Asia Pacific Security Innovation Summit returns to Queenstown

Asia-Pacific Security Innovation Forum (APSI) continues its series of annual eponymous summits with the Asia Pacific Security Innovation Summit 2021 to be held in Queenstown on 7-8 April.

Envisaged as a forum for discussion on regional security issues, and as a platform for the development of innovative problem-solving approaches, the APSI summits aim to contribute to the development of relationships in the AsiaPacific region that are more resilient to both external and internal shocks, and thus more safe and secure.

This year’s discussion will be focused on how to strengthen security resilience through partnerships and alliances.

The first APSI summit took place in Rotorua in April 2019 and saw the participation of a host of highly qualified speakers on a wide range of issues affecting the security environment in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The second Summit, held last year in Queenstown, featured an international speaker line-up that included Lieutenant General Olivier Rittimann, General Andre Lanata and Major General Gert-Johannes Hagemann.

With several speakers participating virtually, the agenda for this year’s summit features:

• Opening remarks by Lieutenant General Olivier Rittimann, NATO Defense College, Italy.

• Security Challenges and Strategic Arms Reduction: Guy Roberts, Former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, Biological Defense Programs; and Hunter Stires, Fellow at Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research, US Naval War College.

• Non-traditional security threats and their impact: MAJGEN (Ret) John Hartley AO, Institute Director and CEO at Future Directions International, Australia.

• Addressing contemporary threats to national security: Simon O’Connor, Member of Parliament; and Nicholas Dynon, Chief Editor of Line of Defence Magazine.

• Implications of hybrid threats for the Australian Defence Force: AVM (Ret) Dr Andrew Dowse AO, Edith Cowan University, Director Defence Research and Engagement, Australia.

• Strengthening Security Resiliency Through Partnerships and Alliances: GEN Paolo Ruggiero, Italian Army, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

• Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision: Providing a path for peace and security in the region: COL Shigehiro Noshita, Japanese Defence Attaché to Papua New Guinea and Army Attaché to Australia, Fiji and New Zealand.

• Conflict and Resolution: CCP’s aggressive moves in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir: MAJGEN Ravi Arora, CEO and Chief Editor Indian Military Review. • Regional security and Indo-Pacific, Taiwan’s Perspective: Bill Chen, Representative from Taiwan.

• Developing host nation capabilities to protect and advance mutually beneficial objectives: LTCOL John Black, US Marine Corps.

• Australia’s pushback and the weaponisation of COVID -19: Professor Sascha Dov Bachmann, University of Canberra.

“The APSI is a timely and dynamic platform for the advancement of defense and security diplomacy,” said Philippines Ambassador to New Zealand Dr Jesus Domingo. “It uniquely brings together stakeholders from the diplomatic, military and other critical security sectors. APSI is an initiative which contributes to world peace and stability - very much needed in these increasingly uncertain times,”

The missions of APSI are to facilitate security cooperation for peace, not war; and to facilitate cooperation on issues of common interest, including the human and social aspects of security; and to enhance awareness of security developments, including through early warning, with a view to preventing crises. For more information, visit https://www.apsisummit.com.