Overview
The Disclosure Project Press Conference, held on 9 May 2001 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., was one of the most significant public disclosure events in the modern history of UAPs. Organised by physician and ufologist Dr. Steven M. Greer, the event brought together more than twenty military personnel, intelligence officials, government employees, aviation professionals and contractors who publicly called for greater transparency regarding unidentified aerial phenomena.
The conference received widespread international media coverage and represented one of the first coordinated efforts to present testimony from individuals claiming direct experience with classified UAP-related information in a formal public setting.
While the event did not produce newly declassified government documents or official policy changes, it significantly influenced public discussion surrounding government transparency and contributed to renewed interest in congressional oversight in the decades that followed.
Background
The Disclosure Project was established by Dr. Steven Greer in the 1990s with the stated aim of encouraging governments to release classified information relating to UFOs and alleged extraterrestrial encounters.
In preparation for the 2001 conference, organisers collected testimony from individuals who had served in a variety of official roles, including:
- Military officers.
- Intelligence personnel.
- Commercial and military pilots.
- Air traffic controllers.
- Aerospace engineers.
- Government contractors.
Participants stated that they were willing to testify publicly regarding incidents they claimed to have witnessed or investigated during their professional careers.
The Press Conference
During the event, witnesses described a wide range of experiences, including:
- Observations of unidentified aerial phenomena.
- Military encounters with unusual objects.
- Alleged radar tracking incidents.
- Reports involving nuclear weapons facilities.
- Claims of government secrecy surrounding UAP investigations.
- Allegations concerning recovered materials and reverse-engineering programmes.
Several speakers emphasised that they were not presenting physical evidence during the conference but were instead offering personal testimony based on their professional experience.
The event concluded with a call for the U.S. Congress to hold formal hearings and encourage the declassification of government records relating to UAPs.
Public and Official Response
The press conference generated considerable media attention and became one of the most widely viewed public events in the history of civilian UAP advocacy.
Supporters argued that the credibility of many participants, particularly those with military or intelligence backgrounds, demonstrated the need for further official investigation.
Critics responded that eyewitness testimony alone, regardless of the witness's professional credentials, could not substantiate extraordinary claims without supporting documentary or physical evidence.
At the time, the U.S. government did not issue a formal response to the conference, and no immediate congressional investigations followed.
However, many observers later viewed the event as an early precursor to the renewed governmental interest in UAPs that emerged during the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Historical Significance
The Disclosure Project Press Conference marked an important turning point in the public discussion of UAPs.
Its significance lies in several areas:
- It assembled a large group of current and former government and military personnel willing to speak publicly.
- It shifted discussion toward government transparency rather than individual sightings.
- It highlighted recurring themes involving military aviation, nuclear facilities and classified programmes.
- It called for congressional oversight years before such hearings eventually resumed.
Although the conference did not result in official policy changes, it helped establish a framework for later public disclosure efforts and contributed to growing public interest in government accountability regarding UAP investigations.
In retrospect, many historians view the 2001 event as an important milestone linking the historical era of civilian disclosure movements with the later period of official government acknowledgement and congressional inquiry.