The Munich Security Conference, founded as Wehrkundetagung in 1963, has evolved
into the leading independent forum for security policy. Traditionally seen as a
kind of transatlantic family meeting for debating NATO strategy during the Cold
War, the conference has increasingly broadened its agenda and today attracts
participants from across the globe. Each year, dozens of heads of state and
government, ministers, and experts from different fields of security policy
gather in Munich for an open exchange of ideas and policies on the most pressing
international security issues - ranging from regional conflicts, international
peace operations and nuclear disarmament to cyber security and environmental
challenges. On the occasion of the conference's 50th anniversary in 2014, a
number of prominent participants, including former and current foreign and
defense ministers, reflect on the conference's history and significance, some of
the major issues debated, and on key security challenges facing the
international community.