[11] The forum founders include Laura Bridge, Tom Clark, Dan Dugas, Dean Fealk, Marian Fernet, Renée Filiatrault, Joseph Hall, David Kramer, John MacDonell, George Macphee, Steve Markle, Duane Monea, Jeff Mullen, Paul Owens, Jay Paxton, Jonathan Tepperman, Jill Sinclair, Janice Gross Stein, and Jonathan Weisstub.

In the second panel discussion entitled "Nukes: The Fire and the Fury" Steven Clemons, editor-at-large of The Atlantic, moderated the conversation between General John E. Hyten, commander of US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), Bonnie Jenkins, the US State Department's Coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs, Sung-han Kim, dean and professor of international relations at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), and Moshe Ya'alon, former Israeli Minister of Defence.

[33][47] In a panel discussion entitled "Weaponizing Capital: One Belt, One Road, One Way", the panelists General Bryan Fenton, deputy commander of US Pacific Command (USPACOM), Edward Luce, Washington columnist and commentator for the Financial Times, Ong Keng Yong, chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and US Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer[48] discussed China's aim to take a larger role in world affairs and global trade through their One Belt One Road Initiative and examined what military and economic impact the initiative will have as Beijing expands its influence.

[52] "Open war is what we see in the Ukraine, and it breaks all rules of a civilized world," said Poland's Minister of National Defence, Antoni Macierewicz, in a panel titled "Rapprochement with Russia: Post-Putin Prep".

[54] Other panelists were Pavlo Klimkin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Vladimir Milov, founder and president of the Institute of Energy Policy, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

Jeanne Meserve moderated the conversation between Theresa Hitchens, Senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), General Hyten, Commander of US STRATCOM,[55] Julie Perkins, chief engineer of In-space vehicle propulsion systems for Boeing, and Rajeswari Rajagopalan, senior fellow and head of the nuclear and space policy initiative at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

In a panel discussion entitled "Make Democracy Great Again" the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, the professor of political science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Shlomo Avineri and the Turkish Minister for EU Affairs, Ömer Çelik discussed the western democratic model[68] in the panel which was moderated by Jonathan Tepperman, managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine.

The panelists Rosa Brooks, professor of law and associate dean for graduate programs at Georgetown University Law Center, Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the United States Pacific Command, Josef Joffe, publisher and editor of Die Zeit and moderator Gideon Rose, editor of Foreign Affairs, discussed the uncertainty occurring within the international community as to how the new US president would govern and execute his presidency as well as the international implications.

Canadian Minister of National Defence Rob Nicholson, who also held the forum's opening speech, in a panel discussion called on Russia to get out of Ukraine[97] describing the situation there as "completely unacceptable".

[100] In view of the Ukrainian conflict Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves opposed Russian propaganda and warned that "many things that Europe often takes for granted are under threat today".

[107] Senator McCain, against the backdrop of the failing negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program in Vienna and its repeated extension,[108] criticized the US diplomacy and drew parallels to North Korea.

[121] Speaking at a forum's panel, Rob Nicholson, Canadian Minister of National Defence, welcomed the Pentagon's new Arctic strategy and called it "entirely consistent" with Canada's approach.

[130] The 2013 Forum's Saturday night reception was interrupted by breaking news of the Geneva interim agreement on Iranian nuclear program and the broadcasting of US President Barack Obama's White House statement.

In view of declining international engagement due to economic pressures, he called it an "absurdity" that NATO states were spending more of their GDP on debt interest repayments than on defense.

Speaking about international military interventions, Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General Peter MacKay described a kind of fatigue currently present in democratic societies, due to the losses in recent years.

According to Abdul Rahim Wardak, advisor to Afghan President Hamid Kazai and former defence minister, Afghanistan needed "a lot of resources and patience on the part of the international community".

[146][147] Regarding the situation in Syria and Iran, two key issues for the forum, MacKay declared, that the NATO mission in Libya was no blueprint for similar interventions.

[150] At the 2010 Halifax International Security Forum[151] the US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham asked for Canadian troops staying in Afghanistan after 2011, the date of withdrawal, changing from a combat to a training role.

[154][155][156][157] Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, confirmed a new approach of the US Administration towards Iran, from an attempt to engage the Iranian government "toward a pressure track with the imposition of sanctions".

In his opening speech United States Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates,[160] acknowledged the military engagement of Canada in Afghanistan, with over 2,800 deployed troops and more than 130 soldiers killed.

"[165] On the conflict about the nuclear program of Iran, Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, urged the country to "engage" with the West and warned, "If persuasion doesn't work, pressure is going to have to be the next line of action.

The ministers included John Baird, Steven Blaney, Scott Brison, Kent Hehr, Peter MacKay, Rob Nicholson, Harjit Sajjan, and Vic Toews from Canada, as well as Chuck Hagel, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, and Janet Napolitano from the United States.

From Europe the ministers Michael Fallon from the United Kingdom, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg from Germany, Pieter De Crem from Belgium, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert from the Netherlands, Jean-Yves Le Drian from France,[173] Pedro Morenés from Spain, Guy Parmelin from Switzerland,[31] Milica Pejanović Đurišić from Montenegro, Hannes Hanso,[174] Nikola Poposki and Zoran Jolevski from Macedonia, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson from Iceland, Nicolai Wammen from Denmark, Haki Demolli from Kosovo, Tina Khidasheli from Georgia, Mimi Kodheli from Albania, Juozas Olekas from Lithuania, and Jüri Luik from Estonia[175] are among previous Halifax Forum participants.

In addition, United States Senators John Barrasso, Susan Collins, Chris Coons, Ted Cruz, Deb Fisher, Lindsey Graham, Tim Kaine, John McCain, Barbara Mikulski, Chris Murphy, Ben Sasse, Jeff Sessions, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Udall together with Representatives Tom Cotton, Tulsi Gabbard, Adam Kinzinger, Mike Pompeo, Adam Schiff, Dan Sullivan, and Robert Wexler were also among the participants, as were Alison Redford, Pamela Wallin, Bernard Valcourt from Canada, and Liam Fox from the United Kingdom.

Participating international military officials include Stéphane Abrial, John R. Allen Charles Bouchard, Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, Peter Devlin, Mark P. Fitzgerald, William E. Gortney, Frank J. Grass, Cecil Haney, Harry B. Harris Jr., Michelle Howard, Charles H. Jacoby Jr., John F. Kelly, Thomas J. Lawson, Joseph L. Lengyel,[176] Jarmo Lindberg from Finland,[177] Paul Maddison, Tom Middendorp, Neil Morisetti, Walter Natynczyk, Jean-Paul Paloméros, Petr Pavel, Stuart Peach, David G. Perkins, Victor E. Renuart, Michael S. Rogers, James G. Stavridis, Riho Terras from Estonia,[175] Jonathan Vance, Ricardo Visaya, and James A. Winnefeld, Jr.[178][179] International think tank experts, journalists, and entrepreneurs participating in the Halifax Forum include Geneive Abdo,[18] M. J. Akbar,[180] Michael Auslin,[181] David Bercuson, Rosa Brooks, Tom Clark,[182] Steve Clemons,[183] Roger Cohen,[184] Raghida Dergham,[185] Paula Dobriansky,[186] Lyse Doucet, Jane Harman, Wolfgang Ischinger,[186] Josef Joffe,[18] Suat Kınıklıoğlu,[187] Kathleen Koch,[188] David J. Kramer,[189] Kevin Newman,[182] Natalie Nougayrède, Ahmed Rashid,[18] Condoleezza Rice,[190] Gideon Rose,[186] David E. Sanger,[186] Robin Shepherd,[191] Janice Gross Stein,[192] Frances Townsend, and Kurt Volker.

[193] It is designed for senior female military officers from NATO and NATO-partner countries, aiming to equip them for future leadership positions and broaden their understanding of security.

[194] The fellowship consists of a three-week executive study tour in Canada and the United States, concluding with participation in the annual Halifax International Security Forum.

[195] The prize is based on principles that reflect John McCain's life and career: The selection process is managed by a committee comprising the HFX Board of Directors and President.

[195] 2018: The people of Lesbos for their efforts to save refugees[196] 2019: The citizen protesters in Hong Kong[196] 2020: Tsai Ing-wen, president of Taiwan, for her resistance to aggression from Beijing[197] 2021: The Afghan Female Tactical Platoon[198] 2022: The women of Ukraine (accepted by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska)[199] 2023: The people of Israel (accepted by Lital Lesham of Brothers and Sisters in Arms)[200] 2024: Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer[201] HFXConversations is HFX's online publication.

[203] HFX President Peter Van Praagh stated that the program is "part of building a new era for democracy, opportunity and peace with youth leading the way."