ACG Webinar: Building Resilience and Protecting Critical Infrastructure

While global challenges are addressed by national governments, increasingly subnational actors such as states, communities, and cities have needed to step up to take action when traditional nation-states have not been able to make progress due to political polarization and partisan gridlock. The German-American State Legislator Dialogue will take on the challenge of infrastructure with state legislators from the United States, Canada, and Germany. They will focus on the role state governments can play in addressing common concerns when it comes to building resilience and managing threats to critical infrastructure.

Critical infrastructure forms the backbone of modern, well-functioning societies. Unfortunately, these infrastructures face increasing threats from natural disasters, health crises, as well as physical and cyberattacks on both sides of the Atlantic. While defining critical infrastructure is complex, in general, it refers to the systems, organizations, facilities, assets, services, and networks that are essential to the well-functioning of societies. Subnational governments play a fundamental role in proactively safeguarding the security and functionality of critical infrastructure, as well as in developing guidelines for responding to potential disruptions. As a result, they are often at the forefront of such disasters because they are closer to affected communities and play a key role in emergency response operations. They also play a key role in coordinating with other levels of government and non-governmental organizations to ensure a coordinated and effective response. What are the primary challenges faced by policymakers at the state level in managing threats to critical infrastructure? What mechanisms are in place to quickly react to crises on both sides of the Atlantic, and how can we learn from one another?

Join the American Council on Germany on September 12 for an engaging discussion with a panel of state legislators from the United States, Canada, and Germany, where we will explore these questions to gain valuable insights into the shared challenges faced on both sides of the Atlantic.

When: September 12, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT

Details and registration.