Report by Claudia Cataldi, International Correspondent
Held at the Brazilian Naval War College (Escola de Guerra Naval – EGN) in Rio de Janeiro, the 2nd Transatlantic Maritime Security Symposium brought together civilian and military authorities, scholars, and maritime security experts from Africa, the Americas, and Europe to discuss emerging challenges in Atlantic maritime security and to strengthen international cooperation.
Organized by the Center for Strategic and Political Studies of the Brazilian Navy (CEPE-MB), in partnership with EGN, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the symposium provided a high-level forum for technical and strategic dialogue on key maritime risk factors across the Atlantic basin.
Consolidating the Atlantic as a pillar of stability requires more than vigilance, it demands coordination, mutual trust, and an environment conducive to cooperation. At a time when the South America/Africa corridor is gaining strategic relevance in global trade, energy security, and geopolitical balance, the event prompted timely reflection on threats such as illegal fishing, narcotrafficking, transnational organized crime, and external pressure on maritime resources.
With around 35 high-level speakers and an audience of approximately 400 participants, the symposium brought together representatives from governments, armed forces, academia, and the private sector in a setting of strategic thought, knowledge exchange, and collaborative solution-building. The joint initiative reaffirmed the importance of investing in regional capabilities, shared governance, and institutional resilience across the maritime domain. The exchange of experiences among Atlantic nations reinforced the understanding that maritime security has direct implications for food, energy, climate, and human security.
The event also offered the Brazilian Navy an opportunity to reaffirm that, while the themes addressed fall within its subsidiary responsibilities, its unwavering priority remains naval defense in its strictest sense.
Hosting the symposium in Brazil was both symbolic and strategic, placing the country at the center of global maritime defense discussions and reinforcing the Brazilian Navy’s role as a reliable partner in promoting peace and stability throughout the Atlantic. The symposium’s success strengthens a shared agenda for cooperative security. CEPE-MB, the William J. Perry Center, and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies remain committed to continuing this high-level dialogue through future gatherings, joint projects, and collaborative networks aimed at advancing transatlantic maritime security.
Brazil Hosts International Maritime Security Symposium