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Order of Malta at Munich Security Conference in debate on Migration and International Security

Grand Chancellor: addressing the issue from a multidisciplinary perspective and in the light of current emergencies

After two years of pandemic – with disastrous consequences for the social and economic fabric – and the increase in inequalities and poverty on a global scale, the new year is opening with fears of a new conflict on Europe’s doorstep.

Added to this bleak picture are the many ongoing crises – in Syria, Yemen, the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa, as well as instability in many other regions of the world, starting with Afghanistan. Conflicts and tensions that are forcing millions of people to flee.

The 2022 Munich Security Conference, 18 to 20 February, addresses these challenges by bringing together many world leaders to take stock of the instruments and resources needed.

The Order of Malta is participating in a debate on migration and international security. In his opening speech today, Grand Chancellor Albrecht Boeselager addressed the issue of security from a multidisciplinary perspective, analysing the phenomenon of migration in the light of growing nationalisms and growing inequalities that characterise this historical moment.

“In this panel, we take a multidisciplinary approach, distancing ourselves from the ‘security equals control of the territory’ equation. The concept of security is no longer associated with the idea of sovereignty and military power, but instead with the respect for international humanitarian laws,” the Grand Chancellor said. “We also analyse the intrinsic benefits of migration and highlight its potential for modern societies.”

Attending the debate: the European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Secretary for Relations with States for the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska and the director of UNICRI (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute), Antonia Marie de Meo.