The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) held the 4th Maritime Security Seminar on April 29, 2025, consolidating its position as a space of excellence for the exchange of experiences and best practices among navies, coast guards, and naval authorities of the American continent.
With more than 10,000 registrants from 52 countriesThe event reaffirmed the IADB's commitment to strengthening regional cooperation to address common challenges to maritime security.
The seminar had as its central theme "The Role of Navies, Coast Guards, and Naval Authorities in Preventing and Combating Maritime Drug Trafficking", and featured presentations by representatives from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, Mexico, Peru, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD/OAS) and of the Inter-American Defense College (IDC)The presentations highlighted regional cooperation strategies, inter-institutional operations, technological advances, and shared challenges facing transnational organized crime in the maritime arena.
The opening ceremony was led by His Excellency the Ambassador of Ecuador, Mr. Mauricio Montalvo, and the closing ceremony was led by Brigadier Flavio da Silva Pinto, Director General of the IADB Secretariat. Both emphasized the importance of hemispheric dialogue to strengthen maritime security and governance.
The high level of the debates, coupled with the active participation of the audience—who submitted technical questions, many of them complex—demonstrated the growing interest of society and defense and security professionals in this strategic issue for the hemisphere.
The IADB thanks all participants and invites the hemispheric community to continue supporting its initiatives through the official website and institutional communication channels.
