions of “China’s malign activity in the region.”
On 16-18, September, the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid and the Boston Global Forum co-organized the Policy Lab “Transatlantic Approaches on Digital Governance: A New Social Contract in the Age of AI”, in which presidents, prime ministers, distinguished thinkers, and scholars discussed the Social Contract for the AI Age, and saw it as significant standards for world politics and economy in the 21st century.
How can the Quad Group support and maintain peace and security? What is the role of each member?
How can the Quad contribute to peace and security in the European, Atlantic, and Baltic regions?
How can democratic governments support and use the Social Contract for the AI Age as standards for international relations and for peace and security?
How can democratic governments recognize and implement the Social Contract for the AI Age?
14:30-14.35 Opening Remarks
Sandis Šrāders, Member of the Board of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation
14:35-14.40
Prof. Nazli Choucri, Board Member of Boston GLobal Forum
14:40-15.00
Michael Dukakis, Chairman of the Boston Global Forum (US)
15:00-15.20
Yasuhide Nakayama, State Minister of Defense (Japan)
15:20-15.40
Senator Kimberley Kitching, Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Reference Committee (Australia)
15:40-16.00
Ambassador P.S Raghavan, Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board (India)
16:00-16.25 Q&A Session
16:25-16.30 Concluding
Sandis Šrāders, Member of the Board of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation
16:30- 16.40 Thank you and next steps,