One Month to Go: Munich Security Conference 2025

• The MSC 2025 will address critical global security challenges and regional conflicts at a pivotal time, with a new US administration, a new European legislative cycle, and upcoming German parliamentary elections.
• On the Thursday before the conference, the 4th No Money For Terror Ministerial Conference, the MSC Innovation Night 2025, and various public events will take place.
• Save the date: The Munich Security Report 2025 will be launched on February 10.
• Please note: Media representatives should complete accreditation by January 20.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will open the 61st Munich Security Conference. “It is a great honor to once again welcome the Federal President to Munich after 2020,” says Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference. “We live in uncertain, polarized times. The Federal President's opening remarks in Munich will provide an assessment of the foreign and security policy situation. It is the prelude to a conference that will provide an opportunity to find solutions to the numerous conflicts around the world, in line with the MSC's mission: Peace through dialogue.”

The 61st MSC will take place from February 14 to 16, 2025 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Hundreds of decision-makers and opinion leaders from different regions of the world will discuss security policy challenges in Munich. The Federal President will speak on Friday, February 14, at 1.40 p.m.

The MSC 2025 will again be chaired by Ambassador Christoph Heusgen. At the end of the third and last conference day, Jens Stoltenberg will succeed him as the new Chair of the MSC.

This year’s MSC comes at a pivotal moment of change: a new US administration takes office in January, a new cycle of European legislature in Brussels and German parliamentary elections follow just one week after the conference. On Friday, the conference’s main program will start with a focus on global security challenges including: the future of global governance and multilateralism, the global financial architecture, democratic resilience, climate security, nuclear security, hybrid threats, the future of AI, and closed-door discussions on the Middle East. On Saturday, debates will take place on the state of the international order as well as regional conflicts and crises – ranging from the future of the transatlantic partnership to Ukraine. Discussions centred around Sudan, Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Georgia, as well as the Middle East will shape the agenda. On Sunday, the conference will wrap up with discussions on Europe’s role in the world, including questions concerning EU enlargement and European competitiveness. As always, a detailed agenda of the MSC 2025 will be published shortly before the conference.

The MSC has convened a Middle East Consultation Group with active and former high-level policymakers and experts to engage on key regional challenges and explore opportunities for cooperation. The group will also hold meetings during this year’s conference

The MSC 2025 will once again serve as a marketplace for ideas and create space for as many relevant and consequential debates as possible. As in previous years, the conference’s program consists of three parts: the main program curated by the MSC (including sessions in Main Hall I & II, Townhalls, Spotlight sessions in the Public Square and selected MSC Roundtables), around 200 official side events, and dozens of public outreach events. All formats are governed by the Munich Rule, which calls for maximum interaction between speakers and participants, true to the motto: Engage and interact with each other. Don’t lecture or ignore one another.

As in previous years, side events hosted by the MSC’s partners will form a cornerstone of the Munich Security Conference. The MSC has curated a program of around 200 events, ranging from conversations and roundtables to breakfast, lunch and dinner discussions addressing the most pressing challenges in foreign affairs and international security. These sessions will be hosted by a diverse set of partner organizations from around the world. We look forward to welcoming high-level participants for in-depth discussions on today’s most important security challenges.

The Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jörg Kukies, will host the 4th No Money for Terror Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing on February 13 in Munich, prior to the start of the MSC. The multilateral format will bring together ministers and high representatives from international institutions to discuss and develop strategies to combat terrorist financing.

The Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub, in cooperation with the MSC, is proud to host the MSC Innovation Night 2025 for the eighth consecutive year. This event will bring together decision-makers, innovators, and thought leaders from around the globe. The goal is to foster dialogue, collaboration, and modernization in critical areas of security and defense. This year’s theme is “Scale UP & Double DOWN – Cross-Amplifying Defence Innovation and Alliance Resilience.” The MSC Innovation Night will take place on February 13, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. in Main Hall I of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof.

Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) fourth annual Defense Innovation Report will be unveiled at the MSC Innovation Night. This year’s report highlights that defense ministries are falling behind in achieving their innovation goals, with the innovation readiness gap widening since 2022. The analysis is based on surveys of 59 ministries of defense, NATO, and the EU.

In addition to the official program, the MSC will host a variety of public events during the conference week including: an edition of its Zeitenwende on Tour Townhall (Hotel Bayerischer Hof, February 13, 3.30 p.m. – 5 p.m.), the MSC Concert featuring the chamber ensemble of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (Allerheiligen-Hofkirche, February 13, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.) and four sessions of the MSC Security and Literature Series meets “ZEIT Gespräch on tour” (Literaturhaus Munich, February 13, 14, 15, 16). The public can also look forward to three evenings of the MSC Cinema (ASTOR Film Lounge im ARRI, February 13, 14, 15, 8 p.m.), which will screen films about various aspects of foreign and security policy. Detailed information on the events will be available on our website and social media channels soon.

The Munich Security Report (MSR) 2025, the traditional scene-setter for the debates in Munich, will be launched at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin on February 10 at 10 a.m. (CET). The report and accompanying materials will be available for download on the MSC website from February 10. Please contact us if you are interested in specific aspects of the MSR ahead of the official launch.

Media representatives can still apply for media accreditation via our Press Portal until January 20. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Please visit our Media Hub for more information on the eligibility criteria, accreditation process, and participation in the MSC 2025 as a media representative.

For updates and insights, follow @MunSecConf on X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter. To get involved in the debates online, use the hashtag #MSC2025 and tag us @MunSecConf. Selected panels and press conferences will be broadcasted on the MSC’s social media channels.