The second annual Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition will be held today through Wednesday in Honolulu at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Government, military and business leaders from more than 40 nations throughout the Pacific will gather to discuss national
The second annual Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition will be held today through Wednesday in Honolulu at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Government, military and business leaders from more than 40 nations throughout the Pacific will gather to discuss national and regional security issues and anti-terrorism strategies. “Last year’s inaugural event offered unique insiders’ perspectives on the regional effort to fight the global war on terror,” said Governor Lingle Lingle. “The participants gained valuable lessons and practical solutions for making our local and regional communities more secure. The 2004 summit will build on several of last year’s topics, including a review of significant changes in regional security over the past twelve months.”
The opening day on Monday will feature a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. Other speakers include Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., National Security Advisor for the Philippines, Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, Professor, Institute of Defense & Strategic Studies in Singapore, and Ong Keng Yong, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
A special session on counter terrorism regional outreach will be organized and led by U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). The session will feature a network of Asia Pacific security professionals who will discuss fostering multinational and interagency information sharing between PACOM, the U.S. and other government assets to form a common operating picture of terrorism-related issues in the region. The PACOM delegation will include representatives from:
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Chile, Comoros, East Timor, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niue Island, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States, Vanuatu and Vietnam. A delegation representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will participate.
