Secretary General of NATO and University of Dundee alumnus Lord George Robertson will present a video address welcoming delegates to a major international conference which will bring 150 academics from Europe, the US, and Canada to the city on Monday July 8.
The Transatlantic Studies Conference, hosted by the University of Dundee's department of Politics will feature papers on a wide range of topics, from post-September 11 Anglo-American relations to transatlantic music, film and literature. It has been sponsored by NATO, the US Embassy London, the US Consulate in Edinburgh, Baylor University, Texas, and Angus and Dundee Tourist Board.
Convenor Professor Alan Dobson of the University of Dundee's department of Politics said, "Globalisation has led to the development of bodies such as NATO and the EU. It is important that relationships between these groups and other nations within the transatlantic area are strengthened, in the interests of cultural links, trade and security, race and migration and democracy and justice.
"This major conference will focus on recent events in the transatlantic region, not just involving the USA and Europe but also taking into account interaction with Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. Many of the issues to be discussed are even more pertinent following the events of September 11 but the fact that we have quickly attracted around 150 eminent scholars from a variety of disciplines is evidence that there has long been a need for this kind of association."
The conference, which runs from July 8 to July 11, will be the first step in the formation of an international Transatlantic Studies Association and precedes the publication next spring of the new twice yearly Journal of Transatlantic Studies, by Edinburgh University Press. The event is also part of the University's growth as a centre of excellence for transatlantic studies which will see the launch of a new master's degree in the subject in 2003, which will draw on a variety of disciplines including Politics, History, English and Economics.
A transcript of Lord Robertson's address is included below.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, once
said that the lessons of history stay learned if they are embedded in
institutions. Well, in terms of security the lessons of the 20th century
are clear - in cooperation and integration are the foundations of
stability, that effective and credible armed forces are essential to
building peace and security and that by working together Europe and
North America can meet any security challenge successfully.
Those lessons are as true now as they were 50 years ago but today we must also learn new lessons, because September 11 2001 has made clear that as we enter the 21st century our security is still under threat but from new directions and in devastating new ways. NATO's challenge is to respond to this new environment and we certainly are.
Significant adaptations have been defined and already set in motion. And they will affect the alliance's policies, its structures and its capabilities and they will take shape and substance by the time our heads of state in government meet in Prague on the 20th November this year. The transatlantic link will remain the bedrock of our security also after Prague.
But September 11 and its aftermath have also made it clear that we need to update the transatlantic relationship as well. In simple terms we need to make that relationship stronger by rebalancing it. Not with less United States but with more Europe. We want Europe to be able to make a more effective contribution to security and we want NATO to be able to support European-led operations. You may ask why. Well, because this will offer us a wider array of options to tackle security challenges and because it will allow Europe to play a security role that is commensurate with its economic strength. And such a stronger Europe will also contribute to a transatlantic relationship in which roles and responsibilities are shared much more equitably and which will thus continue to enjoy the solid political an public support on both sides of the Atlantic. As a former British defence secretary and now as NATO's secretary general for the last two and a half years, I know only too well how much defence and security depend on informed debate. And that is why I looked forward to being with you today to discuss these important issues with you. And it is why I have offered my virtual presence when I was unable to be here in Dundee in person.
I'm happy that modern technology allows me to participate in this Dundee conference because I think it's very valuable indeed. The transatlantic relationship is a key pillar of our common security. It is a vital underpinning of the security, stability and prosperity of all of Europe and America as well that of the international community more broadly. The complex challenges of the 21 century can best be met by exploiting its full potential.
For these reason I wish you a very successful conference and the Transatlantic Studies Association all the best with its new and important work. Dundee and its University are, as you know, both precious to me and I am delighted that this initiative is taking place in the very location where my own youthful political passions were abated - somewhat - by the learning driven into me.
I wish you well, thank you very much for your attention.