More than two million electric vehicles (EVs) were sold globally in 2018, a trend expected to grow over the coming decades. The smart deployment of EVs and EV infrastructure will be an important part of broader mobility planning and offers opportunities to connect markets and supply chains. The CSIS Energy & National Security Program is pleased to convene this panel to discuss strategies and policies to develop and deploy EVs.

Digital technologies are creating new challenges for law enforcement agencies around the world. Cybercrime is proliferating due to the growing sophistication of online criminal networks and the difficulties of trans-national enforcement. Investigations of traditional crimes are also becoming more difficult as encryption, ephemerality, and other technical measures create obstacles for accessing digital evidence. This event will examine how global cooperation can help to address these issues in a way that ensures a balance between the protection of civil liberties and the needs of the law enforcement community.

With the fourth industrial revolution set to disrupt labor markets, global stability is contingent on developing countries' ability to transform their economies and create jobs to meet the economic aspirations of their people. Argentina, during its presidency of the G20 in 2018, has made the future of work one of the main priorities throughout the year and created a T20 Task Force to develop recommendations on the future of work and education for the digital age.

The presence of armed groups in Venezuela significantly affects how policymakers consider addressing the Venezuelan political and humanitarian crisis. The Maduro regime seeks to benefit from Venezuela's status as a hub for transnational crime and illicit activities, causing policymakers to doubt what the best approach to address the crisis would be. Illegal armed groups finding haven in Venezuela not only adds new threats to Venezuela’s internal security, but also threatens Colombia’s security and the region writ-large. Illegal armed groups in Venezuela include the National Liberation Army (ELN), remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), colectivos, garimpeiros, and other residual organized armed groups (GAO) and criminal gangs.

Women have made great economic and social strides in the past 15 years. More than 3.6 million girls are in school and women are now allowed to work, both of which are essential to peace and stability in Afghanistan. However, the work is not over. It is vital that the progress continues and that women are not forgotten in the search for peace. We are pleased to host the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani, who has been a champion on these issues. Mrs. Ghani plays an active role as first lady, supporting efforts to fully integrate women and girls into Afghan society and into the workforce. In May 2016, she brought together prominent Afghan women from Kabul and gave them a platform to discuss women’s roles in contributing to peace. She held another symposium in 2017 to discuss the role of Afghan women as messengers of peace.

Technology was once viewed as a liberating tool for individuals living under authoritarian regimes, yet today, illiberal governments around the world are developing, acquiring, and utilizing technologies to strengthen political control over their population. Perhaps more than any other authoritarian country, China is experimenting with new methods of integrating technology into its system of governance, with its near-total surveillance state in the western region of Xinjiang being the most extreme example.

The CSIS Energy & National Security Program is pleased to welcome The Hon. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and The Hon. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for a conversation on energy policy priorities in the United States. This discussion will center on the opportunities and challenges of harnessing U.S. energy resources to foster economic opportunities and innovation for U.S. businesses, workers, and communities. As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senators Murkowski and Manchin are at the forefront of developing future energy policies across a wide range of crucial areas, including innovation, energy efficiency, and worker training.

Welcoming remarks by John J. Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS and remarks by Tadashi Maeda, Governor, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Followed by a discussion moderated by Michael J. Green, Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; Director of Asian Studies, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.

Climate change is upon us. In places like Nepal, where two-thirds of the labor force rely on agriculture to earn a living, the impacts of rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and protracted droughts are becoming especially severe. The U.S. government is expanding its investment in programs that build climate resilience, but how can we ensure these investments are inclusive and beneficial to the most vulnerable populations?

Venezuela’s water system is currently facing a number of critical issues and a clear path forward is needed to address the country’s water crisis in the short term and to identify a roadmap for longer term structural reforms addressing all aspects of the national water management system. The purpose of this conference is to analyze the current threats endangering the nation’s watersheds, the capacity of the water management system to protect the nation’s water resources, and the conditions of multiple entities responsible for assuring access to safe and clean water throughout the country.