Center for a New American Security

The Defense Attachés Association, in consultation with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), hosted their annual conference, Strategic Resources and Global Security Trends, on November 18, 2009, at the Embassy of New Zealand. This event, an effort led in part by Sharon Burke, vice president for Natural Security at CNAS, brought together defense attachés from over 40 countries, as well as U.S. military service personnel and civilian leaders at the Department of Defense, to discuss global security trends, including natural resource scarcity, energy security and climate change. Participants also included representatives from CNA, the New America Foundation, and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

The day-long event featured opening remarks from His Excellency Roy Ferguson, New Zealand Amabassador to the United States, and included remarks from various members of the U.S. national security community, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. Throughout the day, national security experts and defense attachés discussed issues including the geostrategic challenges of natural resources, the global security implications of climate change and the strategic management of critical minerals.