PfPC Emerging Security Challenges Working Group Tackles Nano and Cyber

From 20-22 November, the Partnership for Peace Consortium’s Emerging Security Challenges Working Group held its third workshop at the Swedish National Defence College in Stockholm, Sweden.

Entitled “Nano and Cyber,” the workshop addressed a wide variety of issues, including recent trends in nano and cyber. The occasion also provided an opportunity to take account of the working group’s progress to date and deliberate over its agenda for the future.

The Federation of American Scientists was represented at the event by Michael Edward Walsh, Adjunct Fellow for Emerging Technologies, who served as a commentator in the session entitled: “Educating for Emerging Security Challenges.” Mr. Walsh participated in the prior workshops in Rome and Warsaw as well.

Following the event, Mr. Walsh provided the following statement, which was highlighted in a press release by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies: ““This working group continues to provide an important forum for facilitating expert exchange on the security implications of emerging technologies … (and makes) … a unique contribution to defense cooperation in the Partnership for Peace community and beyond.”

After three meetings, the working group is already starting to make a difference. The working group’s chairpersons Gustav Lindstrom (GCSP) and Detlef Puhl (NATO) and Senior Adviser Sean Costigan (The New School) published its first policy brief on 13 November. Based on presentations from the first two workshops, that brief examined the policy issues associated with Emerging Security Challenges and offered considerations for response.