About Forte

The Forte International Security Conference is an initiative created as a forum for dialogue between Latin America and Europe and is currently the largest international security event in Latin America. Organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Brazil (KAS Brazil) in partnership with the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) and the Delegation of the European Union to Brazil, its objective is to bring together participants from a wide range of professional and institutional backgrounds to discuss current issues related to international security that are of interest to partners on both sides of the Atlantic. The conference is open to the public, which is encouraged to actively engage in the debates. With a diverse and active audience, participants are invited to analyze the event's themes and are given the opportunity to suggest the issues they consider most relevant to be discussed in the following edition. This broad exchange of knowledge and experiences is aligned with the main challenges faced by the various countries represented in the panels by speakers from the European Union, Latin America, and other regions of the world.

In 2026, the intersection between technology, security, and democracy has become one of the most decisive dimensions of contemporary international politics. Technological innovation is reshaping power dynamics, redefining sovereignty, and testing the limits of global governance. Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnologies, cyber operations, and control over strategic minerals have emerged as central vectors of competition among States, capable of redesigning alliances, fragmenting supply chains, and determining the degree of autonomy that countries and regions possess in formulating their security and defense strategies. The XXIII Forte International Security Conference has the mission of promoting high-level debates on this technological ecosystem in its multiple dimensions — geopolitical, military, economic, and institutional — reaffirming itself as a broad and forward-looking forum capable of analyzing how technological transformation influences the international order, democracy, defense, and global cooperation.

The relationship between technology and security is now at the center of strategic discussions. Technology is not merely an instrument of modernization, but a power multiplier that amplifies capabilities, generates new vulnerabilities, and challenges existing regulatory frameworks. At the same time, the world is witnessing a turning point in multilateral governance: the race for technological leadership intensifies rivalries, weakens cooperation structures, and calls fundamental democratic values into question. In this complex scenario, it is imperative to adopt an integrated approach that articulates innovation, security, and responsible governance. The evolving technology-democracy-security nexus requires critical thinking and collaborative action to mitigate its impacts on populations, governments, and institutions around the world. In an era of disputed technological supremacy and threatened strategic autonomy, what role should Latin America and the European Union play in navigating this new balance of power?

As the largest international security forum in Latin America, the Forte International Security Conference has, for more than two decades, promoted critical discussions on shared security concerns in partnership with Europe. In this edition, it deepens its scope by fostering a dialogue that transcends regional borders and seeks common responses to the challenges that technological transformation imposes on international stability.