NAFAC History and Current Theme
This year marks the 62nd occurrence of the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC). Following a two-year hiatus from normal operations, this is the first in-person NAFAC since 2019. NAFAC welcomes delegates from more than 30 different countries and more than 50 military and civilian institutions worldwide. This conference provides midshipmen with an outstanding opportunity to discuss the world’s dynamic and complex geopolitical state while blending civil-military relationship building and professional discourse in an environment like no other. As a high-profile event, NAFAC attracts a plethora of international military leaders as well as distinguished figures in both the American political sphere and military flag ranks, including this year’s Forrestal speaker: General John Allen, USMC (ret.).
This year’s conference theme is “Partnership in the 21st Century: Aligning Values and Interests in a Multipolar World” and takes place from 12–14 April. The world order faces challenges in the 21st century that no single actor can overcome alone. Truly transnational, emerging challenges—a shifting climate, growing refugee populations, the integrity of global health infrastructure, and the expanding cyber domain— introduce a new level of complexity that traditional instruments and methods of state power are hard-pressed to manage. This, coupled with the rise of revisionist powers and an increasing trend toward authoritarianism, has generated tremendous pressure for the liberal world order. Democracies across the globe grow steadily more stressed. The fabric of trust that necessarily underpins the cooperation and stability of the rules-based world order is increasingly under strain.
The tension between values and interests is testing longstanding U.S. partnerships with like-minded allies. Strengthening the strategic concordance that underpins these partnerships has become paramount. The conference explores what it takes to achieve sustainable alignment between values and interests when constructing partnerships to respond to 21st-century challenges. The ability to defend the integrity of these partnerships, across a range of values and interests, could dictate the ultimate success of the liberal world order; and, most notably, the fate of the United States at its head.
Tuesday, 12 April 2022
The conference opened with remarks by the Conference Director, Midshipman First Class Caroline Finley, followed by an opening statement from the Superintendent of the Naval Academy, welcoming our delegates to Annapolis and reminding attendees of how special it is to host the conference in person this year. Directly following these remarks was the Lieutenant Commander J. J. Connell Opening Keynote Address given by Dr. Hal Brands, the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Dr. Brands framed the discussion of great power competition in the 21st century by highlighting the parallels and differences between today’s world and the Cold War era. Dr. Brands spoke about how the current threshold for violence has changed because 21st-century warfare has fundamentally altered our definition of violence, armed conflict, and the theory of victory. Arguably the most important takeaway from Dr. Brands’s address was the notion that negotiation must be used as a tool of competition in today’s multipolar world, not a replacement.
Following Dr. Brands’ address, the delegates broke out into roundtable discussions—the heart of the conference. This year’s roundtable topics span a wide range of pressing international concerns, including misinformation, weapons of mass destruction, Xi Jinping, and Russian expansionism. Some roundtables analyzed the US education system and its lack of cybersecurity training, something that must be addressed in today’s increasingly cyber-centric world. Furthermore, the other roundtables discussed conceptions of multipolarity as well as the necessity of a multilateral effort in 21st-century partnerships.
After the delegates enjoyed a meal in King Hall, the Naval Academy’s main dining hall, the conference moved into a panel that delved further into the state of the current world order.
Panelists included Dr. Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and Dr. Thomas Lynch, Distinguished Research Fellow at the U.S. National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies.
This panel focused on the role of the United States in the past compared with its role today and the panelists’ insights into what its role might be in the future. Dr. Lynch spoke about the current state of geostrategic rivalries and how economic interdependency has made partnerships more complex than ever before. Dr. Schake offered insights on the current state of policymaking in the United States and around the world, shedding light on the significance of fear and its effect on policymakers.
The culminating event of Day 1 was the Forrestal Lecture given by General John Allen, USMC, (Ret.). General Allen is the current president of the Brookings Institute and the former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force. General Allen’s lecture was insightful and timely, addressing the current situation in Ukraine as well as the rise of the three main powers in the world, the United States, Russia, and China. General Allen talked about the importance of multilateralism, not just for American values and interests but for the interests of the rest of the world. In closing, General Allen presented several dynamics that will affect foreign policy, partnerships, and the rest of society for the next century, such as shifting economic power, rapid urbanization, changing demographics, disruptive technologies, climate change, global health crises, and inequality.
