Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The European Commission in Brussels announced that a delegation comprising a number of its members and led by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will participate in the fifty-ninth Munich Security Conference (MSC), and its activities will continue from 17 to 19 February at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany. It is an unparalleled platform for high-level debates on the major foreign policy and security challenges of our time. Almost a year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, MSC 2023 will also provide an opportunity to assess coalition cohesion and political commitment to the rules-based international order.
And according to what was announced by the official page of the conference organizers, shortly before the start of the activities today, it is
Under the new chairmanship of Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, the MSC will once again welcome a series of high-level international decision-makers and experts, including Heads of State and Government, Ministers and diverse voices from international organisations, civil society, the private sector and the media.
Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, which began just days after MSC 2022, is widely seen as a watershed moment, or "Zeitenwinde". Not only has the brutal war caused immense suffering in Ukraine, but it has also exacerbated crises in other parts of the world. What does the world look like a year after the start of the invasion? Is war a sign of a more violent world, in which impunity reigns, the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must? Or could it be a catalyst for global recommitment to a rules-based international order? These and other questions will be at the center of the discussions in Munich.
In addition to the main program of the conference, MSC will once again present a carefully selected selection of official side events hosted by leading organizations from around the world.

Munich base as a basic principle
As has been the case for the past six decades, the entire event and all its many components will be governed by the Munich Rule: engage and interact with each other: do not lecture or ignore each other. Whether on or off stage, we encourage our guests to interact with and learn from each other and we expect all of our speakers to be willing to answer questions and engage with the audience at eye level.
The Munich Security Conference will champion diversity and sustainability in all their forms and stand ready to measure against its very ambitious goals, whether it be gender equality among speakers or the inclusion of voices from the global south.