The Halifax International Security Forum (also known as HISF or Halifax Forum) is an annual summit for international government and military officials, academic experts, authors and entrepreneurs, held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is organized by HFX, an organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that describes itself and has been quoted as an "independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization". HFX addresses global security issues through various programs, with the Halifax International Security Forum serving as its flagship event. The 17th Halifax International Security Forum was held from 21 to 23 November, 2025.
History HFX originated from the Halifax International Security Forum, which was founded in 2009 as a program within the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The forum received financial support from the Canadian government. In 2011, the forum became an independent organization, rebranding as HFX, with Foreign Affairs joining as a media partner.
The forum founders include Laura Bridge, Tom Clark, Dan Dugas, Dean Fealk, Marian Fernet, Renée Filiatrault, Joseph Hall, David Kramer, John MacDonell, George Macphee, Steve Markle, Duane Monea, Jeff Mullen, Paul Owens, Jay Paxton, Jonathan Tepperman, Jill Sinclair, Janice Gross Stein, and Jonathan Weisstub.
Organization HFX is governed by an American-Canadian board of directors, including Dr. Janice Stein as Chair, Mark William Lippert as Vice Chair, Ahmet Taçyıldız as Treasurer, and members Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Joshua J. Omojuwa, and Dr. Luis Rubio. The President of the organization is Peter Van Praagh. HFX cooperates with institutional partners, including its founding partners: the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
HFX receives funding from a diverse range of sources, including international organizations such as NATO and the European Union; technology companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, Apple, and YouTube; defense and aerospace firms including Anduril, CAE, and MDA; and other entities such as Ipsos, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), and Pansophico. The organization's Club HFX: The Pro-Democracy Business Group includes ATCO, OYAK, Boeing, and Çalık Holding.
Programs
Halifax International Security Forum The Halifax International Security Forum is HFX's flagship annual event, held at The Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The meeting brings together 300 delegates from over 70 countries and has been referred to by Canadian media as "The Davos of international security". This summit is the only event of its kind in North America. The 16th Halifax Forum was held from 22 to 24 November 2024.
Format The annual forum starts Friday afternoon with an introduction and a first plenary. Friday evening features a gala dinner followed by off-the-record "night-owl-sessions". After the plenaries on Saturday, there are more than 20 dinner discussions on a variety of topics. Sunday morning starts with a 5K run followed by off-the-record breakfast sessions. The forum ends after the plenaries and closing remarks with a press conference Sunday afternoon.
Annual Themes 2024 forum The 2024 Halifax International Security Forum from 22 to 24 November 2024 and was attended by 300 delegates from 60 countries. Occurring shortly after the United States presidential election, the meeting provided an early opportunity for international policymakers and defense officials to discuss possible implications of the new U.S. administration.
In the run-up, organizers released two contrasting agendas to underscore potential global trajectories following the U.S. election. Discussions focused on geopolitical uncertainty, transatlantic defense commitments, and the role of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) in warfare. Participants addressed ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, security challenges associated with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and the growing strategic importance of the Arctic.
In his opening remarks, President Peter van Praagh, emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine as a pillar of global security. Canadian Minister of National Defense, Bill Blair, highlighted challenges posed by Russia and China, the need to protect the Arctic, and support for democratic partners including Ukraine and Taiwan.
A key topic at the forum was the anticipated foreign-policy direction of a new U.S. administration under Donald Trump and its implications for NATO and transatlantic relations. European officials, including Dutch Chief of Defence of the Netherlands General Onno Eichelsheim, expressed cautious optimism that the United States would maintain its commitments to European defense, while noting European measures since 2016 to raise defence spending and reduce energy dependence on Russia, U.S. legislators pointed to institutional resilience amid prospective shifts in priorities. Debate over women’s participation in combat roles featured prominently following the nomination of Pete Hegseth as U.S. Secretary of Defense. General Jennie Carignan, Canada’s Chief of the Defense Staff, outlined the longstanding contributions of women to military operations and advocated for inclusivity within the armed forces, earning a standing ovation. Canada’s defense spending was also discussed: U.S. Senator Jim Risch criticized Canada’s plan to meet NATO’s 2% GDP defense target by 2032 as inadequate. In response, Minister Blair affirmed Canada’s commitment to investments in surveillance, submarine, and other defense capabilities to align with alliance expectations.
Other topics included sustaining support for Ukraine, and reinforcing a rules-based international order, strategic considerations in the Indo-Pacific, cyber defense, climate-related security risks, the Arctic’s growing strategic significance, and the regulation of AI in military contexts.
Findings from the “HISF-Ipsos Threat Index” survey identified disinformation and cyberattacks as leading global concerns. Participants also examined the influence of private sector leaders in shaping foreign policy, referencing comments by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio on technology executives’ relationships with foreign governments including Elon Musk and China, and their potential impact on U.S. strategic interests.
The 2024 John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service was awarded to Russian opposition figure and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza for his advocacy of democratic principles. Former Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen, the 2020 recipient, was formally presented her award, after being unable to attend in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 Halifax Builder Award was conferred on U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen.
Youth participation included the 15@15: Youth Building Democracy program, which brought six international winners from Ukraine, Taiwan, the United States, India, and Jamaica, to attend the forum and take part in discussions on global security and democratic values.
2023 forum
The 2023 Halifax International Security Forum was held from 17 to 19 of November 2023. The event was attended by 600 delegates from more than 60 countries. There were high-profile guests such as Canadian National Defence Minister Bill Blair and former Israel prime minister Ehud Barak. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate change and the Gaza war were the main topics.
A key topic of the forum was "Victory in Ukraine", which presented Ukraine’s defense as essential to maintaining the international rules-based order. The acronym CRINK (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea), coined by forum president Peter Van Praag, appeared in the titles of several discussions, including such as 'Never Mind the BRICS, Here’s the CRINKs'.
The forum also addressed the link between the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza. Van Praagh stated that, "Victory in Ukraine equals victory for Israel." Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, commenting on the situation in Gaza, described Israel’s military response as both necessary and justified. Demonstrations outside the venue called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Canada’s Minister of National Defense, Bill Blair, reaffirmed Canada’s "unequivocal support" for Ukraine, and emphasized that "all civilians must be protected, and the laws of armed conflict must be respected" in Gaza.
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and James Risch reiterated support for both Ukraine and Israel. In a message to the forum, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska warned, "If Ukraine falls, the war will not stop; it will escalate globally."
The forum also addressed the broader threat posed by authoritarian regimes. Iranian activist Masih Alinejad and Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov emphasized that ensuring global security depends on confronting both external aggression and internal authoritarian practices.
British Member of Parliament, Alicia Kearns, stated that democratic states were inadequately prepared for multiple simultaneous global crises, citing a "glaring awareness" of existing international capacity shortfalls.
U.S. Special Envoy Penny Pritzker presented Ukraine’s economic recovery strategy, which included rebuilding critical infrastructure and providing support refugees and veterans.
The John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service was awarded to the people of Israel. The award was accepted by Brothers and Sisters in Arms, an Israeli reservist organization advocating for judicial independence. Mike Savage, then Mayor of Halifax, received the 2023 Halifax Builder Award.
2022 forum
The 2022 Halifax International Security Forum was held from 18 to 20 of November 2022. It was attended by 300 delegates from more than 50 countries, including government ministers, military leaders, policy experts, and journalists.
Participants included Canada’s Minister of Defence Anita Anand, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, as well as representatives from the United States, Ukraine, Estonia, Sweden, Kosovo, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
In her opening speech, Defense Minister Anand addressed the evolving global security environment with Russia's war against Ukraine and China's behavior in the Indo-Pacific as key challenges.
The prominent topic at the forum was Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. In a prerecorded video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Forum, stated that peace could not be achieved on Russia’s terms and called for continued international support in the form of military assistance, food and energy, as well as the release of prisoners of war and deportees. He also called for the implementation of relevant protections under the UN Charter and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also participated, emphasizing that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not be trusted to negotiate a lasting peace agreement.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivered a speech entitled "Why Ukraine Matters," in which he stressed the significance of the war's outcome for global security, arguing that the invasion threatened European security, challenged NATO allies, attacked shared values, and undermined the rules-based international order.