The Canada-Iceland Seminar: Maritime Defence and Security in the North at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa is the second exchange between Canadian and Iceland academics and practitioners on defence and security issues, and supported by a DND MINDS Targeted Engagement Grant. This exchange is co-organized by the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network, the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada, and the Institute for International Affairs at the University of Iceland. This event will bring together Icelandic and Canadian practitioners (RCN, CCG, CCASCOE, and JFC Norfolk) and academics to explore new challenges to the maritime domain, climate change, and common operating pictures in the North and avenues for cooperation and collaboration.

This event is by invitation only.

Agenda

Canada-Iceland Seminar: Maritime Defence and Security in the North

29 May 2024 –War Museum, Ottawa (Ateliers C&D)

8:30      Registration and coffee

9:00      Welcome

Ambassador Jeannette Menzies and Ambassador Hlynur Guðjónsson

Member of Parliament Yvonne Jones

9:30       Opening session:

Deputy Commissioner Andy Smith, Canadian Coast Guard. Deputy Commissioner Smith and Ambassador Menzies to engage in Davos Style Q and A for 15 mins.

10:00  Climate Change and Maritime Security Collision Course

Keynote: Director Georg Kr. Lárusson, Director General of the Icelandic Coast Guard

Keynote: Youssef Mani, Assistant Commissioner, CCG Arctic Region

10:40  Panel 1: Climate Change and Maritime Security Collision Course

Ms. Pia Hansson, Director, Institute of International Affairs and Centre for Small State Studies, University of Iceland (Moderator)

Mr. Martin Aarnaes, CCASCOE, Branch Head for Outreach and Engagement

Dr. Jackie Dawson, Professor, University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Environment, Society, and Policy

Rear-Admiral Georg Kr. Lárusson, Director General, The Icelandic Coast Guard

Mr. Youssef Mani, Assistant Commissionaire of the Canadian Coast Guard, Arctic Region

11: 30 Light Lunch

12:30   New Challenges to Maritime Security

Keynote: Rear-Admiral David Patchell (RCN), Vice Commander US 2^nd Fleet

Keynote: Garðar Forberg, Defence Attaché for Iceland (based in Washington DC)

13:10 Panel 2: New Challenges to Maritime Security – Discussion

Dr Andrea Charron, Professor and Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, University of Manitoba (Moderator)

Dr. Valur Ingimundarson, Professor of Contemporary History, University of Iceland

Rear-Admiral David Patchell (RCN), Vice Commander US 2^nd Fleet

Mr. Garðar Forberg, Defence Attaché for Iceland (based in Washington DC)

14:00: Coffee

14:30   Panel 3: Illegal Fishing, Law Enforcement and Operating Pictures

Dr. James Fergusson, Senior Scholar, Centre for Defence and Security Studies, University of Manitoba (Moderator)

LCdr David Kostuk, the Senior Department Rep for DND/CAF at MSOC(E).

Mr. Brent Napier, Director, Enforcement Policy & Programs, Fisheries and Oceans

Ms. Brynhildur Benediktsdóttir, Executive Secretary of The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)

15:45    Overview of Interests and Perspectives

Ms. Julie Crôteau, Director, Nordic and Polar Relations, Global Affairs Canada

16:00   Closing Remarks

Ambassador Jeannette Menzies, Canada‘s Ambassador to Iceland

Ambassador Hlynur Guðjónsson , Iceland’s Ambassador to Canada

Speaker, moderator and rapporteur bios

Mr. Martin Aarnaes

Martin Aarnaes is a defence and security professional with extensive national and international experience from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence, The Norwegian Armed Forces, Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with NATO and the United Nations. He is currently the Branch Head for Outreach and Engagement at the NATO Climate Change and Security Center of Excellence in Montreal, Canada. He holds a MA in War studies from Kings College London.

Ms. Brynhildur Benediktsdóttir

Ms. Brynhildur Benediktsdóttir is the Executive Secretary of The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). She has previously been the lead Icelandic negotiator in various international fora, including NAFO, and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Dr. Andrea Charron (Moderator)

Dr. Andrea Charron is Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, and Professor of International Relations at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. She writes extensively on Arctic security, NATO, NORAD and Canadian defence policy.  https://umanitoba.ca/arts/centre-defence-and-security-studies

Ms. Julie Crôteau

Ms. Crôteau is Director, Nordic and Polar Relations for Global Affairs Canada with responsibility for (1) Canada’s international Arctic policy, including the Arctic Council and the implementation of the international chapter of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF); (2) the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative, a fund providing support to ANPF objectives; and, (3) Canada’s bilateral relations with the five Nordic countries.

Dr. Jackie Dawson

Dr. Dawson is Canada Research Chair in Environment, Society, and Policy and Professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Geomatics at the University of Ottawa. She is an Applied Scientist working on the human and policy dimensions of environmental change in ocean and coastal regions. She is considered a national and international expert in Arctic marine transportation, Indigenous community development, and oceans governance.

Mr. Thorlákur Einarsson (Rapporteur)

Mr. Thorlakur Einarsson is graduating with an MA in International Relations from the University of Iceland. He holds a previous MA in the history of international relations from London School of Economics and Political Science. His recent research was into the importance of Nordic defence cooperation for Icelandic security and defence. He has previously researched the debate on security and defence in Iceland at the end of the Cold War, as well as the establishment of diplomatic relations between Iceland and the People’s Republic of China. Mr. Einarsson will join the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs in May 2024.

Dr. James Fergusson (Moderator)

Dr. James Fergusson is Senior Scholar for the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba.  He has written extensively about NORAD, BMD, and Canadian Defence Policy.

Mr. Garðar Forberg

Mr. Garðar Forberg is the current Defence Attaché for Iceland’s embassy in Washington DC. He has previously held the position of Icelandic Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee.

Mr. Nicholas Glesby (Rapporteur)

Mr. Nicholas Glesby is PhD Candidate at Trent University specializing in Arctic security and Canadian Defence policy.  He is the Administrator for the DND MINDS-funded North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN). https://www.naadsn.ca/

Ambassador Hlynur Guðjónsson

Ambassador Hlynur Guðjónsson is Iceland’s Ambassador in Ottawa. He has previously held the post of Consul General and Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Iceland in New York.

Ms. Pia Hansson (Moderator)

Ms. Pia Hansson is the Director of the Institute of International Affairs and Centre for Small State Studies at the University of Iceland. Ms. Hansson has numerous publications on the topic of Nordic states and Arctic security.

Dr. Valur Ingimundarson

Dr. Valur Ingimundarson is a professor of Contemporary History at the University of Iceland. He has participated in a multitude of panels and made various publications on the topics of maritime and arctic security.

MP Yvonne Jones

Yvonne Rumbolt-Jones is the Member of Parliament for Labrador and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Northern Affairs and to the Minister of National Defense (Northern Defense). Prior to her election to the House of Commons in May 2013, Ms. Jones was the Liberal MHA for Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair elected in 1996. At the age of 27 she became the first Inuk woman of Labrador to hold a seat in the Provincial Legislature. During her time in the Provincial Legislature, Ms. Jones was appointed Interim Leader and later became the first female leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador and leader of Her Majesties Loyal Opposition on November 2007 until 2011.

LCdr David Kostuk

Lieutenant-Commander David Kostuk is a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. He holds the position of Senior Department Rep at the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) at the Marine Security Operations Centre (East) (MSOC(E))

RAdm Georg Kr. Lárusson

Rear-Admiral Georg. Kr. Lárusson is the Director General of the Icelandic Coast Guard. In 2020 the Rear-Admiral was awarded the Ordre du Mérite Maritime (Order of Maritime Merit) by the France Minister of the Sea.

Mr. Youssef Mani

Mr. Youssef Mani is the Assistant Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Arctic Region. Mr. Mani has previously worked at Veterans Affairs Canada where he was the Senior Director of HR Strategy and Program Design.

Ambassador Jeannette Menzies

Ambassador Jeannette Menzies is Canada‘s Ambassador to Iceland. She has previously served as head of the Canadian International Centre for the Arctic Region in Oslo during Canada’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Mr. Brent Napier

Mr. Brent Napier is the Director of Enforcement Policy & Programs at Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In this role, he is responsible for the administration and oversight of Canada’s national enforcement programs, both domestic and international.

RAdm David Patchell

Rear-Admiral David Patchell (RCN) is the Vice Commander of the US 2nd Fleet. He has previously served as the Director of Naval Strategic Management in the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

Deputy Commissioner Andy Smith

In August 2017, Andy Smith was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Shipbuilding and Materiel at the Canadian Coast Guard. In this capacity he is responsible for providing strategic leadership to further advance the Coast Guard’s Fleet Renewal Plan and is also responsible for the in-service support for the Coast Guard’s fleet and shore-based assets.

Ms. Sasha Tiaglei (Rapporteur)

Ms. Sasha Tiaglei is an undergraduate student in political studies at the University of Manitoba.  She won an undergraduate research award to study Arctic security and sanctions this summer.

Mr. Per Unheim

Mr. Per Unheim is Head of Public Affairs and Trade, Embassy of Iceland in Canada.