Digital platforms have transformed how the world engages with political crises and social movements. This panel brings together influential voices across a wide range of sectors to examine how digital platforms have reshaped public engagement. Against the backdrop of recent global events, the panel will explore the growing power of digital platforms while confronting their limitations, from content moderation to the phenomenon of "slacktivism." The session will assess the real-world impact of digital advocacy and investigate why certain crises capture widespread attention online while others remain underreported. 

 

In partnership with: International Media Office

In 2025, Syria’s crisis will enter its fifteenth year. Just a week ago, major hostilities dramatically resumed in northern Syria, while nationwide, the humanitarian crisis is worse than it’s ever been. Given such dynamics, international attention must pivot back not just to de-escalating Syria's crisis, but to resolving it. Despite regional attempts to encourage diplomatic movement on the Syria file, the political process remains stalemated, resulting in a completely unsustainable situation. Launched earlier this year, the Syria Strategy Project is seeking to refocus efforts on Syria diplomacy – engaging more than 25 Syrian stakeholder entities and foreign governments and convening more than 100 experts to methodically craft a comprehensive approach to Syria that will improve conditions on the ground and pave a path towards a future resolution to the crisis. 

Today’s geopolitical challenges require new thinking and diplomatic approaches such as flexible and inclusive strategies, leveraging advanced technologies, and applying creative solutions.  Unlike traditional diplomacy, which often relies on formal protocols, bilateral negotiations, and the promotion of specific ideologies, innovative approaches to diplomacy transcend traditional Western and non-Western divides.  It embraces diverse actors, digital platforms, and collaborative initiatives to foster dialogue, build consensus, and achieve shared goals. Through virtual summits, digital platforms, and citizen engagement, it promotes transparency, inclusivity, and participatory global governance. This empowers non-state actors, facilitates rapid communication and information sharing, and enables a more agile response to crises, including humanitarian emergencies, peacebuilding efforts, climate change, global health threats, and economic development. This panel in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and The Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) will illuminate different innovative diplomatic practices, examining the foreign policies of Qatar, Germany, Italy, and UAE. 

 

In partnership with: Center for International Policy Research, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Italian Institute for International Political Studies 

 

 

In partnership with: Middle East Council on Global Affairs 

For three years after its takeover of the Afghan government, the Taliban maintained that bans on girls' education and restrictions on women’s rights were temporary measures until the ‘right conditions’ could be established to protect Islamic values. But recently, the Taliban have passed a detailed law on Preventing Vice and Promoting Virtue which formalizes severe and enduring restrictions on women’s - and others’ - rights. In this session we will ask: What leverage does the international community have to influence Afghanistan’s internal policies. And what are the implications of this law on international aid, economic development, and the prospects for Afghanistan's international relations? 

 

In partnership with: United States Institute of Peace

This session will focus on the critical next steps and actions required to implement the principles outlined in the Pact for the Future. It will explore the new partnerships and actors needed to move these commitments from pledge to practice. The discussion will emphasize translating the Pact's principles into concrete, preventive actions that advance sustainable development, peace, and security on a global scale. Participants will engage in forward-looking dialogue on how governments, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations can work together to foster inclusive, accountable governance. They will also identify the economic, social, and environmental policies crucial for building a just and sustainable future.

 

In partnership with: The UN Mission of the State of Qatar & International Peace Institute

 

 

In partnership with: International Crisis Group