
CONCEPT AND OBJECTIVES
COLOMBO DEFFNCE SEMINAR – 2019
'EVOLVING MILITARY EXCELLENCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY
SECURITY LANDSCAPE'
Security landscape of the 21st century is extensive and more complex than at any time in the global history. It ranges from air, land, sea and cyber, with states seeking to meet operational security objectives while defending themselves from security challenges posed by external actors and internal threats. Further, conventional international security issues are supplemented by challenges such as climate change, water stress, environmental disasters, terrorism, transnational crimes, which are creating a security landscape that is both complex and demanding.
Emerging technologies will have a profound influence on the ways that military operations are conducted. On the other hand, advances in new technologies are being increasingly exploited by terrorist groups and violent non-state actors to destabilize the society. In this new technological environment, the military should develop excellence in its core competencies in order to face these challenges effectively.
Vital strategic, economic and political developments are fundamentally transforming the global security environment. This inevitable process of change has far-reaching repercussions on the world order. Therefore, it is critically important to recognize the driving forces of this dire process at regional and global levels as well as to understand the cross-border cooperation and multi-dimensional responses required to ensure national, regional and global security.
Security efforts in the 21st century are also generally characterised by their defensive or responsive measures to efficiently respond to unforeseen threats in real time. In this context, the military is required to be prepared to take on the added responsibility as a defence diplomat to build the foundations for regional cooperation which is based on mutual trust and confidence for a much broader range of competence on ground.
The Sri Lanka Army aspires to bring together a global network of defence partners for critical discussions towards formulating a collective and assertive approach to repel security threats on nations. With the experience of conducting internationally accepted Defence Seminars as an annual event since 2011, the Sri Lanka Army is planning to conduct the ‘Colombo Defence Seminar’ this year as well. The 'Colombo Defence Seminar 2019' will be held as a two-day forum at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo, on 29 and 30 August 2019 on the theme: 'Evolving Military Excellence in the Contemporary Security Landscape.'

Serenity at a Glance
