The sixth iteration of the Senior Leaders' Course successfully conducted

From the 20th of April to the 27th of April, the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) conducted the sixth iteration of the Senior Leaders’ Course (SLC) in Riga, Latvia. Originally planned for 2020, the course itself faced disruptions caused by Covid 19, being cancelled in 2020, and postponed from 2021.

The course gathered General and Flag Officers, along with their civilian counterparts representing eleven NATO nations and NATO Headquarters. A one-week long course aimed at developing a shared understanding of security concerns in the Baltic Sea Region. The participants were offered unique insights into current allied and national strategies and policies related to the security and defence of the Baltic Sea Region. At the same time, the course facilitated executive level professional networking among Allied General and Flag Officers and their senior civilian equivalents.

This year, the main theme of the Senior Leaders’ Course was “The World of Disruptions”. The discussion focused on drivers for disruptions in the security environment and their impact on the security and defence of the Euro Atlantic community and the Baltic countries. Course participants were exposed to different perspectives on the topic offered by governmental and institutional speakers, internationally recognized experts, high-level practitioners in the field of security and defence as well as researchers, academic professors and think thank analysts. Panel discussions were followed by Q&A sessions.

The course offered unique opportunities to discuss problems caused by disruptions to the security environment. As the course rotates between the capitals of the Baltic states annually, the host nation's responsibilities change every year. This year, the Latvian Ministry of Defence has provided most of the support to the organisation and conduct of the course. Being the Framework Nation for NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia, Canada contributed significantly to the Senior Leaders’ Course’s curriculum and professional networking.