At the beginning of the 21st century neither the United States nor Canada has devoted a great deal of attention to Latin America and the Caribbean, even though the countries of the western hemisphere are increasingly interdependent with respect to political, economic, immigration, and humanitarian affairs. Although we have witnessed an encouraging wave of democratization in Latin America and the Caribbean, in some countries civil unrest, new forms of authoritarian populism driven by economic inequality, powerful drug cartels, and violent transnational criminal organizations are transforming security relations in the region. These developments pose new challenges to Canada and the United States.

In early 2008 the Harper government announced that Canada would develop a new “Americas Strategy” to coordinate Canada’s policies in the region. The new American administration has also hinted that it too may review its many policies in the western hemisphere. In these circumstances, therefore, it is appropriate that we look closely at security challenges and national and international security policies in the western hemisphere.

Distinguished scholars, military officers, diplomats, and officials from governments, non-governmental organizations, and international institutions met to discuss security challenges in the western hemisphere and Canadian and US military, police, and diplomatic strategies to address them. The conference was hosted and organized by Queen's Centre for International Relations (QCIR), and The Defence Management Studies Program at Queen's, together with the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College (USAWC), and the Canadian Land Forces Doctrine and Training System (LFDTS).

Four expert panels addressed the following themes:

• The Security Environment;

• Building Security in the Americas;

• North American Security Perspectives; and

• Expectations and Strategies.

Documents

KCIS 2009 Agenda [PDF 228kb]

KCIS 2009 Proceedings Report [PDF 518kb]

KCIS 2009 Executive Summary [PDF 172kb]

Presentations

• Barbara P. Billauer, Foundation of law and Science Centers (FASC)
  Environmental Security [PDF 1.7 mb]

• Dr. Norman A. Bailey, Professor, Institute of World Politics
  Iran's Influence and Activities in Venezuela and in the Region [PDF 1.7 mb]

• Captain(N) Casper Donovan, Director, Maritime Staff, Canadian Forces
  Building Security in the Caribbean: The Flexibility of Canadian Sea Power [PDF 2.9 mb]

• Dr. Román D. Ortiz, Coordinator - Security and Defense Studies Area, Fundacion Ideas Para La Paz (FIP)
  Dealing with a Perfect Storm? Strategic Rules for the Hemispheric Security Crisis [PDF 127 kb]

• Lieutenant General Thomas Turner, Commanding General, United States Army North
  Continental and Hemispheric Security and Defense [PDF 1.3 mb]

• Admiral Jorge Humberto Pastor Gómez, Chief of the General Staff, Mexican Navy
  The Mexican Navy's point of view on Continental Security and Defense [PDF 6.6 mb]

• Colonel(R) Dr. Arturo Contreras Polgatti, Chairman, National Academy for Political and Strategic Studies, Chile
  Quo Vadi South American [PDF 1.5 mb]

• Colonel(R) Dr. Richard Kilroy, Professor of International studies and Political Science, Virginia Military Institute
  Toward a New Trilateral Security Relationship? United States, Canada and Mexico 2010 [PDF 3.1 mb]

• Dr. Stephen Randall, Director, Institute for United States Policy Research, University of Calgary
  Canada and Hemispheric Security [PDF 2.7 mb]

• Dr. Abelardo Rodriguez Sumano, Professor, Universidad de Guadalajara
  Mexico's Challenges on National Security in a Geopolitical Context [PDF 1.7 mb]