Sure.
In addition to Parliamentary Secretary Alexander, we had former ministers of defence such as David Collenette and a number of other Canadians, including a lot of members of the Canadian Forces. We had some 50 nations represented there, with 300-plus participants, including a large Senate delegation from the United States. It was an opportunity to speak to and interact with individuals who are decision-makers on some of the most important security matters on the agendas of many countries, including Canada.
The security forum itself provides an opportunity not only to have panel discussions but also to get a lot of bilateral opportunities to speak to these issues and to hear different perspectives from members of the European Union parliament, other defence ministers, and foreign ministers from countries on the Pacific and down into the Americas. We had a minister from Colombia participate this year for the first time.
It was a very successful venture, in my estimation. It has financial implication and benefits with those numbers of people coming into Halifax in what would be considered downtime in terms of tourism, and it highlights Canada's role, the integral role that we play internationally. It allows Canada to put forward our position on important issues, including what's happening in the Middle East, and on issues pertaining to the future of stability in places like Afghanistan, where we have been prominent. It allows us to talk about important issues around humanitarian relief in the Pacific, which was a big subject at the recent Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Uruguay.
The Halifax forum has become an event that many leaders in the security area attend each and every year. It's an important opportunity to attract to our shores those decision-makers who gain from having this interaction with Canadians and with Canadian officials from defence and foreign affairs. It's also been able to attract private sector sponsorship, such as MEG Energy and Foreign Affairs magazine, which are participants in this very important forum. It's been compared recently as the Davos of security by prominent publications. I'm very proud of the Halifax International Security Forum and the opportunity it gives our country.