12 Dec. 2005

Youth conference to discuss terrorism with Secretary General Multimedia High resolution Photos of the meeting Speech by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (.MP3/22189Kb) Q & A following the speech (.MP3/12722Kb) On 12 December, NATO's Public Diplomacy Division, in cooperation with the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) Executive Board, organised for the second time an international conference, bringing together 44 representatives of national YATA chapters from over 30 NATO, Partnership for Peace and observer countries. The aim of this conference was to engage with the YATA family as part of NATO's outreach to the successor generation. The conference provided the young participants with an opportunity to meet with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, and other NATO officials in order to debate transatlantic and security issues. Reaching out to successor generations During the conference, the students participated in a special briefing and discussion on NATO's contribution to the fight against terrorism. The participants were selected on the basis of a short essay on this subject reviewed by the YATA Executive Board. At the end of the conference the participants handed over to the NATO Secretary General a Common Position Paper that contained their views and recommendations on NATO's role in combating terrorism.