About the Munich Security Conference

The MSC's objective is to build trust and to contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts by sustaining a continuous, curated and informal dialogue within the international security community. Today, the MSC is the world’s leading forum for debating international security policy. The MSC conceives of its conferences as a type of "marketplace of ideas" where initiatives and solutions are developed and opinions are exchanged. It provides a venue for official and non-official diplomatic initiatives and ideas to address the world’s most pressing security concerns. The MSC also offers protected space for informal meetings between officials and thus – as its original motto has it – build peace through dialogue. In addition to its annual flagship conference, the MSC regularly convenes high-profile events on particular topics and regions and publishes the Munich Security Report, an annual digest of relevant figures, maps, and research on crucial security challenges.

During the MSC's main conference in February, we assemble more than 450 high-profile and senior decision-makers as well as thought-leaders from around the world, including heads of state, ministers, leading personalities of international and non-governmental organizations, high-ranking representatives of industry, media, academia, and civil society, to engage in an intensive debate. The MSC believes in the need for an informed and sustained public debate on security policy broadly defined and thus aims to involve the wider public in its debates. We broadcast most of our debates and disseminate the results of our events via reports, interviews, and social media.

The Munich Security Conference has transatlantic and European roots but our activities also reflect a globalized world. The MSC strives to increase its geographic diversity and reach to include all relevant stakeholders. The Munich Security Conference aims at debating the world's most relevant security challenges. The MSC does not only include the most urgent security challenges in its programs, but also draws attention to issues that might not yet be on the top of the security community's agenda. The Munich Security Conference embraces a comprehensive definition of security, which encompasses not only traditional national or military security, but also takes into account – among others – the economic, environmental and human dimensions of security.