Brazil is one of the emerging countries whose prominence on the world stage has increased significantly in recent years, due not only to the economic and social changes the country has been undergoing but also to the leading role it has started to play in South-South cooperation.
These changes also make it appropriate to reflect upon the role of Brazil’s defence policy. In 2008 the Brazilian government published its National Defence Strategy (NDS). This strategy aims to achieve the goals set out by the National Defence Policy, including actions for the short, medium and long term in three main areas: reorganisation of the armed forces; restructuring of the national defence industry; and training of armed forces personnel.
The NDS has specific recommendations on the development of the defence industry and the international engagement of the Brazilian Military, especially in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO).
The aims of this conference are to address in a multidisciplinary way the two key points of the Brazilian NDS, bringing together politicians, military personal and academics to discuss the development of science, technology and defence in Brazil and the future of Brazilian participation in PKO.
This will be the first high level conference on this subject at the Brazil Institute. Considering that Brazil is one of the key partners in King's College London's International Strategy, this conference represents an important step in reinforcing research partnerships between leading Brazilian researchers and universities on the one hand, and several departments, institutes and researchers of King's College London, on the other.
