Manisha is Founder and Principal at Sunstone Strategy Group, a strategic advisory firm. She is on the board of trustees of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, the advisory board for the American Foreign Policy Council and the Meridian International Center. She is also a Visiting Fellow at the GMU Scalia Law School National Security Institute. Manisha previously served as Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. State Department, as well as Acting Under Secretary of State. In 2020, she was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Her Capitol Hill experience includes serving as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In addition to government, she was a senior executive at J.P. Morgan Chase as well as an attorney at large law firms.

Dr. Cheol Hee Park has been appointed as Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy(KNDA) as of March 31, 2023. He has been a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at Seoul National University since 2004. He was director of Institute for Japanese Studies (2012-1016), dean of the GSIS (2016-2018), and director of Institute of International Affairs (2019-2023) at Seoul National University. He served as President of the Korean Association for Contemporary Japanese Studies in 2017.Dr. Park acquired Ph.D. degree at Columbia University in the City of New York, after obtaining B.A. and M.A. at the political science department at Seoul National University. Before joining a faculty at Seoul National University in 2004, he was an assistant professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Japan between 1999 and 2002 and the Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) between 2002 and 2004. He was a visiting professor at Columbia University, University of Tokyo, Keio University, and Nankai University in Chia. In 2022, he served as a senior staff at the Subcommittee on Foreign Relations and Security of the Presidential Transition Committee.In his personal capacity, Dr. Park worked as a board member at several thinktanks, including Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Sejong Foundation, East Asia Foundation, and Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. He also served as a non-resident senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council. For ten years between 2012 and 2021, he wrote a column at Tokyo Shimbun. He has written a number of columns at Chousn Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, Munhwa Ilbo, Maeil Business Newspaper, and the Seoul Newspaper.Dr. Park wrote a number of books and articles in Korean, English, and Japanese, including a book titled “LDP Politics and the Transformation of Postwar Japanese Regime(Seoul National University Press, 2011).

Muhammad Shehada is Palestinian writer and analyst from the Gaza Strip. He is currently the Cheif of Communications and Programs at Euro-Med Monitor, he's a columnist at the Forward and contributing writer to the New Arab, Newsweek and other publications.Shehada studied Security Risk Management at Copenhagen University,International Development at Lund University and Computer Engineering at the Islamic University of Gaza.

Lebanon's former security chief Major General Abbas IbrahimA key figure in the set piece that helped shape global politics of our region.His first major cases at the head of General Security came after the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. In 2013, he negotiated with Qatar to release LebaneseShiite hostages who had been held for 13 months by Syrian Sunni rebels. They were captured on their way back from a pilgrimage in Iran.In March 2014, he negotiated the release of Christian nuns from the Syrian town of Maaloula who had been kidnapped by jihadists four months earlier north of Damascus. It was Ibrahim who was then contacted to free various Western hostages in Syria. Thanks to his mediation, Kristian Lee Baxter (Canadian) and Sam Goodwin (American) were released in the summer of 2019. Ibrahim also succeeded in convincing Tehran, in June 2019, to release Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese resident of the United States who was arrested in 2015 while visiting Iran, on charges of “spying” for Washington.He became known for his mediation between conflicting parties after serving for almost 12 years at the helm of General Security, as he forged connections with – and between – people with directly opposed views. Ibrahim has been linked with a potential political role in the country ever since he left Beirut’s security apparatus at the beginning of this year 2023.Ibrahim’s patriotic political and social responsibility has always pushed him to serve people and their rights wherever and whenever they are exactly as what happening now in Gaza.

Chido Cleopatra Mpemba is the Youth Envoy at the African Union Commission where she assists in championing youth development issues in Africa.She was appointed as the second African Union Youth Envoy by the chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki in November 2021, as the youngest senior official in the history of the African Union and youngest diplomat in the chairperson's cabinet. Chido took over from Aya Chebbi from Tunisia. Before being appointed to the African Union as the Youth Envoy on 1 November 2021, she had worked as a banker at Standard Chartered Bank, and also worked for the Ministry of Youth Arts, Sport, and Recreation in her country, Zimbabwe.Prior to enrolling in an MBA program at Midlands State University, she earned her degree in Labour Organisational Psychology and Human Resource Management from Cape Town University in South Africa. She studied Leadership in Business at Dartmouth College during her Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2016.

Ambassador Deike Potzel was appointed Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on 17 October 2023.She continues to be Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peace Building and Humanitarian Assistance at the Federal Foreign Office.Previously, she served as Inspector General at the Federal Foreign Office. She was Germany’s Ambassador to Ireland, Deputy Director-General for Central Services at the Foreign Ministry and Head of the Personal Office of Federal President Joachim Gauck.She also served as Deputy Head of Division for Personnel, Staff Development and Planning, Desk Officer for Iran and the Gulf Countries as well as the EU- Enlargement desk at the Foreign Ministry. She was posted to Iran and Singapore.Ambassador Potzel studied English and French Language and Literature. She is married with two children.

Elisabeth Kendall is “The Mistress” [President] of Girton College at the University of Cambridge. Previously, she held positions and researched at the Universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Harvard, and served as Director of a UK government sponsored Centre aimed at building Arabic-based research expertise. Her current work focuses on the cultural production of militant jihadist groups and the Yemen conflict. She has advised and lectured at government, military and scholarly institutions all around the world and is a frequent contributor to international television and print media. She has spent significant time in the field, especially in Yemen. She holds doctorates from the Universities of Oxford (D.Phil.), Cambridge (inc. Ph.D) and Glasgow (hon. D.Litt) and sits on a broad variety of Boards and Trusts. She has authored and edited several works on Arabic and Islamic literature, language and culture and is currently working on a new book, Rock Stars of Jihad.

Her Excellency, Lolwah R M Al-Khater was appointed as the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar as per His Excellency, Mohammad Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Decision number 43 for the Year of 2017. Her Excellency was appointed as Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs per HH the Amir Decision No 56 of 2019, in addition to her duties as Official Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.Before her appointment as the Spokesperson, HE Lolwah joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Minister Plenipotentiary. She also served as the Director of Planning and Quality at Qatar Tourism Authority and as a Research Project Manager at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.Her Excellency, was appointed as Media City board member as per HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior decision no 20 of 2019, she is the Executive Director of Doha Forum, and vice-Chairman of the Qatar Fund for Development.Besides the official capacity, HE. Al-khater is Member of the Board of Trustees at College of Islamic Studies of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Member of the Board of Trustees at Georgetown University in Qatar, and Member of the Board of Trustees of Qatar Museums. She has been working as an Independent Policy Analyst participating in conferences and multiple publications, and she is the co-editor of “Policy-making in a Transformative State: the case of Qatar”, a book published by Palgrave Macmillan. Al-Khater also wrote a book titled "Educational Outputs and Labor Market Needs: A study on Labor Market Issues and methods of Addressing Them" and was published through the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

H.E. Erika MouynesChair, Atlantic Council -Arsh Center,Fellow, Leadership Initiative at HarvardFr Minister of Foreign Affairs of PanamaMinister Erika Mouynes, a diplomat and business executive, is the Chair of the Atlantic Council, Latam Center and a Fellow at the Advance Leadership Initiative of Harvard University.   She brings over two decades of high-level government and private sector experience.  She has held several high-ranking governmental positions, practiced as a senior attorney in a top global law firm and been responsible for executive management of the business and legal affairs of a multibillion investment company on Wall Street.  In her role as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, she achieved notable “first female” milestones for the Latam region and earned recognition for empowering women and brokering global alliances to protect biodiversity.   During her roles in the private sector, she provided strategic counsel on intricate corporate transactions, including cross-border infrastructure and investment projects in emerging markets.  As a Fulbright Scholar, she completed her third master’s degree at the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr Hanan Balkhy was appointed Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in 2019, and she was elected as the new Regional Director Elect for the Mediterranean Region in October 2023.In ADG’s role she provides political and technical leadership to curb the devastating health and economic burdens of drug resistance. The work includes focus on both supporting countries to implement AMR National Action Plans and strengthening the global response, including through multi- sectoral collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Organization for Animal Health, and United Nations Environment Programme. Prior to joining WHO, Dr Balkhy was Executive Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of National Guard, and the first Chairperson of the Infectious Diseases Research Department at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center in Riyadh.She also served as Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Resistance at King Abdulaziz Medical City Hospital. A graduate of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Dr Balkhy completed her paediatric residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, and held a paediatric infectious diseases fellowship with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Case Western Reserve University, also in the USA.

H.E. Mr. Ahmad Faisal bin Muhamad is a diplomat with over two decades of experience in international relations. He currently serves as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.Born in Kelantan, Malaysia, on May 24, 1970, H.E. Mr. Ahmad Faisal holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom. He furthered his education at the London School of Economics and Political Science, earning a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations.H.E. Mr. Ahmad Faisal began his diplomatic career in 1994. He has held various positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as Ambassador of Malaysia to Myanmar and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.In 2023, he was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York.

Lisa Marie Ullrich is Director of Programs at the Munich Security Conference. In this role, she is developing and overseeing the MSC’s various programs and event formats, and coordinating the main agenda of the annual Munich Security Conference. Additionally, she serves as a Member of the Executive Board of the Munich Security Conference Foundation. Previously, she headed the office of former MSC Chairman Ambassador Ischinger.Before joining the MSC, Lisa gained professional experience as a Carlo Schmid Fellow at the UNICEF MENA Regional Office in Amman, the UNICEF Headquarters in New York, the German Federal Foreign Office’s Middle East division, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s regional program Gulf States in Abu Dhabi, and ZDF German Television. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Dresden & Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, and a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance and Georgetown University. She is an Atlantik-Brücke Young Leader, a member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Community, and an alumna of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

Mr. Luigi Di Maio served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy from September 2019 to October 2022. In 2022 he was President of the of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly. From June 2018 to September 2019 he held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Minister of Labour and Social Policies. From March 2013 to March 2018 he was Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies and a Member of the European Union Affairs Committee in the 17th Italian legislature. During his mandate as Foreign Minister he chaired, among others, the G20 Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting, the G20 Trade Ministers meeting, the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Afghanistan, the June 2021 plenary Ministerial Meeting of the International Anti-Daesh Coalition, as well as the first Mediterranean Ministerial Dialogue on the Food Security Crisis in June 2022. He was the chair of three annual editions (2019, 2020, 2021) of the MED Dialogue Conference aiming to develop a positive agenda for the wider Mediterranean region, at a time of pandemic and political and economic transition, based on multilateralism as a strategy for conflict resolution. He was born on 6 July, 1986 in Avellino, Italy.

Dr. Mabel Lu MIAO is the Co-founder and Secretary-General of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a leading Chinese non-government think tank ranking in 64th place globally; As the only think tank in China granted “Special Consultative Status” at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), CCG is also the only non-governmental think tank with the qualification for partnership with Munich Security Conference (MSC) and Paris Peace Forum (PPF). Over theyears under the co-leadership of Dr. Miao, CCG has gained wide international recognition and grown into a significant think tank with global impact that promotes China’s globalization process.Dr. MIAO also serves as Co-founder and Secretary General of Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) program, Deputy Director General of the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations (AGTO), Secretary General of China Global Talent Society.Dr. MIAO is an experienced public speaker, having delivered keynote speeches, participated and moderated numerous panels at home and abroad. In 2016, she was met by the King of Belgium at his palace as one of seven representatives of young global leaders from Northeast Asia, has been invited to speak at Doha Forum in 2018 and 2019 and at Paris Peace Forum for five consecutive years. In 2020, she was selected as Young Leader for Munich Security Conference (MSC). In 2021, as the representative of Munich Young Leader, she was invited to post questions to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at the Munich Security Conference Special Edition 2021; at the same year she was also appointed as Co-Chairman of Think20 (G20 Summit 2021 Think Tank) Task Force 8. Led by Dr. Miao, GYLD (Global Young Leaders Dialogue) program has aroused wide attention and received positive responses at home and abroad.

His Excellency Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Sénégal, is a Geological Engineer and Geophysicist trained at Institut des Sciences de la Terre (Institute of Earth Sciences, Sénégal), then Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs (Higher National School of Petroleum and Engines-ENSPM) and Institut Français du Pétrole-IFP(French Institute of Petroleum) both in France. He is a Member of several National and International Associations of Geologists and Geophysicists.

Hon. N.P. Saud assumed the office of the Foreign Minister of Nepal on 16th April 2023. He previously served as Minister for Irrigation (2014-2016) and State Minister for Education and Sports (2001-2002).Mr. Saud is currently a Member of Parliament from Kanchanpur-2 constituency of Sudurpaschim Province. Currently, he is a member of the Central Executive Committee and the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress Party.Mr. Saud was previously elected as Member of Parliament in 1999 from Kanchanpur-1 and Member of the Constituent Assembly in 2013 from Kanchanpur-2. While in Parliament, he successfully fulfilled his responsibilities as member of the Finance Committee, Parliamentary Hearing Committee and Public Accounts Committee.Hon. Foreign Minister started his political career in the 1980s, playing an active role in student movement as well as Satyagraha, while serving in various positions within the Nepal Student Union (NSU), an important wing of the Nepali Congress Party. He was active in the democratic movement of 1990 and his role in student politics culminated in his election as President of the Central Committee of Nepal Student Union (1991-1996). Mr. Saud was also at the forefront of the most recent People’s Movement of 2006. In the course of his long political career, he has been imprisoned several times for his political beliefs and participation in movements for democracy.Mr. Saud has a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities & Social Sciences from Tribhuvan University Kathmandu.

Richard Atwood is Crisis Group’s Executive Vice President, based in Brussels.For several years, Richard was Crisis Group’s chief of policy, working with regional programs and other colleagues to develop and promote the organisation’s analysis and prescriptions. Prior to that, he was New York director, representing Crisis Group at the United Nations. He helped pioneer the organisation’s cross-regional work, notably on Islamist militancy. Before moving to New York, he spent five years as Crisis Group’s research director in Brussels.Before Crisis Group, Richard worked for some fifteen years across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Latin America for the UN and other organisations, with extended periods in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Nigeria, Kenya, Guatemala, Colombia and Peru. He has a Master’s Degree in public policy from Princeton University.

Rossella Miccio is President of EMERGENCY since 2017.Always driven by the principle of free and high-quality healthcare for all, Rossella has played a pivotal role developing the organisation’s projects around the world.In her previous position as Director of the Field Operations Department, she worked to develop EMERGENCY’s humanitarian programmes in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Uganda, whilst developing key strategic international partnerships.She cooperated with the Sudanese authorities to open the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum in 2007, the first free centre for cardiac surgery on the African continent. In 2013, she worked with the Ugandan authorities to promote and facilitate the construction of the first regional Centre of Excellence in Paediatric Surgery in Entebbe.In her role as President, Rossella leads EMERGENCY’s involvement in global events like the Paris Peace Forum and World Innovation Summit for Health, and movements such as the People’s Vaccine Alliance and the European Citizens Initiative’s Right2Cure.Since 2003, she has sat on EMERGENCY’s Executive Committee and she has been a member of the Italian National Council for Development Cooperation since 2015.Rossella holds a postgraduate degree in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution from Uppsala University, Sweden.

Tim Watts is the Federal Member for Gellibrand and has served as the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Albanese Government since 2022.Tim was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 and for a decade has served one of the most diverse electorates in Australia.Before entering Parliament, Tim worked in the technology sector, as a Senior Manager at Telstra and a Solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons). Tim worked on critical tech issues including the roll out of the National Broadband Network, the auction and distribution of sections of the radio communications spectrum and network pricing regulation. He also worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Minister for Communications and a Senior Adviser to the Victorian Premier.Tim is the author of two books, “The Golden Country: Australia's Changing Identity” and “Two Futures: Australia at a Critical Moment” (along with co-author and fellow MP, Clare O'Neil).Tim holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Bond University, a Master of Public Policy from Monash University and a Master of Science (Politics and Communications) from the London School of Economics.

Ali Sabry, President's Counsel, received his primary education at Kalutara and Zahira College in Colombo before enrolling at Sri Lanka Law College in 1992. He was a prominent student leader and debater during his time at Law College. He was admitted to the Sri Lankan bar as an Attorney-at-Law in 1995 and went on to build a successful litigation practice.He appeared in a number of high-profile and historic cases, with many of them being covered in the Sri Lanka Law Reports and publications. In 2009, he was named the Outstanding Young Person of the Year for his achievements in the legal field. He was an active member of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, where he served as Deputy President and Treasurer, as well as a member of the Sri Lanka Law Commission.He held executive and consultative positions in a variety of statutory authorities and business sector entities, and he was the Sri Lankan Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 1997.Mr. Ali Sabry was bestowed silk and appointed as President's Counsel in 2012, making him one of the youngest ever.He was appointed Minister of Justice of Sri Lanka on August 12, 2020. Mr. Ali Sabry began an unprecedented overhaul of the Sri Lankan justice sector upon gaining office. In honour of his efforts to improve the Sri Lankan judicial system, Mr. Ali Sabry was asked to speak at an event during the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021.Mr. Ali Sabry was appointed Finance Minister of Sri Lanka on April 4, 2022, in the middle of an economic crisis, and was entrusted with initiating debt restructuring and negotiating processes to recover the Sri Lankan economy. As Finance Minister, he initiated broad economic reforms, including discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the implementation of long-overdue processes that established the groundwork for restoring stability to the Sri Lankan economy.Mr. Ali Sabry was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka on 22nd July 2022.

Sultana Afdhal is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH). An initiative of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development - WISH’s vision is to bring about a healthier world through global collaboration and serves as a platform for health leaders and innovators from around the world. Within Qatar, Sultana has put significant effort into the creation and implementation of innovative health programs and pilot studies, most recently on the concept of protecting health in dry cities, in recognition of Qatar’s desert climate, and the introduction of screening programs for children to measure the impact of COVID-19 and toxic stress related conditions. She has also been instrumental in developing and championing learning programs for children with autism and special needs. In 2019, Sultana was made an honorary nurse and awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international accolade a nurse can achieve, in recognition for her work in championing the work of nurses and midwives around the world. Sultana sits on the Boards of both the World Health Organization’s State of the World Nursing Committee, and the State of the World Midwifery Report. Sultana was recently appointed as Board Member of the Renard Academy, a school that provides specialized services for children with autism. She also sits on the Editorial Board of the BMJ Innovation Journal, Terasaki Institute as well as the Carter Center’s Journalism Fellowship Advisory Board. Successfully overseeing three WISH global summits, Sultana has been instrumental in creating fruitful new partnerships with a diverse range of organizations that have an interest in the health and wellbeing of societies.Away from the office, Sultana has a master’s degree in English Literature from Oxford and is a published author. Combining her passion for literacy and global health, she dedicated the proceeds of her first book the to the Fight for Sight charity. 

David Des Roches is an associate professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies. Prior to this, he was the director responsible for defense policy concerning Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Prior to this assignment, he has served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the DoD Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, as the senior country director for Pakistan, as the NATO operations director, and as the deputy director for peacekeeping. His first job in government was as a special assistant for strategy and later as the international law enforcement analyst in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.A British Marshall Scholar, he has also attended the Federal Executive Institute, the German Staff College’s Higher Officer Seminar, the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School and the US Army Command and General Staff College.An Airborne Ranger in the Army Reserve, he was awarded the Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan. He has commanded conventional and special operations parachute units and has served on the US Special Operations Command staff as well as on the Joint Staff.

HE Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi was appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Amiri Decree No. 5 of 2023.The Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supervises the implementation of political, regional and international files related to mediation and dispute settlement.Prior to that, Dr. Al-Khulaifi held the position of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Regional Affairs under Amiri Decree No. 10 of 2022. He also worked as Dean of the Faculty of Law and associate professor of law at the Faculty of law, Qatar University before joining the Ministry. He obtained a BA in Law from Qatar University, as well as an MA and a PhD in Law from the University of California - Berkeley, USA. He has a number of publications and scientific research in the field of law.Dr. Al-Khulaifi has joined several State councils and committees, including the Board of Directors of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the Board of Directors of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority, the Board of Directors of Doha’s International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, the Permanent Committee on the international Law of the Sea in the Ministry and, the Permanent Committee on Legislative Affairs at the Council of Ministers.Prior to assuming this position, Dr. Alkhulaifi served as a legal advisor to His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar in 2018, and Agent of the State of Qatar before the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2018. He also served as a lawyer before the Qatari Court of Cassation, and an adjudicator at the Qatar Financial Center Regulatory Authority in 2017.

On 2 May 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Edward Chaiban of Lebanon as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as the Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).Previously Mr. Chaiban was the Global Lead Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccines Delivery Partnership (CoVDP), since February 2022, heading an inter-agency partnership put together by UNICEF, WHO and Gavi.Working for UNICEF, he has been Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Director of Programmes, Director of Emergency Programmes, Representative in Ethiopia, Sudan and Sri Lanka, Regional Emergency Advisor for the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office and Deputy Chief of Operations for the Operation Lifeline Sudan consortium based in Nairobi.Prior to joining UNICEF, Mr. Chaiban was Country Representative for Catholic Relief Services in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. He also worked as a Programme Manager focusing on food security and child survival.Mr. Chaiban is a national of both Lebanon and the United States of America. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Political Science from Tufts University and a Master of Arts Degree in Development and Arab Studies from Georgetown University, USA.

Dr. Al Meraikhi was appointed as Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Public Private Partnerships and Islamic Social Financing on 1 January 2022. In line with the Secretary-General’s vision and efforts to prevent crises and conflicts, through the advancement of sustainable development, addressing the root causes of conflict and improving the quality of the United Nations’response, the Special Adviser is appointed to support the Secretary-General's ongoing outreach in broadening and strengthening engagement and dialogue with key partners, including private sector and member states, particularly in the Global South and Islamic financing institutions toward meeting these objectives.  In December 2019 he was appointed as the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General focused on increasing engagement and dialogue with member states, particularly in the Global South, and with the private sector. Dr. Al Meraikhi was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon as his Humanitarian Envoy in December 2016. This appointment was reaffirmed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.As Humanitarian Envoy to the Secretary-General, Dr. Al Meraikhi worked closely with the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs focusing on supporting multilateral humanitarian response efforts by raising the profile of humanitarian crises with Governments and non-governmental organizations and increasing their engagement with the international humanitarian community. Dr. Al Meraikhi's experience includes work with the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an Ambassador. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Al-Meraikhi joined the UN CERF-Advisory Group as a member in November 2013 and elected to be the Vice-Chair in October 2015. Dr. Al-Meraikhi served as Vice President of the Qatar Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activity since 2014. He simultaneously served as the Founding Director of the International Development Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar (2010-2016) and had served as Director General of the Qatar Development Fund (2010-2015). In 2008, Dr. Al-Meraikhi began his association with charitable associations; serving as Vice Chairman of the Qatar Coordination Committee for Charity Associations (2008) whose primary objective was to coordinate activities and assist in developing Qatari civil society. He served as a member of the Executive Committee for the Education Above All Foundation (2011-2016) and served as Vice Chairman for the Standing Committee for the rescue and relief work and humanitarian assistance in the affected areas of sisterly and friendly countries (2010-2016).  He holds a Master's Degree and Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom.

Gustau Alegret is an international broadcast Emmy-award winning journalist and recognized media leader by the World Economic Forum, who works in Washington DC for the international news channel NTN24. He has over 25 years of professional experience working in various media outlets in Spain and in the United States, and currently is the Managing Editor and Anchor of Club de Prensa and Cuestion de Poder — two daily interview broadcast shows.He is committed to fact checking and producing news for social interests, based on the principle that journalism is a public service, especially nowadays when misinformation and fake news are rampant around the world.

Roya Mahboob is Afghanistan's first female tech CEO and an entrepreneur making a significant impact beyond the business world. She uses her success and expertise in technology to educate and empower Afghan women and girls while advocating for their rights. Mahboob founded the Digital Citizen Fund (DCF) to improve the technological and financial literacy of Afghan women. She also co-founded the Afghan Girls Robotics Team and provides support to them. Mahboob is actively involved in promoting robotic education through the Inoura platform and is planning to launch an online platform called Zalla, which aims to amplify the voices of Afghan women and journalists. She consistently emphasizes the importance of STEAM education and economic opportunities for women and girls, particularly in relation to human rights. Mahboob's contributions have been widely recognized. She was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and has received prestigious awards, including the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award in 2014, the Advancement of Gender Equality through Education Award, and the Young Leader of World Economic Forum in 2015. She was recognized as an Asia Game Changer in 2019 and received the Doha Forum Award in 2022. Additionally, Mahboob has been honored with the Lantos Human Rights Awards and the Presidential Leadership Scholarship. She also received an honorary Doctorate of Science from McMaster University.

Selim Eddé develops and leads public policy campaigns across the full range of policyareas that impact Google and the web. Key issues include technology innovation,economic development and intellectual property.A passionate public policy leader, Selim is a thought leader on building innovationprograms with governments and has a particular expertise in digital transformation at acountry level, labor markets, entrepreneurship and job creation initiatives.Selim advised governments in MENA and Africa as well as Latin America , providingstrategic programs and was previously the Vice President of Government Affairs at SAP,setting strategy, devising and implementing plans in Government Relations at SAPMENA. Formerly, Selim was the Country Development Officer at Cisco, and SeniorRegional Lead at Hewlett-Packard and IBM.A frequent speaker at regional and international events, with appearances in thespecialised media, Selim graduated from Imperial College-London with a mastersdegree in management sciences. He is married, has two adult children and lives inDubai.

Lana Khalaf is the General Manager for Microsoft Qatar. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she has been instrumental in furthering Microsoft’s mission to transform businesses and industries, redefine learning, and fuel a knowledge-based economy to enhance the country’s global competitiveness. Khalaf began her career with Microsoft in 2006 as Regional Developer evangelist, and has since served as Education Lead and Public Sector Director. In September 2018, she was appointed General Manager of Microsoft Qatar, where she leads a team of 180 employees that spearheads the company’s efforts in supporting the country in its pursuit of the National Vision 2030.Khalaf is dedicated to empowering governments, enterprises, startups, communities, and partners to harness the power of technology to reimagine industries and economies. She has led crucial strategic initiatives, including Smart City initiative, Education elearning initiative, Health Hub initiative, Hosting FIFA world Cup in Qatar for the first time in the MiddleEast and the launch of Microsoft's cloud datacentres in Qatar. These facilities join the company’s Global regions making Qatar 55th region globally before any other region in MiddleEast.Khalaf has also launched first of its kind skills development programs and initiatives called Digital Center of Excellence to provide young people with access to the skills, technology, networks, and opportunities they need to succeed in the digital era. In addition, she has been committed to accelerating the Country’s sustainability agenda, helping governments, businesses, and startups access key tools and solutions to create a more sustainable future. She also drives Microsoft’s objectives in Qatar to promote diversity and inclusion, in order to bridge gender parity gap, as well as encourage the role of women in the ICT sector. Khalaf has been recognized by multiple industry publications for her contributions to the region and industry.Before joining Microsoft, Khalaf has held positions in organizations such as Samsung and Active Mania with involvement in areas such automation of business processes as well connected solutions for Smart Cities. She has an MBA with focus on leadership from the Lebanese American University, and majors in Computer Science from the American University of Beirut.

Tobias Ellwood was born in New York due to his father’s overseas posting as a diplomat. He attended schools in Bonn and Vienna where he completed the International Baccalaureate.He then took his first degree at Loughborough University, where he was elected President of the Students’ Union. He later completed an MBA at City University Business School and finally the senior executive course in national and International Studies at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.Tobias spent six years in the Regular Army with The Royal Green Jackets, head quartered in Winchester, and served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kuwait, Germany, Gibraltar and Bosnia. He now has the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a reservist in the 77th Brigade.He has worked as a researcher for former Defence Secretary, the Rt Hon Tom King MP (now Lord King), and as a Senior Business Development Manager at the London Stock Exchange and Allen and Overy.Tobias served as Parish and Borough Councillor before being elected Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East in May 2005, and subsequently re-elected in 2010, 2015 and most recently in June 2017.Shortly after first being elected to Parliament in 2005, Tobias was appointedOpposition Whip. In July 2007, he was promoted to the post of Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. After the May 2010 General Election, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary firstly for the Defence Secretary, Rt Hon Liam Fox MP and then for the Minister for Europe, the Rt Hon David Lidington MP.In July 2014 he was promoted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as Minister for the Middle East and Africa. He was then moved to Ministry of Defence as Minister for Defence People and Veterans.Tobias was elected Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee inJanuary 2020 and served in this position until September 2023.Tobias has written publications on post-conflict stability, Royal Navy aircraft carriers, the future of Afghanistan, the weaponisation on space and daylight saving.Outside of politics Tobias is a keen sportsman and a private pilot. He is frequentvisitor to the United States and the Middle East. He also enjoys the theatre, military history, and is an Eagle Scout.

H.E Eng Abdulrahman Bin Ali Al Malki is holding the position of the President of the National Cyber Security Agency since March 2021.His professional mission includes holding several technical and managerial positions as well as taking part in technical committees and playing a vital role in the development of the business scheme of the Ministry of Interior.Mr. Al Malki held several positions prior to joining the National Cyber Security Agency. One of them is Assistant Director at the General Administration of Information Systems.He was also a member of several committees including the Supreme Committee for Preparation of Third National Development Strategy and the Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.Mr. Al Malki holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Qatar University and several leadership and technical trainings certificates.

Tarek Megerisi is a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His work mainly addresses how European policymaking towards the Maghreb and Mediterranean regions can become more strategic, harmonious, and incisive – with a long-term focus on Libya.For more than a decade, Megerisi has worked with various regional, European, and multilateral authorities on providing reform and stabilisation assistance to transitional states in the Middle East and North Africa. He has been involved in a range of projects, including post-conflict stabilisation, development and democratisation, Libya’s domestic and international political processes, economic reform in Tunisia, and the eastern Mediterranean disputes. His articles have featured in publications such as Foreign Policy magazine and the Guardian newspaper, and he has contributed to think-tank programming across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa.

As the first woman President in the history of the Croatian state, H. E. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović held office from 2015 to 2020. She began her career in 1992 in the Ministry of Science and Technology and in 1993 moved on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she held various positions, eventually leading Croatia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration as Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration from 2005-2008. In 2008, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović became Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States of America, and in 2011 was appointed NATO Assistant Secretary-General for Public Diplomacy, a position she held until 2014, as the first woman Assistant Secretary-General ever in the history of NATO and the highest ranking woman in NATO. She is a frequent guest at the United Nations, promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular with respect to peace and security, reducing inequality and increasing opportunities, and gender equality and education. She was a member of the International Olymipic Committee’s Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport from 2020-2021, and Since 2021 is Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad. She is a Co-Chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an independent body in charge of monitoring world's preparedness for pandemics and health emergencies, appointed by the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

Eng. Ahmad Abdulla AlMuslemani is the President of Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority, bringing over 18 years of extensive experience in IT and telecom industry to the forefront of ICT regulation.Prior to his current role, he served as the CEO of MEEZA, Qatar's leading IT service provider, demonstrating his adept leadership skills and strategic vision. Eng. AlMuslemani has also held key senior roles at the Qatar National Broadband Company and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, contributing significantly to the industry’s growth and advancement.His strong educational background is marked by Master’s degrees in Communication Systems from the Swiss Institute of Technology and in Management from HEC Paris. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Ohio State University, USA.His broad expertise covers Big Data, IoT, Cloud Computing, and his current focus on the particulars of ICT regulation. Eng. AlMuslemani's blend of practical industry experience and academic prowess positions him as a leading figure in shaping Qatar's digital future.

His Excellency Mr. Dennis Francis President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General AssemblyAmbassador Dennis Francis has had a career spanning approximately 40 years in the Diplomatic Service of Trinidad and Tobago. For 18 of those years of unbroken service, he held the rank of ambassador until his compulsory retirement from career service in 2016.According to Mr. Francis, he has the distinction of being his country’s longest-serving ambassador. Before demitting office as Director of Multilateral Relations, hefunctioned as Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on all multilateral-level matters, including climate change and the negotiations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.His transfer back to Port of Spain in 2011 capped Ambassador Francis’ posting as Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, as well as Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization and to the UN Human Rights Council. He was also accredited concurrently to the U.N. Specialized Agencies in Vienna and Rome, besides having bilateral accreditation as Ambassador to Austria and Italy. Ambassador Francis was also appointed Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.In 2010 at a period of renewed engagement in Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Ambassador Francis was elected to the sensitive Chairmanship of the Negotiating Group on Rules of the WTO, namely Anti-Dumping, Subsidies and Countervailing Duties and Fisheries Subsidies.He also served as Chairman of the Committee on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in Regular Session as well as Chairman of the Commonwealth Group of Developing Countries (2007/8).He has led many national delegations including to the First Universal Periodic Review of Trinidad and Tobago in the UN Human Rights Council in October 2011 and to UNCTAD 12, which was held in Accra, Ghana in 2008.Ambassador Francis’ assignment in Geneva in 2006 followed a seven-year tour of duty as High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to Jamaica and Permanent Representative to the International Seabed Authority. During this period, Ambassador Francis was also accredited as Ambassador (non-resident) to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. When he demittedoffice in Jamaica, he had held the position of Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for almost two years. Ambassador Francis took an active interest in the issues before the International Seabed Authority, leading to his election to the Chairmanship of the Assembly in 2003.In July of 2021, he completed a three-year assignment as Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago National Commission for UNESCO.Ambassador Francis co-facilitated a training course entitled “Protocol and Diplomacy: A Guide for the Modern Professional,” at the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean; an institution in the conceptualization of which he was intimately involved as Lead Technical Adviser to the Foreign Minister. In 2018, Ambassador Francis also co-authored a book entitled “Heads of Mission-A Handbook,” which has received regional and international acclaim. In 2020, Ambassador Francis returned to The University of the West Indies, his alma mater, as a Visiting Scholar at the Institute of International Relations at the St. Augustine Campus. He is also a graduate of The School of Advanced International Studies, the Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC. (1985).

Jacek Siewiera – Secretary of State, Head of the National Security Bureau of the Republic of Poland. A graduate of the Faculties of Medicine, Law, Administration and Economics. Also graduated with honors from the University of Oxford in “Strategy and Innovation.”He is a specialist in anesthesiology and intensive care. During his military service at the Military Medical Institute he established the Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic – Poland’s first military clinical center dedicated to the treatment of submarine and flying personnel of the Armed Forces.He was twice awarded with the Cross of Merit for Bravery and the Medal for Sacrifice and Courage for his services in saving human lives.Author of the concept of first modular temporary hospitals designed in Poland and several innovative technical solutions in the field of medicine and security. He has been publishing articles on rescue and civil protection, and is the founding father of the Paramedics Centre. Author of the first Polish textbook on the limitations of life–support technology.On October 11, 2022 the President of the Republic of Poland appointed Jacek Siewiera to the position of Secretary of State in the National Security Bureau – Head of the Bureau.

Career:Dr. Al-Ansari was appointed as the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar on 22 February 2022. His duties include conducting weekly media briefings for various local media outlets and news agencies accredited in Doha as well as interviews with local and international media outlets. Dr. Al-Ansari is actively engaged with various local, regional and international research centers and think tanks. He established and heads the Center for International Policy Research (CIPR), which works on political risk analysis, consulting for the government and commercial sectors, on conflicts, Track Two diplomacy, humanitarian and development issues, and management of events in the Arabian Gulf region and beyond.Previously, Dr. Al-Ansari served as the Director of Policy at the Institute of Social and Economic Survey Research (SERI) at Qatar University (QU). During his work at the university, he also served as an assistant professor at QU’s Department of International Affairs. Al-Ansari started his career as a researcher in international relations at the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2005. He also took various roles in multiple civil society institutions. He wrote regularly in Al Sharq and Al Arab national Newspaper between 2006 and 2022. He has appeared as a political commentator on many media outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC, Sky News, CNN,, Russia Today, Al Araby TV, and Qatar TV. Dr. Al-Ansari serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Qatar Armed Forces and the Advisory Board of the College Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).Experience:Dr. Al-Ansari Specializes on GCC foreign and security policies, MENA regional issues, development/humanitarian aid, international security and conflict resolution. He is author of a book titled “Minority of Citizens: The Effects of religious, social and political values on trust in immigrants in Qatar” published in 2020. He also wrote on “The Unbridgeable Gulf: Applying Bennett’s Model ofAnalysis to the 2017 Gulf Crisis” published in the Journal of Balkans and NearEastern Studies in 2021, “The New Gulf Order: Crisis, Mediation, andReconciliation” in Middle East Policy in 2021 and “Qatar’s Foreign Aid and Least Developed Countries” published in Alternatives: Global, Local, Political in 2022.Education:Dr. Al-Ansari received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Leeds University in the UK as well as a MA and PhD in Social Change from the Cathy Marsh Institute at the University of Manchester. 

Kholood Khair is the founder and director of Confluence Advisory, a 'think and do tank' formerly based in Khartoum that works on three priority policy areas: peace and security, economy, and governance. Kholood also hosted and co-produced Spotlight 249, Sudan's first English language political discussion and debate show aimed at young Sudanese. Kholood has a career spanning the fields of research, aid programming and policy in Sudan and across the Horn of Africa. She has also written research and analysis pieces for several international publications and has provided analyses for different research and policy institutions. Kholood holds and MSc from Oxford University and an MSc from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Brigitte Curmi is an expert on the Arab and Muslim world. She holds a Master’s degree in Arabic and Islamology from the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales and a doctoral Master’s degree from Sciences Po in Paris.Ms Curmi was a Senior researcher at the Centre d'études et de recherches sur le Moyen-Orient (CERMOC) in Amman between 1991 and 1994. Between 1995 and 2003, she worked extensively for the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, first in Jerusalem as a cooperation attaché for the Palestinian Territories and then in Paris in the development directorate. In 2003, she joined the diplomatic force. After two years as a Special Adviser for the MENA director on cross-cutting issues, she was positioned in Cairo, Beirut and Doha between 2005 and 2013.  Before being appointed Ambassador to Libya (2016-2018) and to Malta (2018-2021), she served as the Middle East and North Africa expert at the Policy Planning in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

H.E. Nassir bin Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, The president of The United Nations General Assembly 66th session, and the former UN high representative of the alliance of civilization.Experience1975 - 1981 First Consul General in Dubai.1981 - 1986 General Office of the Ministry.1986 - 1993 Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar in New York.1993 - 1998 Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Kingdom of Jordan.1998 - 2011 Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar in New York and a non-resident ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Belize, Panama, Canada, Colombia and Nicaragua. He also was the President of the Security Council during Qatar's non-permanent membership in the Security Council.2003-2004 Vice-President of the fifty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly.In 2004, he chaired the Group of 77 and China at the United Nations in New York, and his management of the work of the committee paved the way for the group's second South Summit to be held in the second year in the State of Qatar from 12-16 June 2005.2007 - 2009 Chaired the High Level Committee on South-South Cooperation of the General Assembly.2009 - 2010 Chaired the Fourth Special Political and Decolonization Committee of the General Assembly.In 2011, His Highness the Amir awarded him the rank of Minister.2011 - 2012 Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly for its 66th session.2013 - 2019 Assumed the position of High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.He represented the State of Qatar in many international and regional conferences and forums. Throughout his tenure at the United Nations, he contributed to advancing the multilateral international program of action in the areas of peace, mediation, security, sustainable development and South-South cooperation.Awards and achievements • Honorary fellow of the Foreign Policy Association – New York • Honorary doctorate in International Affairs from the government of China through Chongqing University - China• Honorary doctorate from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Russia• Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Fordham University - United States • Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from TERI University and Institute - India• Honorary doctorate from the International Islamic University – Malaysia• Honorary doctorate from Candido Mendes University – Brazil • He was awarded by the United Nations Association of New York their 2012 Humanitarian Award• He was awarded the Distinguished Leaders Award in 2013 from the Global Thinkers Forum CenterMedals:• Medal of Independence of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan• Grand Officer, Order of Merit – Italy• Medal of Grand Commander of the Order of Makarios III – Cyprus• National Order of Doctor José Matias Delgado - El Salvador • Commander of the National Order of the Republic - Côte d’Ivoire  • Order of Friendship - Republic of Azerbaijan• Order of Merit - Panama

Alfredo Conte is a career diplomat from the Italian MFA. He has almost three decades of professional experience serving among others in Hong Kong (during the time of the handover to China), Berlin, and as adviser of a number of Italian Foreign Ministers. From 2008 to January 2018, he has been seconded to Brussels – first to the Policy Unit, then to the European External Action Service. In this capacity, he has been a member of HR Javier Solana's team; under Cathy Ashton, he was appointed Head of the Strategic Planning Division in the EEAS. Under Federica Mogherini, he was directly involved in the elaboration of the Global Strategy for the EU's Foreign and Security Policy, presented to the European Council in June 2016. Back to the Italian MFA as of January 2018, he briefly served as Special Adviser to two high-profile Special Representatives of the Italian OSCE CiO, Franco Frattini (for the Transnistria settlement process) and Paola Severino (for international fight against corruption). From November 2018 to May 2021, he has been Head of Coordination at the Secretariat General. In May 2021, Alfredo Conte has been appointed Deputy Director General for Political Affairs and Principal Director for the Mediterranean, Middle East and Gulf Countries.

Galip Dalay is a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, consulting fellow at Chatham House, and doctoral researcher at Oxford University. He was previously Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow at Istanbul Policy Center and at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) & Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at Robert Bosch Academy. Dalay’s research focuses on the question of regionalism, regional order and governance in the Middle East, Turkish politics and foreign policy, Middle Eastern politics, Turkish - Russian relations, history and politics of Turkish - Western/European relations, and history of post-colonial and post-imperial forms of internationalism. His work has appeared on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, Project Syndicate, CNN, the National Interest, Newsweek, Le Monde, Internationale Politik, DW Opinion, Open Democracy, Middle East Eye and The World Politics Review.

Dr Leslie Vinjamuri is director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House. She is also Professor of International Relations at SOAS University of London. At Chatham House, Leslie leads research on the U.S. and International Order, and a multi partner initiative on Reimagining Multilateralism. Her recent publications include ‘Why Multilateralism Still Matters’ (Foreign Affairs, October 2023, and Building Global Prosperity: Proposals for Sustainable Growth (Chatham House, 2022). The latter was the result of a multi-authored Chatham House initiative supported by the Rockefeller Foundation that looked at G7 proposals for countering China’s influence in the developing world. She is co-editor and contributing author (with Charles A. Kupchan) of Anchoring the World: International Order in the 21st Century, a publication by members of the Lloyd George Study Group on World Order, a joint Centenary project of Chatham House, the Council on Foreign Relations, and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, published by Foreign Affairs. Also Human Rights Futures (Cambridge University Press, 2017), US Foreign Policy Priorities (Chatham House, 2020), and ’Trials and Errors: Strategies of International Justice” (with Jack Snyder). She is a regular commentator in the international news media and has contributed pieces in the Financial Times, Guardian, Sunday Times, Telegraph, and the Independent. She is deputy chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and a trustee of the Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs.She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and on the Advisory Board of LSE IDEAS and the LSE Phelan United States Centre, and is vice president of the board for the Institute for Integrated Transitions.From 2014-2016 she was director of the Center on Conflict, Rights and Justice (and previously co-director). She was previously on the academic faculty of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a fellow of the John M. Olin Institute at Harvard University.She began her career at Congressional Research Service and also worked in the Asia Bureau at USAID. Leslie received a BA from Wesleyan University (Phi Beta Kappa), an MSc (Distinction) from the London School of Economics, and a PhD from Columbia University.  

Laila is among the pioneer news anchorwomen in Arab television she was the first female journalist to host a political show on Arab satellite television.  Her professional TV career spans over 30 years beginning with a local TV station in the USA in 1991. After joining the BBC World Service in London in 1994 she went on to anchor several political and social programs in different Arab Satellite stations. She joined Middle East Broadcasting Center in 1996 and later Abu Dhabi TV in 1999. Her shows include Dialogue with the West (MBC), Agenda (MBC), Dunnia (ADTV) and Panorama (ADTV). In 2006 Laila joined Aljazeera network as principal news and program presenter.Her field experience includes the coverage of the Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon, the US war on Afghanistan, September 11 in Washington and the coverage of various international events.Among the people she interviewed: President Nelson Mandela, Col. Qhadafi,  and other prominent politicians and activists around the world.

Foreign Minister Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, MP has an accomplished and illustrated career. He was Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York during 2009 – 2015 when he served the UN system as Acting President of UNGA, President of UNICEF and Vice President of ECOSOC, Chairman of the 2nd Committee, Chair of LDCs, and Chairman of Peace Building Commission etc.He worked as a consultant to the World Bank, UNDP and Saudi Industrial Development Fund.His voluntary works for humanitarian causes earned him global acclaim.Having completed graduation and post-graduation from Dhaka University, he did his MBA and PhD in economics in USA. He obtained his MPA from Harvard University. He was the Chair of the Department of Economics and Business, Framingham State University. He also obtained a law degree. He taught economics and business at University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, MIT, Cambridge College, Merrimack College, Salem State University and Northeastern University.His family has a proud legacy of leadership in politics and public service. Dr. Momen was captured and tortured by the occupation army in 1971, during Bangladesh’s glorious War of Liberation.He got involved in active politics soon after relinquishing his charge as Bangladesh’s top diplomat to the UN. He got elected as a Member of National Parliament with overwhelming margin in 2018 followed by his appointment as the Foreign Minister.Since assuming office, he has been promoting Public Diplomacy and Economic Diplomacy that proposes to have more investment, more trade, gainful employment, and, of course, maintaining peace and stability across nations for a better future for all.Dr. Momen has authored several books on Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina featuring the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh as well as the history and development trajectory of the nation.

Sandra Gathmann is an award-winning journalist with Al Jazeera English. She's the host of the channel's flagship online current affairs show ‘Start Here’ - a video series that explains big stories for a global audience. Before AJE, Sandra was a TV correspondent based in Istanbul and Brussels, reporting for international channels and making documentaries.

Host and executive producer of series of documentaries on AJ360 about children affected by wars. Host and executive producer of Baad ams daily news podcast with Al Jazeera. More than 10 years experience in TV. Previously a news anchor at France24 and AlJazeera. Hosted and produced a show about women for Al Jazeera arabic channel. Expertise cover field work in Central African Republic, Somalia, Gaza, Lebanon, Bosnia and Turkey. Media trainer in ethics of personal stories.

Dareen Abughaida is a Principal Presenter at Al Jazeera English, based in Qatar. Widely experienced across the international agenda, Dareen hosts Al Jazeera's flagship news bulletins, and programs.Dareen has covered some of the worlds biggest news stories including the 2023 Gaza war, Brexit, the death of Muhammad Ali, the resignation of Pope Benedict, and Malaysia Airlines crash MH370.She was also instrumental in the network's coverage of the Arab Spring Revolutions and continues to cover the aftermath.Dareen also moderates panels and hosts events globally. Previous events include Qatar Foundation, the Doha Forum, the UN, the World Bank, the World Media Summit, and the International Press Institute. As a certified trainer, Dareen also trains journalists, media colleagues, and corporate clients on how to enhance both their on-air and off-air media and communication skills.Dareen's portfolio includes voiceover work on long format documentaries and short promos. Educated in Canada, Dareen has also been an anchor for Bloomberg, CNBC and Dubai TV.

Stefanie Dekker is a senior foreign correspondent with Al Jazeera English, having joined the channel in 2005.She has reported on a wide array of events across the world from the 2011 Egyptian revolution, to the 2014 Gaza war, The Taliban take over of Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, to Turkey’s earthquake earlier this year.She has reported extensively from Gaza since 2009, covering the 2014 war, the 2018/2019 border protests which culiminated with the US moving its embassy to Jerusalem and most recently covered the war on Gaza from the Gaza- Israel border.

As part of the Executive Office at UNDP, Keyzom works with governments and digital ecosystems to shape the future of development and the role of multilaterals in digital transformation.  She leads digital programmes across UNDP’s network of 171 countries, catalyzing new models of collaboration to create a community of ingenious people working collectively to solve complex challenges. She collaborates on frontier areas that member states face to foster new models of global digital cooperation across the UN and the multilateral system.

Dr. Vincent Biruta is Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International CooperationPrior to his appointment in November 2019, Minister Biruta served as Minister of Environment from 2017, Minister of Natural Resources from 2014 and Minister of Education from 2011. He also held the position of President of the Rwandan Senate from 2003 to 2011.He served as the President of the National Transition Assembly from January 2000 to August 2003, Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication from 1999 to 2000 and Minister of Health from 1997 to 1999.Minister Biruta is a qualified physician. He furthered his studies in Planning and Management of Health Services in Developing Countries at the Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. He is also a holder of a post-graduate diploma in Public Health and Nutrition from the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

H.E Mr. Khalifa Jassim Al-Kuwari is the Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development, managing the State of Qatar’s foreign aid and international development activities. Since 2014, he led the establishment, strategy-setting, operationalization, partnerships, and funding programs of the Qatar Fund for Development in variousdeveloping countries.Previously, Mr. Al-Kuwari was the Chief Operating Officer of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), wherehe oversaw the entire business support infrastructure and led several initiatives to improve theperformance of support functions. Prior to that, Mr. Al-Kuwari was the QIA Executive Director of JointVenture and International Business, where he managed the investment joint ventures and government-to-government relations.He has been appointed to the boards of leading companies and institutions such as Harrods, Volkswagen Group, Fairmont Raffles Group, Songbird Real Estate, Qatar Exchange, Katara Hospitality, and Mowasalat. He was also appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Bank of Britain, and Qatar and Algeria Investment. Mr. Al-Kuwari was a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Qatar Mining Company. He is also interested in social work within the State of Qatar and was elected to the Board of Directors of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, which includes social institutions such as Nama, Ehsan, Shafallah, Dreama, Wifaq, and Aman. Mr. Al Kuwari is the president of Qatar Leadership Centre Alumni Association Council, and a member of Qatar university Alumni Association. He is also a Chairman of the Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST) Board of Advisors.Mr. Al-Kuwari started his career as an accountant and investment manager and handled variousresponsibilities at the Qatar Central Bank and Ashghal & Urban Planning Authority. He acquired in-depthexperience in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, and investment management. Mr. Al-Kuwari holds an Executive MBA in Business Administration from the London Business School in UK, an MBA in Accounting from Cleveland State University in the USA and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Qatar University. He graduated from the Leadership Development Program at Harvard Business School in the USA and Qatar Leadership Center. Mr. Al-Kuwari also passed the Chartered Accountants'Examination in Ohio, USA.

Dr. Vjosa Osmani Sadriu is the sixth President of the Republic of Kosovo.President Osmani was elected on 4 April 2021, having previously served as the Speaker of Parliamentand after being elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) of the Republic of Kosovo in five consecutivemandates. She graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina, and received herMasters and Doctorate degrees in international law from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania,United States. The President of the Republic of Kosovo is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Kosovo SecurityForce and leads the country’s foreign policy, as per Kosovo’s constitution. As a staunch advocate foran impartial and professional justice system, President Osmani has strongly supported extensive ruleof law reforms in Kosovo.As President, Vjosa Osmani has relentlessly championed women’s rights, in particular with regards totheir participation in processes of peace and security as well as their economic and politicalempowerment. The President is devoted to raising awareness for and supporting children with specialneeds. She is also committed to the empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized groups inKosovo. The President’s work has also focused on ensuring that action on climate change starts fromthe individual and gains further support at the highest political levels. In addition, empowerment ofyouth in different areas, from information technology to political decision making, has been animportant part of the work of the President.In the February 2021 elections, she achieved a historic level of popular support, becoming the mostvoted politician in the history of elections in the Republic of Kosovo. Prior to that, Vjosa Osmani wasthe first woman to have served as the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo havingbeen elected to the post on 3 February 2020, and has also served as Acting President of the Republicof Kosovo between November 2020 – March 2021. In previous terms as an MP, she chaired theParliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on European Integration and was theDeputy Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Reform.From 2006 to 2010 Vjosa Osmani served as Chief of Staff to President Fatmir Sejdiu and SeniorAdvisor on Legal and International Affairs, and represented the President in the Commission whichdrafted the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. She also served in the team that representedKosovo before the International Court of Justice in the historic case regarding Kosovo’s declarationof independence.Since 2006, President Osmani taught at the Faculty of Law of the University of Prishtina, and later shealso joined the faculty of the American University in Kosovo (RIT). Moreover, she taught at theUniversity of Pittsburgh in the U.S. as a visiting professor. In 2017, she was awarded the ShethInternational Award by the University of Pittsburgh. During her political career she has also receiveda number of other recognitions.President Osmani previously served as a member of the Board of the Parliamentary Network on theWorld Bank and the International Monetary Fund and a member of the Steering Committee of theGlobal Young MP’s Initiative of the World Bank and the IMF.Vjosa Osmani was born on May 17, 1982 in Mitrovica, and also completed her studies in elementaryand high school in her hometown. Apart for her mother tongue Albanian, President Osmani speaksEnglish and a few other foreign languages. She is married to Prindon Sadriu and they have two twindaughters, Anda Elisa Sadriu and Dua Tiara Sadriu. President Osmani and her family live in Prishtina.

Rory Miller is a Professor of International Politics, Co-Director of the Small States Research Program, and Director of Energy Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar where he teaches and researches on small states and regional security, intelligence and national security, external intervention and alliances. He was a member of the War Studies department and then head of the Middle East & Mediterranean Studies Program at King’s College London between 1999 and 2014. In recent years, he has held a visiting professorship in the War Studies department of King's College London (2014-17), and a visiting research professorship at Trinity College Dublin (2020-21). He serves on several advisory boards, including the Foreign Policy Network of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). He is currently the lead principal investigator on a multi-year funded research project on “Managing National Security Risk during and after the Blockade: Strategic Challenges and Opportunities for Qatar’s Energy Sector”. He is co-editor of the Cambridge University Press book series on “Intelligence and National Security in Africa and the Middle East.” He is the author or editor of 11 books including Inglorious Disarray: Europe, Israel and the Palestinians (Columbia University Press, 2011), Desert Kingdoms to Global Powers: The Rise of the Arab Gulf (Yale University Press, 2016) and, most recently, Overcoming Smallness: Challenges and Opportunities for Small States in Global Affairs (Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press with Fahad Al-Marri). He has published extensively in academic and policy journals and the international media including Foreign Affairs, The Economist, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, The National Interest, and The Wall Street Journal. His media appearances include Al Jazeera Arabic; Al Jazeera English; Al Jazeera Mubasher; BBC America; BBC World Service; Bloomberg; CNBC Europe; CNN International

H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General holding the post of High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) since January 2019- present.In February 2020, Mr. Moratinos was designated by the United Nations Secretary-General as the UN Focal Point to monitor Anti-Semitism and enhance a system-wide-response. He carries out this portfolio in addition to his other responsibilities.Mr. Moratinos has committed his professional and political career to international relationships and development cooperation, notably as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain from 2004 to 2010. During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Spain presided over the UN Security Council in 2004, held the chairmanships-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe and the Council of the European Union. Mr. Moratinos succeeded in fostering the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.With the Mediterranean in mind, H.E Miguel Ángel Moratinos was appointed Deputy Director General for Northern Africa (1987-1991) and then Director of the Institute of Cooperation with the Arab World (1991-1993). After his tenure at the Institute, he was appointed Director General of Foreign Policy for Africa and the Middle East, holding the position from 1993 to 1996. The highlight of his tenure was the organization of the historic Middle East Peace Conference in Madrid in 1992.As Spain’s Ambassador in Israel from July to December 1996, Mr. Moratinos succeeded in fostering a strong network with both the Israelis and Palestinians. Building on that success, the European Union appointed him as the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process from December 1996 to June 2003. During this period, he promoted Peace Agreements and carried out actions on behalf of the EU strengthening the Arab-Israeli dialogue.As a true believer in the value of multilateralism, Mr. Moratinos helped in the creation and launching of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in 2005. He also supported the Group of Friends for UN Reform. Moreover, he contributed to the creation of innovative programmes for development, healthcare and women empowerment within the United Nations system. Mr. Moratinos promoted new projects and funds for water and sanitation in Latin American development countries. During his tenure as Spain’s top diplomat, he doubled Official Development Assistance funds and placed Spain as the sixth donor in the United Nations system.Following the end of his term in office in 2010, Mr. Moratinos engaged in parliamentary activities until November 2011. During that period, he ran to be elected Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with an agenda aiming at mobilizing international action towards the struggle against hunger and poverty, the promotion of food security and the right to food.In January 2012, he joined the team of the Global Dry Land Alliance in Qatar promoting this international treaty for food security in more than 15 member-countries in all continents. From 2012 to 2013 he was member of the High-level Advisory panel of the president of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly.Prior to his appointment as High Representative, Mr. Moratinos was the Honorary Chairman of the CIRSD Board of Advisers (Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development), Senior Advisor of Sustainable Development Solutions Network of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and member of the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). In Spain, he also held honorary positions as the President of REDS, the Spanish network for Sustainable development affiliated to SDSN and the President of the Trobades Literàries Mediterràneas Association and the Trobades Albert Camus Award. In recognition for his distinguished achievements, Mr. Moratinos received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Saint-Petersburg, Malta, as well as Ben-Gurion, Al-Quds and Tel Aviv universities.On 19 March 2019, Mr. Moratinos was awarded with the “League of Arab States” Award by Mr. Ahmed Abulgheit, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States in a ceremony in Madrid in recognition for his role in strengthening Arab-Spanish relations.Born in 1951, Mr. Moratinos graduated in Law and Political Sciences at the University Complutense in Madrid and then in Diplomatic Studies at the Spanish Diplomatic School.

Andrew Parasiliti is president and chief content officer of Al-Monitor, where he is author of the ‘Week in Review’ column and newsletter.  Al-Monitor is a recipient of the International Press Institute’s Free Media Pioneer Award, the only American media outlet exclusively covering the Middle East to ever receive that honor.   Andrew previously served as director of RAND’s Center for Global Risk and Security where he co-authored studies on Levant integration, state collapse in Syria, and the future of ISIS, and the ‘will to fight’ among global militaries, while overseeing projects dealing with the impact of technological change, including AI, on national security. Previous positions include executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-US (Washington DC) and corresponding director, IISS-Middle East (Manama); principal at the BGR Group; foreign policy advisor to US Senator Chuck Hagel; director of the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; and director of programs at the Middle East Institute.  He received a Ph.D. from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, where he wrote his dissertation on Iraq.  He is an adjunct political scientist at RAND and a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations and the Virginia Club of New York. 

Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) in June 2015. He previously held the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategic Business Development Officer at QFC where he was responsible for leading the overall strategy and business development functions of the organisation.Prior to joining QFC, he was Head of Indirect Investment at the Qatar General Retirement and Pension Authority, which included overseeing the management of hedge fund, private equity, real estate, fixed income, and equity portfolio investments. He has also worked for Qatar Energy and Dolphin Energy early in his career.Yousuf serves as board member in leading local and international organisations including the World Alliance of International Financial Centers, the Qatar Financial Centre, the Qatar Finance and Business Academy, the Qatar Free Zones Authority, the Qatar Stock Exchange, the Investment Promotion Agency, and Sidra Medicine.He is also an advisory board member in the college of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University , and sits on the Advisory Council of Qatar University’s College of Business and Economics.Previously, Yousuf was on the boards of Nakilat QSC and the $1 billion strategic investment fund of Unicorn Investment Bank, as well as serving as Vice Chairman of Mayadeen Real Estate Company KSCC. He graduated from the University of Arizona, USA.

His Excellency Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari was appointed Minister of Finance in October 2021.His Excellency the Minister of Finance has extensive experience in government and the financial industry, spanning over 30 years. Prior to being appointed Minister of Finance, His Excellency held the position of Minister of Commerce and Industry. His Excellency became Qatar National Bank Group (QNB) Chief Executive Officer in July 2013 and held this position until November 2018.His Excellency is a member of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment. He is also a Board Member for Qatar Investment Authority and Qatar Energy. He serves as the Chairman of Qatar National Bank, Qatar Development Bank and Katara Hospitality.His Excellency the Minister of Finance holds a master of science in Management Information System from Seattle Pacific University. He also earned his bachelor in Math and Computer Science from Eastern Washington University.His Excellency the Minister of Finance has overall responsibility for all Ministry of Finance issues, including:Regulating financial policiesOverseeing public financesDrafting and implementing Qatar’s State BudgetPromoting economic diversificationManaging and refining the fiscal policy in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030

Ali Aslan is an internationally renowned TV presenter, moderator and journalist with a global career spanning over 20 years, including at CNN in Washington DC, ABC News in New York and Deutsche Welle TV in Berlin. Recognized globally as one of the world's foremost moderators for high-level international events, Aslan regularly hosts global conferences, among others, for the United Nations, G20, EU, NATO and World Bank. Aslan has interviewed numerous world leaders, including former US President Bill Clinton, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Aslan holds master's degrees in International Affairs and Journalism from Columbia University as well as a bachelor's degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina was elected President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015, and re-elected in 2020. He previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture.   Dr. Adesina is an alumnus of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, and Purdue University, USA, from where he obtained a PhD in Agricultural Economics.  Dr. Adesina is a 2017 World Food Prize Laureate, and recipient of several international and national honors, as well as several honorary doctorates from universities in the US, Africa, and Canada.  As President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Adesina is spearheading an acceleration of Africa’s development. Under his leadership, the African Development Bank Group increased its share capital from $93 billion to $208 billion in 2019.

James Bays is Al Jazeera English’s Diplomatic Editor, based at the United Nations headquarters in New York. He frequently travels to cover major diplomatic events worldwide and interviews key newsmakers, offering insightful perspectives on unfolding international relations.As an award-winning journalist, Bays’s career is distinguished by his extensive field reporting. He has ventured to over 70 countries and reported from numerous conflict zones, including Iraq, Congo, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Panama, the former Soviet Union, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. As a roving correspondent, James frequently reported from Baghdad and Kabul. He filed reports for Al Jazeera following Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, which later took second prize in the Best TV Item category at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in 2008 and was nominated for a Royal Television Society award. Prior to his current role, he served as Al Jazeera’s Washington Editor.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal DemocraticRepublic of Ethiopia, January 2023 – To date;- Ethiopia’s Deputy Chief Negotiator for WTO & AFCFTAGovernment Posts and Professional Experience- December 2021–December 2022, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethio – EngineeringGroup- October 2018–November 2021, State Minister, Ministry of Trade and Industry- May 2018–October 2018, State Minister, Ministry of Labor and Social Affair- November 2017–May 2018, Chief of Staff, Office of the Prime Minister▪ H.E. Abiy Ahmed (PhD), Prime Minister▪ H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegne, Former Prime Minister- December 2013–November 2017, Ambassador, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary andSpecial Envoy to the State of Qatar- July 2010–September 2013, Consul-General at Ethiopian Consulate in Dubai, and Head of Mission to the UAE- 2008 –2010, Director General for Political Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs- 2006 – 2008, Deputy Mayor and Bureau Head of Addis Ababa City Information andCulture, City Cabinet Member, Addis Ababa Millennium Council Vice-Chairman- 2005 – 2008, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Educational Qualification- Post Graduate Studies on Peace and Security, Addis Ababa University- Post Graduate Studies on International Relations, Brussels, Belgium- BA Degree in History, Minor Geography, Addis Ababa University

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian FederationBorn in 1950, Russian.1972 – graduated from the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Has command of English, French and Sinhalese.Started his career in 1972 at the Soviet Embassy in Sri Lanka.1976-1981 – worked in the Department of International Organizations of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs.1981-1988 – First Secretary, Counselor and Senior Counselor in the Permanent Representation of the USSR at the UN.1988-1990 – Deputy Head of the Department of International Economic Relations of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.1990-1992 – Director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations and Global Problems.1992-1994 – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.1994-2004 – Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at the United Nations.Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 2004.Has the rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation.Decorated with government awards.Married, with one daughter.

Morgan D. Ortagus is the founder of POLARIS National Security and host of The Morgan Ortagus Show on SiriusXM Radio. She is also a principal at Rubicon Founders, a healthcare investment firm, and serves as an Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserves. From 2019-2021, she served at the Department of State as the Spokesperson for the United States ofAmerica. At the State Department, she worked closely with the White House on the historic Abraham Accords and led U.S. government efforts to push back against sophisticated Chinese, Russian, and Iranian malign influence campaigns. She previously worked at the Department of the Treasury as an intelligence analyst, and from 2010-2011 was the deputyU.S. Treasury Attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.In 2007, Morgan spent several months in Baghdad, Iraq at the USAID Mission, and was a national security contributor to Fox News. Morgan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida Southern College, and she earned a dual Master of Arts in Government Master of Business Administration from John Hopkins University in 2013. She lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, Jonathan, and their daughter, Adina.“Morgan Ortagus was a savvy department spokeswoman who had real foreign policy experience as a Navy reservist and former Treasury Department and USAID official. This made her a true weapon at the podium and on TV,” Mike Pompeo, Former United States Secretary of State.

Kim Dozier is a CNN Global Affairs Analyst. She has written for TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast and the Associated Press. A Peabody-Award-winning former CBS Evening News correspondent, she has a track record of breaking national security, intelligence and foreign policy stories. She’s also edited news, analysis, and opinion pieces and managed team news coverage in Washington, D.C., London, Jerusalem and Baghdad.

Aug. 2022 - 2023: Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the United States of America.Oct. 2017 – 2022: Non-Resident Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.Feb. 2017 - 2022: Head of Mission of the State of Kuwait to the European Union (EU).Dec. 2016 - 2022: Head of Mission of the State of Kuwait to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).Nov. 2016 - 2022: Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Kingdom of Belgium.Nov. 2013 - 2016: Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Republic of Korea.2012 - 2013: Deputy Director, Department of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.May 2011: Appointed as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the State of Kuwait to the United States of America. March 2007: Promoted to Counselor.June 2001: Appointed as First Secretary at the Embassy of the State of Kuwait to the United States of America.1997-2001:Appointed as Second Secretary at the Embassy of the State of Kuwait to Austria and at the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations in Vienna.1993-1997 :Appointed as Third Secretary at the Embassy of the State of Kuwait to Japan. 1991-1992: Diplomatic Attaché, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State of Kuwait.

Becky Anderson is one of CNN International’s highest profile anchors. She hosts Connect the World with Becky Anderson, which airs weekdays at 5:00pm UAE time. She is based at CNN’s Abu Dhabi bureau, where she also serves as Managing Editor.In these roles Anderson has a distinctive regional perspective on some of today’s most important news stories, including the emerging politico-economic trends in the Gulf, the regional rivalries between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the deepening humanitarian crisis stemming from years of political instability in Syria and Iraq.Anderson is a skilled interviewer, adept at close questioning and has interviewed many of the world’s leading politicians, decision-makers and thought-leaders. She has conducted one-on-one interviews with top world leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abudllah bin Zayed, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and leading humanitarian leaders such as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. She is equally at home with celebrities, quizzing the world’s A-listers, including Jennifer Lopez, Will.i.Am, Akon, Oprah Winfrey, Juliette Binoche, Andrew Lloyd-Weber, Beyoncé, George Clooney, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt.Since moving Connect the World to Abu Dhabi, Anderson has spent much of her time travelling across the Middle East at an extraordinary time of upheaval and change. Anderson and the team were the first team to broadcast from Riyadh after the ban on women driving were lifted. She has broadcast special shows from Tehran to Jerusalem, from Istanbul to Beirut, bringing a range of interviews, reports and packages to CNN International viewers around the globe.

Dr Karin von Hippel became Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on 30 November 2015.Karin von Hippel joined RUSI after serving for nearly six years in the US Department of State as a Senior Adviser in the Bureau of Counterterrorism, then as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and finally, as Chief of Staff to General John Allen, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter-ISIL.Prior to that, she co-directed the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC and was a senior research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, King’s College London. She has also worked for the United Nations and the European Union in Somalia and Kosovo, and has direct experience in over two dozen conflict zones.Dr von Hippel has numerous publications to her name, including Democracy by Force: US Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War World(2000), which was short-listed for the RUSI Westminster Medal in Military History. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics, an MSt from Oxford University, and a BA from Yale University.