CEBRI Participates in the 2nd Transatlantic Maritime Security Symposium

  • 01 july 2025

CEBRI participated in the second edition of the Transatlantic Maritime Security Symposium, an international gathering focused on maritime security in the Atlantic. Organized by the Brazilian Naval War College (EGN), in partnership with the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC) and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), the symposium brought together around 35 experts and civil and military authorities from Africa, Europe, and the Americas, from June 30 to July 2, 2025.

Over the course of three days, discussions focused on the primary drivers of maritime instability in the region. Opening panels highlighted the intensification of geopolitical competition in the South Atlantic, with emphasis on China's growing presence through investments in port infrastructure aimed at exporting agricultural commodities and on the United States' efforts to maintain influence over what it refers to as the "Atlantic community."

On the second day, attention turned to transnational threats affecting the sovereignty and stability of coastal states, such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, illicit trafficking of arms, drugs, and people, and the predatory exploitation of offshore natural resources. Participants emphasized the importance of strong regional partnerships and regulatory frameworks capable of addressing these complex and interconnected challenges.

The final day focused on maritime governance and the building of strategic alliances within the Global South. Brazil advocated for the consolidation of the South Atlantic as an autonomous geopolitical space, not subordinate to the security logic of the North Atlantic. The Brazilian position prioritizes strengthening the South America–Africa corridor and promoting cooperative, multiregional solutions rooted in the sovereignty of coastal nations.

CEBRI's participation in the symposium, along with EGN's attendance at the Forte International Security Conference, held weeks earlier at the Hilton Hotel, deepens an institutional partnership of over five years between the two organizations. This cooperation centers on strategic reflection regarding Brazil's international role and the evolving security landscape in the South Atlantic, reaffirming CEBRI's role as a hub for knowledge production and strategic dialogue.

Share

MORE ARTICLES