Summits, Roundtables & Conversations

MSC Summits assemble an audience of up to 100 high-profile representatives from government, academia, the military, the private sector and civil society for 24 to 48 hours of open and frank debates with a particular thematic focus. MSC Summits are held on-the-record or under Chatham House rule.

On November 24 and 25, the Munich Security Conference convened its Cyber Security Summit 2019 in Berlin. In the run-up to the United Nations' annual Internet Governance Forum, the Summit gathered around 150 high-level decision-makers and expert representatives from the private sector, academia and civil society. Key themes included global competition over information technologies as well as multi-stakeholder cooperation to tackle cyber attacks and disinformation.

How does rising geopolitical competition affect security in cyberspace? How can we promote mutual trust and cooperation between governments and businesses, and ensure the freedom and security of users in cyberspace? These were key questions posed by the Munich Security Conference (MSC) to the participants of its seventh Cyber Security Summit. The CSS was organized in the run-up to the Internet Governance Forum of the United Nations and provided important impulses for the geopolitical, security policy and strategic debate in the cyber sector. Cyberspace has long been regarded as a policy area in which states predominantly have common interests and which can therefore represent a starting point for international cooperation. However, the necessary trust at the international level seems at risk in the current climate. A recurring theme for the two-day event was therefore the need for confidence-building measures. The summit was co-hosted with the Deutsche Telekom and enjoyed the support of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy.

Summary

MSC Roundtables bring together an intimate group of up to 35 participants for an interactive debate on a specific security policy challenge. Roundtables are held under Chatham House rule or off-the-record and take place throughout the year, frequently alongside other MSC events, such as the Munich Leaders Meetings and the Munich Security Conference (Agenda of the MSC 2022).

On July 13, 2022, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) hosted a European Defense Roundtable in Paris, which brought together around 40 decision-makers and experts from governments, parliaments, armed forces, think tanks, and the private sector. Throughout three discussions chaired by MSC Chairman Christoph Heusgen and Vice-Chairman Boris Ruge, the participants discussed the next steps for strengthening European defense cooperation, EU-NATO cooperation as well as the European countries' contributions to collective defense in NATO, with a view to Russia's war on Ukraine and its repercussions for the European security environment. Furthermore, the participants discussed what Russia’s nuclear sabre-rattling means for the nuclear strategies of NATO's nuclear states and the Alliance as a whole, with a particular focus on France.

Summary

MSC Conversations are small, confidential meetings featuring a selected high-level speaker and a group of up to 40 participants, including senior experts, thinkers, and decision-makers. MSC Conversations are typically held under Chatham House rule, but selected events can be open to the public.

Titled "Relations between Russia and the West: A Perspective from Moscow", the Munich Security Conference (MSC) hosted a high-level digital conversation on May 26, 2021. The discussion was part of the series "Beyond Westlessness: Road to Munich" that prepares the ground for the next Munich Security Conference in 2022 with several events and formats. The series wants to examine how the state of "Westlessness", which was at the center of the discussion at the Munich Security Conference 2020, can be overcome. The opening event of the series, the MSC Special Edition, illustrated that there is a strong new transatlantic momentum. The MSC seeks to contribute to translating this momentum into concrete initiatives. This also includes developing joint transatlantic approaches towards China and Russia. The MSC-event with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 25, which dealt with the Sino-Western relations, was now followed by a confidential discussion with the Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachev, which addressed the status and prospects of the relationship between Russia and the West.

Event report