Royal Canadian Navy to host major international naval conference
News Release
June 10, 2016 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) will host the 27th biennial Inter-American Naval Conference (IANC) at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax from June 12 to 17, 2016.
The conference, which is being hosted by the RCN for the first time, will bring together naval leaders from over a dozen countries. Representatives of the Inter-American Defence Board and the Inter-American Naval Telecommunications Network will also attend as observers, providing technical advice to the IANC panel of delegates.
This year, the theme that delegates will discuss is the “Future Maritime Operating Environment.” The purpose of the conference is to improve cooperation and dialogue among the navies of the Americas. Member navies will exchange ideas and knowledge of maritime issues, with each session revolving around an agreed upon central theme.
Quotes
“The Royal Canadian Navy appreciates the importance that the Government of Canada places on relationship-building in the Americas. The Inter-American Naval Conference is a valuable mechanism to discuss global maritime issues, exchange ideas, and find ways for our navies to work together better in what amounts to a massive operating environment.”
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
“We are delighted to host the conference and continue our work with other IANC nations. There’s no better backdrop than Halifax, with its rich maritime heritage, to hold these discussions and further our nations’ mutual maritime security interests.”
Rear-Admiral John Newton, Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic
Quick Facts
- The Inter-American Naval Conference (IANC) is a biennial conference that was established in 1959 to improve cooperation and dialogue among the navies of the Americas.
- Delegates from the navies of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay will attend this year’s conference. The conference’s official languages include English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
- Many of the countries participating in the conference demonstrate their commitment to hemispheric maritime security by contributing naval assets to counternarcotic operations in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Canada’s contribution to this effort, Operation CARIBBE, is now in its tenth year of recurring and near continuous deployments to the region to work with our partners.
- Operation CARIBBE is a multinational, joint, combined and interagency effort, and was successful in seizing 18.5 metric tons of cocaine and three tons of marijuana in 2015.
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Associated Links
Media Contacts
Maritime Forces Atlantic Public Affairs
Phone: 902-427-3766
Email: marlantpublicaffairs@forces.gc.ca
After Hours: 902-452-5280 or hfx.dutypao@forces.gc.ca
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