The Conference of Defence Associations Institute is hosting the 93rd annual Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence in cooperation with NATO and the Department of National Defence at the Fairmont Château Laurier on March 5-6, 2025. 

The 93rd Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence will feature an exceptional lineup of speakers; leaders and experts from NATO, the USA, UK, Germany, France, and the Indo-Pacific region are set to join us alongside top Canadian voices. Speakers will include:

Minister of National Defence Blair | Chief of the Defence Staff General Carignan | US NORTHCOM / NORAD Commander General Guillot | UK First Sea Lord Sir Admiral Key | German Commander of the NAVY Admiral Kaack | Australian Chief of the Army LGen Stuart | Indonesian Chief of Staff of the NAVY Admiral Ali | South Korean Acting Deputy Minister for Military Force Policy Mr. Won | EU Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defence Dr. Thoss

See full speaker roster and agenda here:
https://cdainstitute.ca/events/93rd-ottawa-conference-march-5th-6th-2025/

THEMES & TOPICS:  Arctic Security | Indo-Pacific | Transatlantic Security Cooperation | Artificial Intelligence | NATO | Space | NORAD | Cyber | Laws of War | Great Power Competition

The organizers are expecting a crowd of over 500 in-person attendees hailing from the Department of National Defence, 20 other government departments and agencies, academia, and industry.

Media may request access to the Ottawa Conference by emailing media@cdainstitute.ca. Upon arrival to the event, please ensure you provide your ID/media accreditation to the registration staff and sign in to receive your Media Badge for the event.

Quick Facts

  • The event will be streamed live online and on cable television thanks to a partnership with Canada’s parliamentary cable network CPAC. There is no registration required to stream the event life, and the event recording will also be available to view in the CPAC Video Archive following the event.
  • Attendees—including the media—will have the opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A sessions and participate in networking opportunities during coffee breaks and the evening reception.
  • The Conference of Defence Associations was founded in 1932 and serves as an umbrella organization for 45 member associations who represent over 400,000 active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Our Institute, which runs the Ottawa Conference, is a non-partisan registered charity organization that is primarily funded by private sponsors and donors. Our mandate is to foster a facts-based and rational approach to dialogue regarding Canadian defence, security, and foreign policy.