Fahd Consulting & Technology LLC CEO and President, Tassadit Gharbi was 50% Owner of Prodev Inc in Canada and was an active partner of Al Attiyah Group in Qatar with whom she represents SBB, a Canadian telecom/electric Transmission tower manufacturer. In 2012 she founded Al Fahd Consulting & Technology with her business partner William Spurr - former Bombardier president. She has also supported Qatari partner from the Royal Family in his businesses prior to creating Al-Fahd Consulting & Technology Group. Tassadit worked as advisor to CCC (Canadian Commercial Corporation) in Defense and Security. Tassadit is very competent in identifying clients and the major stakeholders, as well as marketing the products and services. She has excellent networking and marketing capabilities. Nicknamed in Qatar as Tassa she has developed very strong professional relations and network with the various security and defense in the country. Tassadit is Director and Board Member of the JV Al-Fahd – CAE. CAE is Canadian leader in aviation training, AI supported training, defense and civil. Tassadit has also a substantive network in Canada, France, Italy and USA at high level business and political. Tassadit created a partnership with Six Seconds, a world leader in Emotional Intelligence and Coaching. Tassadit has been the CEO of Al-Fahd since January 2024 and solo foreign shareholder of Al-Fahd.

Museum in Doha, and the IM Pei Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Oxford. Among his research interests are early Qur'ans, Umayyad art and architecture, Arabic illustrated manuscripts, and late Ottoman calligraphy. In 2024, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy.

Faisal rejoined Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in June 2024 as Director for Africa, Asia, Latin America & Middle East in the Resource Mobilisation & Growth department overseeing strategic engagement and management of Gavi’s relationships in these markets. Faisal worked at the Digital Cooperation Organization in Riyadh as Government Affairs Director from May 2023–May 2024. His first engagement with Gavi spanned over 11 years (2012-2023) as Senior Donor Manager for the Middle East, including managing Africa partnerships portfolio (2017–2021). Before joining Gavi, Faisal held key positions at Oxfam GB in UK; Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) and Islamic Relief Worldwide in Afghanistan (2001-2005). He also worked in the private sector as Business Development Manager (Pakistan and Central Asia) at Hyundai (1997-2001) and in a family construction business in Pakistan (1994-95). He has lived and worked in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Switzerland. Faisal is a postgraduate in International Political Economy from the University of Birmingham (UK) and has a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Peshawar, Pakistan. Faisal is married with a daughter and a son.

Andreas Görgen is Head of the German Foreign Office’s Culture and Communication Department. He first completed a law degree, before in 1996 beginning his professional career at the Berliner Ensemble theatre. For a number of years he had been working between Germany and France, in the field of culture as well as industry. After accomplishing a scholarship at the École Nationale D’Administration in France, he changed sectors, working in the public financing of films. This was followed by consultancy roles in the managerial teams of the State Ministry for Culture and Media, the Federal Chancellery’s Europe Department, and at the Foreign Office under Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier. Having gained experience and negotiating expertise on the complex international circuit, there followed between 2009 and 2013 senior roles in the energy sector with Siemens South West Europe, prior to once again returning to the Federal Foreign Office.

The Honorable Jason Greenblatt is a diplomat, lawyer, and commentator who served as an Assistant to the President and the White House Special Envoy to the Middle East from 2017-2019 under President Donald J. Trump. In this role, Jason helped establish U.S. policy in the Middle East and was one of the key players in laying the foundation for the Abraham Accords. Jason is the Senior Director of Arab-Israel Diplomacy at The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. Jason is the author of the widely acclaimed book "In the Path of Abraham, How Donald Trump Made Peace in the Middle East and How to Stop Joe Biden from Unmaking It." Jason remains involved in working toward peace and prosperity throughout the Middle East region. He is a sought-after expert on the Middle East and has published Opinion pieces in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Arab News, Al Arabiya, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek and many other and other media outlets and is a frequent guest on many news outlets in the United States and the Middle East.

Mr. Hans Grundberg of Sweden has been appointed as UN Special Envoy for Yemen since 5 September 2021. Mr. Grundberg succeeds Martin Griffiths (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Serving since 2019 as Ambassador of the European Union to Yemen, Mr. Grundberg brings over 20 years of experience in international affairs, with focus on the Middle East. He previously headed the Gulf Division at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. Mr. Grundberg is a career diplomat, having served with both Swedish and European Union missions abroad, with postings in Cairo and Jerusalem, as well as Brussels, where he chaired the Middle East/Gulf Working Group of the European Council during the 2009 Swedish presidency of the European Union. He holds a Master of Science in business and economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Faisal Mohamed Al-Emadi is the Secretary General of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), with extensive experience in business management, operational leadership, and humanitarian work. His passion for humanitarian action has been a driving force throughout his career. Faisal holds an MBA from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport in Egypt and a Diploma in Government Leadership from Qatar Leadership Centre. He is currently pursuing a PhD at Mohammed V University in Morocco, focusing on humanitarian studies. Before assuming the role of Secretary General in January 2022, Faisal served as Executive Director of Relief and International Development at QRCS. In this role, he successfully led and coordinated numerous global relief and development initiatives supporting vulnerable communities. Prior to joining QRCS in 2020, Faisal was Executive Director of Programs at Silatech (2016–2020), where he effectively managed the organization’s strategic and annual plans. From 1999 to 2016, Faisal held various governmental positions in Qatar, gaining valuable insights into social and developmental challenges. He is a member of several key committees in Qatar, including Vice Chair of the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law and a member of the Civil Defense Council. Faisal’s technical expertise in IT enhances his ability to innovate and improve humanitarian operations. His exceptional communication and critical-thinking skills enable him to navigate complex humanitarian challenges and create lasting positive impact.

Yalda Hakim is an award-winning international correspondent and documentary filmmaker. She is the face of the show “The World with Yalda Hakim”, airing Monday to Thursday at 9 pm on Sky News, Freeview Channel 233. In 2024, Yalda Hakim and Richard Engel launched a new podcast sharing the latest news and analysis on global affairs. In 2021, Yalda joined BBC World News as a presenter and correspondent, delivering hard-hitting journalism on many global issues. She was named Chief Presenter and hosted the flagship programme “Daily Global with Yalda Hakim” on BBC News until July 2023.Yalda has spent nearly two decades reporting from the frontlines of the world’s most consequential and dangerous stories. In November 2023, she went live from Jerusalem to present a special programme for Sky News on the Israel-Hamas war. Over the past year, Yalda has reported extensively from Ukraine covering the ongoing war. Her interview with President Zelensky made global headlines when he acknowledged the counter-offensive has been slower than expected. Yalda led BBC World's coverage of the collapse of the Afghan government in 2021, making world headlines after receiving a surprise call from a Taliban spokesperson and conducting an impromptu live-to-air interview on her mobile's loudspeaker as they marched on Kabul. Since then, Yalda has travelled extensively across Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, producing a series of documentaries on the impact of the Taliban takeover on the lives of ordinary Afghans, especially the women and girls of the country. In recognition of her work, Yalda was invited to address the United Nations Security Council in 2022 on the situation in Afghanistan. Yalda also regularly conducts high profile interviews with some of the world’s most important leaders and public figures. She conducted the first international interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Among Yalda’s other recent interviews include former US President Bill Clinton, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani, Hollywood actor and director Angelina Jolie and Prince Albert of Monaco. Yalda was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and came as a refugee to Australia, where she grew up. She is the founder of the Yalda Hakim Foundation, which has established scholarships for disadvantaged Afghan girls to receive an education. As well as English, Yalda speaks five other languages including Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Pashto, and Dari.

H.E. Judge Mohammad Qasim Halimi is the former Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Afghanistan. He is a member of the National Council of Ulema. He is the founder and director of Quba Reform Foundation and has been and the co-founder and member of leading council of Eatidaal center, and Executive Board member of High Peace Council in Afghanistan. H.E. Halimi has a masters of Sharia and Law from the University of Arab States League in Cairo, Egypt. He graduated with a bachelors in Sharia and Law from Al Azhar University, H.E. Halimi is an active member of the International Union of the Al-Azhar University. H.E. Halimi was assigned as a Deputy Justice Minister of Technical and Professional Affairs in 2017. He was the former Advisor and Religious Affairs’ Director at the Office of National Security Council (ONSC), and a former Senior and Special Advisor for H.E. President Ghani concerning Islamic and Arab Countries’ Affairs from 2014-2015. He has worked as a Senior advisor for secretariat of Afghanistan peace and reconciliation program (APRP) and as a legal and conflict advisor at The Asia Foundation. He was also a former senior Advisor at the ministry of education. He has served as an asset involving different government and non-government sectors across Afghanistan including as a Judge on the Supreme Court.

Abeer Al-Hammadi is the Director of Innovation and Economic Development at Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU). In her current role at HBKU, Abeer is leading the Innovation Center within HBKU. The center is designed to facilitate and promotes dynamic entrepenerial ecosystem under sustainable internal and external collaborations. Abeer joined Qatar Foundation in 2008 as a participant of its Qatar Science Leadership Program (QSLP) and was appointed as the first Manager of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer in 2011. During her role, Abeer managed a portfolio of more than 150 early stage biomedical related technologies. She also established and managed the only national IP outreach program (Al-Khabeer) in May 2015. In 2018, she was appointment as Director of Innovation and Economic Development and worked closely with National entities directing and promoting all the research activities across Qatar Foundation that are geared towards the acceleration of economic development in Qatar. Abeer is recognized as IP Arabic spokesperson in many IP and Innovation events and platforms. She holds a BSc in Biotechnology from Cardiff University and an EMBA degree from HEC Paris in Qatar.

Ph.D. in International Economic Relations, Baghdad University. He is currently a senior economic adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and Professor of Political Economy at the Diplomatic Institute.He served as Professor of Economics at the Universities of Iraq, Libya and Qatar. He also worked as an Economist at the Planning Council and the Council of Ministers of the State of Qatar (2001-2010). 137 research were published for him in Arab and foreign peer-reviewed periodicals. In addition, 182 scientific articles in Arab and international journals.He co-wrote 25 national and regional reports on sustainable development, external assistance and the Millennium Development Goals, and co-author of the Gulf Economic Report of the Gulf Studies Centre (2006-2022).He published 35 books by Arab and international universities, research centers and publishing houses, and contributed to writing six Encyclopedia books for research institutions. The most famous of which are the problem of development in the Muslim world, research in Islamic economics, religions and human rights. He supervised and discussed dozens of master’s and doctoral theses at Arab and international universities.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is the President and CEO of the International Peace Institute. He is the Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvania. And he is the President of Octagonal Advisory LLC, a consultancy providing services for the advancement of human rights and is an Associate Tenant (as Academic Advisor) with Doughty Street Chambers, London. He was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 9/2014 -9/2018 and his professional background is one of having been a practitioner -- a former senior diplomat. His knowledge is steeped in international politics, international human rights law, international criminal law, UN peacekeeping, post-conflict peace-building, international development, and counter-nuclear terrorism – stemming from twenty-four years of direct exposure to many of the world’s most turbulent crises and serious security threats. In 2019, he was appointed a member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working for peace, justice and human rights, founded by Nelson Mandela.

MG. Ramzan Hamad Al Naimi, joined Qatar Armed Forces in 1996 and graduated from United Kingdom Royal Air Force College in 1998. He attended specialization courses in various countries including USA, UK, France, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Oman. He received his Master’s Degree in defense studies in 2015. He worked as a ground control intercept between 1999 and 2003 and became a grade (A) controller. He participated in many national and international exercises both in training audience and exercise control staff. During his military career, he served at various positions including, air controller, the commanding air controller trainer, operations officer in air operations center, trainer in air operations center, airspace management officer, the Head of the Production Division in Joint Warfare Training Center (JWTC), and the Deputy JWTC Commander, He also participated in various projects, such as GCC Air Space Identification and Enhancement of Early Warning Systems (HAT), as a committee member. He was a staff officer in the NATO Operation Unified Protector in Libya under UNSCR 7th Term, and the coalition operations Restore Hope in Yemen. Currently, he is the Commander of Qatar Armed Forces Joint Warfare Training Center.

Caroline Hancock is the Art Mill Museum Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. The Art Mill Museum is the future museum of international and multidisciplinary modern and contemporary art planned by Qatar Museums in Doha. She is an art historian, curator and writer. Between 1998 and 2009, she worked in museums in Paris, London, and Dublin. In 2008, she was awarded the Joanna Drew Travel Bursary which led to long-term research on arts and cultures in Africa and West Asia. From 2010 to 2019, she was an independent curator with projects in the public and private sectors. She co-curated the current exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar, "Manzar: Art and Architecture, 1940s to Today", with Aurélien Lemonier and Zarmeene Shah.

David Harland is a New Zealand diplomat who has been the executive director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Geneva-based foundation that specializes in the mediation of armed conflict, since 2011. Harland served as a witness for the prosecution in a number of cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.  Harland holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (1994); a Master's degree from Harvard University (East Asian studies, 1991); a Graduate Diploma from Beijing University (1988); and a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (1983).  Harland was appointed HD's Executive Director in 2011. He currently also sits on the United Nations secretary-general's high-level advisory board on mediation, and on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Robert Koch Institute Centre for International Health Protection (ZIG). Prior to that, Harland was adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and Chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Conflict Prevention.  Before joining HD as executive director, Harland served as director of the Europe and Latin America Division of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (2006–2011). He served in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Haiti (2010), Kosovo (2008), Timor Leste (1999-2000) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993–1998). During 1999, he was released from his regular duties to research and draft the United Nations report on the Srebrenica massacre, "The Fall of Srebrenica".[12] He served as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University from 1989 to 1991.  Harland served as a witness for the prosecution at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the cases of "The Prosecutor versus Ratko Mladic"] (2012), "The Prosecutor versus Radovan Karadžic" (2010), "The Prosecutor versus Dragomir Miloševic" (2007), and the Prosecutor versus "Slobodan Miloševic" (2004).

Ambassador Christoph Heusgen has been Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) since 2022. He teaches Political Science at the University of Saint Gallen.  Christoph Heusgen was Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations between 2017 and 2021. Prior to this appointment and since 2005, Heusgen was the Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. He served as Director of the Policy Unit for High Representative Javier Solana in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union from 1999 to 2005. Between 1988 and 1999, Heusgen served in various capacities at the Foreign Office in Bonn, including Deputy Director-General for European Affairs from 1997 to 1999.  Heusgen is a graduate of the University of Saint Gallen in Switzerland, studied at Georgia Southern College in the United States, and at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Amos Hochstein serves as the White House Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment and Deputy Assistant to the President. Amos previously served at the State Department as the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security. Amos has also held the position of Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Global Energy Security. He began his tenure with the State Department in 2011, when he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy. From 2014 to 2017 he served as Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs and led the Bureau of Energy Resources. Amos has served in a variety of roles in the private sector and Capitol Hill. He was the Senior Policy Advisor to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and has also worked as an advisor to Senators Chris Dodd (CT) and Mark Warner (VA). Throughout his career, he has been a senior business executive and counselor for domestic and international companies, focusing on marketing, assessing potential new markets, the development of alternative sources of power, and the best strategies to bring them to market. Hochstein has served on the boards of the Atlantic Council and the U.S.-India Business Council, as well as a Non-resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.

Ambassador Holtz is the President and CEO of Amideast, a leading non-profit organization engaged in international education, training and development activities in the Middle East and North Africa. Ambassador Holtz was a career United States diplomat for 35 years. Leadership positions include U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Chargé d’affaires in Doha, Qatar, Senior U. S. Coordinator for Operations Allies Refuge (OAR) in Doha, Qatar, Minister-Counselor for Provincial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Consul General in Damascus, Syria, and Principal Officer in Adana, Turkey. Domestic leadership positions include Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) to the Commanding General of U.S. Special Operations Command, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication in the Near Eastern Affairs bureau, and as the United States Coordinator for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ambassador Holtz served as the Chancellor of the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University from January 2022-August 2023, and as the Vice Chancellor on detail from the State Department from 2016-2017. Additional foreign service assignments include postings in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Tunisia, Director of the Middle East Partnership Initiative, and as a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department’s Executive Secretariat’s Operations Center. Ambassador (ret) Holtz received a B.S. in political science from Vanderbilt University, an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, and an M.S. in National Security Studies from the National War College. Ambassador Holtz speaks French, Arabic, and Turkish. Ambassador Holtz is the recipient of numerous State Department awards, including State Department Senior Performance awards, Superior Honor Awards, and was nominated for a Presidential Honor Award. She received the Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award and the Joint Civilian Service Commendation award from National Defense University, the Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award from U.S. Special Operations Command, as well as the Christopher medallion from the Central Intelligence Agency. She is the recipient of the Vanderbilt University Phi Alpha Theta Distinguished Alumnus Award. Ambassador Holtz is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and serves on the boards of non-profits Spirit of America, the Alliance for International Exchange, and the Marshall Legacy Fund, and is a non-resident Distinguished Fellow at the University of South Florida’s Global National Security Institute.

Naomi Hossain is the Global Research Professor of Development Studies at SOAS University of London, and a political sociologist whose research centers on how people living with poverty and precarity get the public services they need. She specializes in the politics of Bangladesh’s development, and, beyond Bangladesh, in the contentious politics of disasters and public service delivery, with a focus on state accountability and responsiveness, protests, civil society, and the role of aid. With an academic background in philosophy, politics, economics (University of Oxford), social anthropology (the London School of Economics) and development studies (University of Sussex), Naomi’s work aims to be collaborative, inter-disciplinary, and accessible. She has worked with researchers, social movements, civil society, artists, governments and aid agencies around the world. She has researched extensively across Bangladesh, and managed large international studies spanning another 20 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Her work has examined elite perceptions of poverty, accountability and complaints mechanisms, food riots and energy protests, the politics of educational reform, civil society and civic space, the political effects of disasters, and the role of protest in holding public authorities to account. Naomi is Bangladeshi-Irish and has lived in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the UK and the US. She previously worked at the Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC, the world’s largest NGO; the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University; and at the Accountability Research Center at American University in Washington DC.

Nadim Houry is an international lawyer and public policy expert with extensive experience working in the Middle East & North Africa region. He is the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), a leading regional think tank with offices in Paris, Beirut and Tunis, working for democratic and accountable governance as well as social and environmental justice. Prior to ARI, Nadim worked at Human Rights Watch and the UN. He has published widely and is often quoted in local and international media. A passionate advocate for reforms in the region, he has addressed the Security Council and the European Parliament on challenges and opportunities in the Arab region.

Paula Ingabire is a Rwandan technology enthusiast currently serving as the Minister of ICT and Innovation in the Government of Rwanda. Prior to her appointment as Minister, she served as Head of the ICT Business Development Department at the Rwanda Development Board where she led the implementation of National ICT programs notably eGovernment and Cyber Security and coordinator of the Kigali Innovation City, a project designed to nurture and strengthen a Pan-African Innovation eco-system. She coordinated the creation of Smart Africa, an initiative that seeks to leverage broadband infrastructure as a driver for Africa’s socio- economic growth.  She is a graduate of the MIT’s School of Engineering & Sloan School of Management, in System Design and Management. With 10 years’ experience leading ICT programs for economic development, she’s a keen advocate of the role of innovation and emerging technologies towards driving economic growth.  Paula was named by Apolitical (2019) among the Top 20 of the World’s 100 most influential people in digital government. She serves on the Global Council of the World Summit Award Board of Directors, World Economic Forum Cyber Security Board and Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network Advisory Board.

Komei Isozaki is a Senior Manager of Deloitte Tohmatsu Space & Security and a Japan Chair fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert in Japanese defense policy, space security, and biological and chemical weapons conventions. His research areas include space and defense strategy with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. He has a deep knowledge of intelligence operations and foreign policy of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the early modern times. From 2018 to 2022, Mr. Isozaki was senior director for business integration and partner coordination of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, in which role he protected and implemented the supply rights of the IOC TOP partners, managed the budget for test events, and was responsible for financial operations during the Games. From 2016 to 2018, he was director for the Biological and Chemical Weapon Conventions Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Mr. Isozaki was a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2005 to 2006 and from 2012 to 2014.He previously served in the Ministry of Defense of Japan for 30 years. His posts included work on space policy, cyber policy, strategic dialogue, intelligence, and peacekeeping operations. He was a policy advisor to the Commander of the Northern Army in 2010-2012.Mr. Isozaki received his MA in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and his BA in laws from Keio University.

Amaney A. Jamal is Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. She is also the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics and a Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton and directs the Workshop on Arab Political Development and the Bobst-American University of Beirut Collaborative Initiative. Dr. Jamal’s scholarship covers the Middle East and North Africa, mass and political behavior, political development and democratization, inequality and economic segregation, Muslim immigration, gender, race, religion, and class. Her book Barriers to Democracy, which explores the role of civic associations in promoting democratic effects in the Arab world, won the 2008 American Political Science Best Book Award in the Comparative Democratization section. She is an author or editor of three other books and numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr. Jamal earned her PhD from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s from the University of California-Los Angeles. She was named a Carnegie Scholar in 2006 and elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020.

Ambassador Said T. Jawad is a distinguished diplomat, senior business executive, and former government official with an established record of advancing diplomacy and security. Over his career, he has gained extensive political expertise serving as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to key capitals of Washington, D.C., London, and Moscow; and serving as non-resident ambassador to Ireland, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia. He is experienced in conflict resolution and served in the world most challenging diplomatic and business environments. He served as Chief of Staff to the President of Afghanistan, playing a pivotal role in shaping national policies, advancing democratic reforms, and building institutional capacity. An authority on international security, human rights, and adaptive leadership, Ambassador Jawad provides expertise in managing conflicts and navigating evolving political landscapes. As CEO of Capitalize LLC and a Global Political Strategist, he has led expert teams managing projects and advising governments and multinational corporations on strategy, defense, security, and investments. He has published hundreds of articles and contributed to academic and policy discussions as a Diplomat-in-Residence at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and as a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. A poet and polo player, he published his most recent poetry collection, The First Flamenco in Samangan, in four languages.

He is currently an Associate Fellow of Chatham House, a Strand Leader for the Middle East and North Africa at Cambridge University’s Centre for Geopolitics and a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange, the London-based think tank. Between 1980 and 2015 he served as a British diplomat, initially in Abu Dhabi (1983-86), Malaysia (1989-92) and Kuwait (1995-98) before being appointed HM Ambassador to Burma (1999-2002). He was subsequently HM Consul-General, Jerusalem (2003-06), Ambassador to Syria (2006-07), FCO Director for the Middle East and North Africa (2007-09), Ambassador to Iraq (2009-11), Special Representative to the National Transitional Council and subsequently Ambassador to Libya (2011) and Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2012-2015). Between 2015 and 2017 he was Executive Director of The Institute for Strategic Studies – Middle East and a Senior Fellow at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, teaching three courses on Middle Eastern Politics he held a BA (Double First Class Honours) and a PhD from Jesus College, Cambridge. He also studied at The School of Oriental and African Studies in London (Arabic and Burmese) and through the FCO with the London and Ashridge Business Schools.

Thomas Juneau is a professor at the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. His research focuses on the Middle East, especially on Iran and Yemen, on the role of intelligence in national security and foreign policy making, and on Canadian foreign and defense policy. He is a non-resident fellow with the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies. From 2003 until 2014, he worked with Canada’s Department of National Defense, mostly as a policy analyst covering the Middle East.

Mohammad Khalid Aljasem Mohammad Khalid Aljasem is a legal consultant and internationally recognized expert specializing in law enforcement, combating cybercrime, and addressing intellectual property crimes. With extensive expertise in various legal and technical fields, he has contributed significantly to advancing legal frameworks and promoting international cooperation. He is a certified expert in international law enforcement collaboration through Interpol (International Investigators Academy). His areas of expertise include combating cybercrime, preventing intellectual property violations, and providing legal training and consultation. Aljasem is also an accredited lecturer for the United Nations and has served as a consultant for the National Awareness Project for Drug Prevention, “Giras.”In academia, he has been a lecturer at the National Security College under Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior. Additionally, he serves as an arbitrator and mediator at the Kuwait Commercial Arbitration Center (affiliated with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry). He is licensed to practice law before the Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation. Aljasem’s professional career includes working as a criminal investigator in Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior from 2006 to 2016 and as an Interpol officer at its General Secretariat from 2013 to 2016.

Nader Kabbani is Senior Fellow and Director of Research with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and a Research Fellow with the Economic Research Forum. Previously, Kabbani was a Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC and Director of Research with the Brookings Doha Center. A development researcher and practitioner with over 20 years’ experience, Kabbani has served in leadership positions with the Silatech Foundation and the Syria Development Research Center at the Syria Trust for Development. He also served on the faculty of the American University of Beirut and the research staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California State Senate. Kabbani publishes widely and regularly consults for international organizations such as the International Labour Organization and the World Bank. He serves on the advisory boards of several social enterprises and non-profit organizations. Kabbani holds a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr Kabila received his MD degree from the University of Kinshasa, DRC in 1989. After a short medical practice in Kinshasa, he immigrated to South Africa in 1991 and went on to practice as a hospitalist and ER physician before attending a Master’s program with the University of Pretoria. He qualified as a Fellow of the College of Family Practitioners of South Africa in 1999 and moved to Canada in 2000 where he obtained certification as a family physician with the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 2003 and practised as a family physician, ER physician and hospitalist for several years. In 2014, he completed training as an Occupational Physician with the University of Alberta, Canada and later in 2015 obtained certification as an Associate of the Canadian Board of Occupational Medicine. He has also held certification as an Independent Medical Examiner with the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners and practiced for several years as an Independent Medical Examiner for Insurance companies, legal firms, fitness to work assessment institutions. Dr Kabila relocated to the DRC and has been working on UHC policy making. He was for a short time appointed as the interim Chief of Staff to the Minister of Health, before being appointed in the President’s office as the Coordinator of the National Council of Universal Health Coverage in June 2023. Shortly after his appointment, the National Council of Universal Coverage launched the country’s free maternity and newborn care benefit package, under the President’s leadership. For the past 18 months has been an active member of the FGHI process and of the Lusaka Agenda Working Group.

Dr. Ammar Kahf: Co-founder and Executive Director of Omran Center for Strategic Studies- a Syria focused policy research center based in Turkey and USA. Dr. Kahf is also a co-founding Board Member of Syrian Forum, a civil society empowerment and development organization in Syria, Turkey and the US. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science and Islamic Studies, University of California, Los Angeles. His dissertation research was entitled: Syrian Authoritarianism: Persistence or Change. His research work focusses on geopolitical political alignments in Middle East, political process, and local governance in Syria. Omran regularly engages in local and regional dialogues and conversations on public policies that furthers the Syria cause, elevates the voice of Syrians, and develop nuanced technical approaches to the peace process. Omran publishes papers with a whole-of-Syria approach on economic recovery, governance reforms, judicial and security reforms, social contract discourses, return of refugees, and military-civil relations.

Dr. Samuel Roger KAMBA is a healthcare professional with over 30 years of solid experience, specializing in pediatrics for more than 22 years. He obtained his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Kinshasa and his specialization in pediatrics from the University of Picardie in Amiens, France. He is also a member of the Departmental Council of the Order of Physicians in Oise, France.  Dr. Kamba holds a university diploma in obesity for children and adolescents from the Faculty of Medicine at Pierre and Marie Curie University in France. Throughout his career, he has held various positions, including Assistant in Internal Medicine at Ngaliema Clinic in Kinshasa, Assistant in Pediatrics and Practitioner in Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the General Hospital of Senlis in France, and General Pediatrician at the Regional Hospital of Chaleur in Bathurst, Canada, where he also served as the Head of the Pediatrics Department.  An expert in pediatric resuscitation, his skills encompass the management of public health programs, capacity building for health stakeholders, high-level management of community health programs, and clinical practice in neonatal resuscitation. Under the government of His Excellency Félix-Antoine TSHISEKEDI, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dr. Kamba was appointed Special Advisor in charge of Universal Health Coverage and later Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force for the fight against COVID-19. In these various roles, he played a key part in supporting the President during his tenure as Chairperson of the African Union.  As Coordinator of the National Council for Universal Health Coverage, Dr. Kamba contributed to the organization of the Universal Health Coverage system in the DRC, facilitating the adoption of the National Strategic Plan for Universal Health Coverage 2021-2030 and establishing facilitation structures for its implementation.  Among the significant initiatives, it is important to highlight the implementation of free maternity care, aimed at improving access to healthcare for pregnant women and newborns, thereby ensuring optimal maternal and child health conditions. Since his appointment as Minister of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare, Dr. Kamba has been committed to ensuring the effective implementation of Universal Health Coverage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working towards an inclusive and accessible healthcare system for all.

Shinkai Karokhail is a prominent women’s rights activist who served as a member of the Afghan Parliament for 16 years. She was later appointed as the Afghan Ambassador to Canada. In addition, she co-founded and served as the Director of the Afghan Women’s Education Center (AWEC) for four years and was also an active member of the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN). Shinkai Karokhail launched a national campaign, “Let’s Fight Against Cancer,” in collaboration with other notable figures and medical professionals in Afghanistan. Her efforts, in partnership with healthcare professionals, led to the establishment of the first Afghanistan Cancer Foundation (ACF) and the creation of an Oncology Ward at Jamhooriat Public Hospital in Kabul in October 2016. During her time in parliament, Shinkai Karokhail, along with her colleagues and women’s rights activists, founded the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. Their collective efforts resulted in the approval of the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA) by the government. She was also involved in drafting the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law, which was enacted by Presidential Decree in 2009. Additionally, Karokhail played a crucial role in amending 50 articles of the Shiite Personal Status Law. Ms. Karokhail has been the recipient of several prestigious awards from both national and international organizations for her work in advancing women’s rights since 1990. In October 2016, she was recognized by the First Lady of Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health for her contributions to the fight against cancer. In May 2014, she received the Malalai Kakar Human Rights Award from the Queens-based organization Women for Afghan Women. Furthermore, in August 2014, the Afghan American Women’s Association (AAWA), based in Virginia, honored her with a Humanitarian Award for her promotion of women’s rights in Afghanistan. In September 2012, the EastWest Institute, a U.S.-based NGO, presented her and Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, with a joint award for Value-Based Leadership. Additionally, in December 2015, on International Anti-Corruption Day, the Civil Society Coordination Center (CSCC) awarded Karokhail an Anti-Corruption Award. Her exceptional work in advancing women’s rights has also been recognized by various media outlets, including the renowned TV channel AREZO in northern Afghanistan. Ms Karokhail was elected to Parliament for the third time, representing Kabul province. She was also the chairperson and founder of the Afghan Parliamentary Women’s Caucus in 2007 and 2019. Shinkai Karokhail remains a strong advocate for women’s rights and human rights through various platforms. She is a member of Together Stronger, CFFA, and CAF.

Bilahari Kausikan spent his entire career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore (MFA). Over 37 years in MFA, he served in a variety of appointments at home and abroad. These included Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Deputy Secretary for South-east Asia, Second Permanent Secretary, and subsequently Permanent Secretary. Upon retiring in 2013, he was appointed Ambassador-at-Large, a position he held until 2018. Mr Kausikan became Chairman of the Middle East Institute (MEI), an autonomous institute of the National University of Singapore, in 2017, and retired in 2024, but remains associated with the institute as Honorary Fellow.  Mr Kausikan has published three books -- “Dealing with an Ambiguous World” (2016), “Singapore Is Not An Island” (2017) and “Singapore Is Still Not An Island” (2023) -- along with many articles in local and international journals. He continues to lecture on global geopolitics, and developments in North-east Asia, the Middle East, and South-east Asia, to universities and other educational institutions in Singapore and abroad, as well as corporations and financial institutions. Raffles Institution, the University of Singapore and Columbia University all attempted to educate him, but should not be held responsible for the consequences.

Michael Keating is Executive Director of the European Institute of Peace, an independent body partnering with the European Union and European states as a resource to promote and provide practical support for more effective approaches to conflict prevention, resolution and mediation.  Until September 2018, he was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia.  His career has been divided between the private and public sectors. Until 2015, he was an Associate Director at Chatham House in London. Between 2010-15, he worked as an advisor to conflict mediation bodies, including Intermediate and Search for Common Ground. From 2008 – 10, he was the Executive Director of the Africa Progress Panel, a policy group chaired by Kofi Annan.  His UN career has included assignments in Kabul as Deputy SRSG, in Lilongwe, Jerusalem/Gaza, New York, Geneva, Islamabad and Mogadishu. His private sector experience includes five years in financial publishing in the City of London; in television as associate producer on documentaries broadcast by the BBC, Channel Four; and running a management and communication consultancy.  He was born in Uganda, educated in the UK and has a Master of Arts in History from the University of Cambridge.

Ms. Mona Ali Khalil is a respected public international lawyer with more than 30 years of United Nations and other international experience and a unique combination of expertise in peacekeeping, peace enforcement, counter-terrorism and WMD disarmament. Between 1993 and 2015, she served as a Senior Legal Officer of the UN Office of the Legal Counsel where she led the peacekeeping team and the sanctions team. She also served on successive special assignments involving the conflicts in Iraq, Libya and Syria. She was seconded to the International Atomic Energy Agency from 2005 to 2009 where she promoted nuclear security and ensured compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation sanctions regimes. She founded MAK LAW INTERNATIONAL in 2018, a strategic consulting service advising governments and UN system organizations. She has co-authored several publications including on the Protection of Civilians (Oxford University Press); The Future of Diplomacy after Covid-19 (Routledge); Reinvigorating the United Nations (Routledge); Empowering the UN Security Council (Oxford University Press) as well as Reforming the UN Security Council (UNA-UK) and the United Nations Security Council Conflict Management Handbook (AGDA-UAE).She has an A.B. in Government and an A.M. in Middle East Studies from Harvard University as well as an M.S. in Foreign Service and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University. She is an Affiliate of the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict and lectures regularly at the Vienna Diplomatic Academy and the United Nations University. She is a Saudi citizen of Palestinian origin residing in Vienna, Austria.

Haneen Khatib embarked on her football journey at the age of 11, representing her home country, Jordan, as a player in the U-14 Women's National team. Her passion for sports and giving back to her community have been her driving force ever since. Years later, Haneen started building her career with the aim of using sports for positive social change and creating more opportunities for all. and that has started by being co-moderators in various sports courses within refugee camps through The UEFA Foundation. Shortly thereafter, she was assigned to work at the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East, the U-17 Women's World Cup in 2016 which took place in Amman, Jordan. In 2017, Haneen joined Equal Playing Field, becoming a part of their initiative to raise awareness, promote women's football, and advocate for gender equality in sports. Notably, she was one of four Arab footballers among 30 international players who participated in the highest-altitude football match in history at Mt. Kilimanjaro, a feat that earned her a place in the Guinness World Records. In 2018, Haneen and her colleagues succeeded in bringing the initiative to Jordan and organizing the lowest-altitude football match in history at the Dead Sea. Beyond the game itself, the initiative successfully conducted four football clinics in different rural areas of Jordan, benefitting nearly 700 young girls. This match also earned a Guinness World Record recognition. Since then, Haneen has continued her work in national and international institutions in the field of sport and development, striving to empower and create a brighter future for local coaches, physical education teachers, and youth. Her impact extends both on and off the playing field, leaving a real social change through sport. For the past two years, Haneen has been dedicated to the international platform sportanddev, working to strengthen and highlight sport for development in the Middle East and North Africa, with a strong focus on Arabic content and resources

A professor of digital media and political and social transformations, advisor to the President of Qatar University. She serves as the Executive Director of the Committee for the Development of the Journalism and Digital Media Terminology Dictionary. Her areas of expertise include digital communication, AI and new innovations, new media’s role in social and political movements, particularly in the Middle East and Gulf countries. She has led media initiatives, published books and research in media and artificial intelligence and has presented numerous papers at local and international conferences.

Imane Khelif, born in 1999 in Tiaret, Algeria, is a trailblazing Algerian boxer. Growing up in a rural and conservative environment, she initially excelled in soccer despite societal resistance to women participating in sports. This background, coupled with challenges such as financial hardships, eventually led her to boxing. Inspired by her natural agility and determination, she began training at 16 despite her father’s disapproval. Her mother supported her ambitions, helping her raise funds for transportation to training sessions. Khelif’s career took off quickly, and by 2018, after just three years of training, she competed in the AIBA World Championships. She later represented Algeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and won multiple gold medals in international competitions. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she made history as Algeria’s first female gold medalist in boxing and the first boxer from the country to achieve this since 1996.   Beyond her achievements in sports, Imane serves as a UNICEF ambassador, advocating for children’s rights and encouraging young people, particularly girls, to pursue their dreams despite societal or financial obstacles. Her story is a powerful example of resilience and determination.

Nasser Al Khori leads the Generation Amazing Foundation, the human and social legacy project of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, stemming from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. His leadership has propelled the foundation to leverage football's transformative power for social development, focusing on empowering youth in underprivileged communities worldwide, including those affected by displacement such as refugees and IDPs. Nasser's strategic direction has been crucial in forging significant partnerships, notably with CONCACAF and the IFRC, to broaden the foundation's global impact.  With a rich background in the non-profit sector, Nasser played a pivotal role in launching Doha Debates and other initiatives under Qatar Foundation. His expertise in sports governance and social responsibility is further recognized through his role as the State of Qatar National Focal Point for the Global Sports Programme at the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) and his appointment to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair dedicated to sport governance and social responsibility in and through sport, particularly focusing on Policy and Impact. Nasser also sits on the Advisory Board of the United Nations Football for the Goals’ Advisory Foundation.  Nasser holds an MBA in Educational Leadership from UCL’s Institute of Education and a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University, credentials that underscore his commitment to integrating education, sports, and social and policy development.

Joël Arthur Kiendrébéogo is a medical doctor and health economist with 15 years of professional experience. After clinical medical practice at health district level, Joël started his career as a health economist in Chad in 2012 as deputy manager of the performance-based financing (RBF) pilot project in the country. Joël then worked as a researcher at the Centre MURAZ (Burkina Faso) from 2014 to 2017, as an Early Childhood Development (ECD) fellow at the World Bank office in Burkina Faso from 2017 to 2019, as a lecturer and researcher at the University Joseph Ki-Zerbo in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) since 2017, and as a researcher at Research for Health and Development (RESADE) in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) since 2019. In 2024, Dr Kiendrébéogo was appointed Technical Secretary for Health Financing Reform at the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso. During his career, Joël has collaborated with several national and international research teams and has been a consultant for many international organizations. Joël’s areas of expertise and interest include health financing, health economics, health policy and systems analysis and reform, and health economic evaluations.

Akif Çağatay Kılıç was born in 1976 in Siegen, Germany. He studied economics and political sciences at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. Akif Çağatay Kılıç served as an advisor and deputy chief of cabinet to H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan then PM and Founding Leader of the Justice and Development Party and the current President of the Republic of Turkey. Akif Çağatay Kılıç was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports for the 61st Government of the Republic of Turkey on 25 December 2013. He remained in office for 62nd and 63rd Governments of the Republic of Turkey under Prime Ministry. Re-elected MP from Samsun Province for the Justice and Development Party for the 25th and 26th parliamentary term, Akif Çağatay Kılıç was appointed again the Minister of Youth and Sports for the 64th and 65th Governments of the Republic of Turkey until June 2017. In the 27th Parliamentary elections, He performed as the Chairman of the Turkish Delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the GNAT. He is currently Ambassador and the Chief Adviser on National Security and Foreign Policy to the President. Akif Çağatay Kılıç is fluent in German and English.

Jonah Kokodyniak, Executive Vice President, has more than 15 years of service at the Institute of International Education and currently serves as a member of IIE’s Office of the CEO. He leads several key programs and departments, including IIE’s Corporate and Foundation Programs; Research, Evaluation and Learning; Program Development and Proposal Management; and the Institute’s offices in China, India, Thailand, and Mexico. Jonah oversees IIE’s work on programs that include the Carnegie Africa Diaspora Fellowship, the Ford Global Fellowship, the Qatar Scholarship for Afghanistan Project, the Quad Fellowship, the Odyssey Scholarship, and IIE’s Ukraine response efforts.

Pierre Krähenbühl is Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a position he assumed in April 2024. As head of the ICRC's executive body, he is responsible for steering the organisation's global humanitarian activities and its 18,000 staff in more than 100 countries, with a yearly budget of over USD 2.1 billion. Mr. Krähenbühl has dedicated more than 30 years to the humanitarian sector, including 25 years in prominent roles at the ICRC in delegations and at headquarters. His previous leadership appointments at the ICRC include director of operations (2002-2014) and personal adviser to the President of the ICRC (2000-2002). Mr. Krähenbühl also carried out various operational assignments in El Salvador, Peru, Afghanistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1991-1998); and as head of operations for Central and South-Eastern Europe, based in Geneva (1998-2000). Immediately prior to holding the Director-General position, Mr. Krähenbühl was secretary-general to the Assembly at the ICRC (2023-2024). He served as the personal envoy of the ICRC President to China and head of regional delegation for East Asia (2021-2023). In 2014 he was appointed as commissioner-general and under-secretary general of the United Nations at UNWRA (2014-2019). He holds an MA in political science and international relations from the University of Geneva and Graduate Institute of International Relations.

Ghassan Kosta is a senior leader at Google Cloud who joined the company in 2020 as General Manager for the Cloud Enterprise Business across Qatar, Oman, Iraq and Bahrain. His objective is to build the new Google Cloud region in Qatar and help businesses across the Gulf. As a member of the senior leadership team at Google Cloud in the META region, Ghassan is responsible for driving step-change growth through strategic partnerships and initiatives. In a high-growth environment, he brings strong market experience in managing successful teams and leading great revenue growth. He has successfully launched the Google Cloud business and has taken part in major digital transformation projects for enterprise and public sector entities. Ghassan has over 20 years of IT experience in the enterprise field, and has held various account management, management, and leadership positions in multinational organizations such as EMC, Dell Technologies, and now at Google.

Prof. Osama is a senior policy advisor and analyst at Qatar Armed Forces Strategic Studies Centre, with the focus on Advanced Technology, Cyber Security, National Security and International Relations. Prof. Osama is specialized in Middle East affairs and the USA policies towards the region. He is also a Technologist and Strategist, having worked with leading High-Tech Companies in the US and Canada for over 20 years. Prof. Osama obtained his MSc. and PhD in Wireless Computer Communications from Queen's University in Canada, in wireless algorithm design and multiple access management/optimization. Prof. Osama holds three Patents, many proprietary designed algorithms, and published more than 70 articles. Prof. Osama has published a book Titled “The Second Taliban Era in Afghanistan: Identifying Risks and Opportunities”, and contributed a chapter-book in the book titled "Islamists and Arab Revolutions: Revival Readings from Home and Abroad". Prof. Osama is a writer, a speaker, and appears constantly on TV channels and conferences discussing Middle East Affairs and the future perspectives.

Robert Kupiecki, is a professional diplomat since 1994, currently undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, responsible for security policy. He coordinates issues related to the Common Foreign and Security Policy as well as the Common Security and Defence Policy. He acts as the Political Director of the MFA.  Undersecretary Kupiecki supervises cooperation with the US and Canada as well as support for Ukraine and foreign aspects of Poland's defence preparations. He represents the Minister of Foreign Affairs at meetings of the Committee of the Council of Ministers for National Security and Defence and in the work of the Cyber Security Committee. He was an intern and an expert at the MFA's Department of Planning and Analyses, Head of Unit and Deputy Director of the European Institutions Department, deputy ambassador to NATO (1999-2004), Director of the Security Policy Department (2004-2008), Poland's Ambassador in Washington (2008-2012). Deputy Minister of National Defence responsible for, among other things, the ministry's strategic planning and international activity (2012-2015). He received a master's degree from the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw, and a PhD in political science, a professor of the University of Warsaw at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies. He also graduated from Poland's National School of Public Administration and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.  In 2011 he defended his habilitation degree. An author of books and papers on international relations, security, and history.  He speaks English and Russian.

Rajat is a Co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Space Machines Company, which is building a “Roadside Assist in Space” capability to service and protect critical space infrastructure and ensure their availability to enable key on-earth capabilities. In March 2024, Optimus, the first demonstrator spacecraft and the largest single Australian-designed and built satellite, launched on the SpaceX Transporter-10 Mission. Rajat is also the founding partner of 11point2, delivering entrepreneurial innovation to major corporations in sectors such as energy and resources. The firm is dedicated to innovating solutions for complex challenges, with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, energy transformation, and public welfare. 11point2 collaborates exclusively with partners focused on making a positive impact on climate change, decarbonization, national security, and health. Throughout his diverse career, Rajat has held various roles, including investor, advisor, founder, director, and executive across technology-driven sectors. He trained as an aerospace engineer and his professional experience spans from a senior technology, product, and research leader at Microsoft to being an early senior executive and co-founder of 3 start-ups. He has managed businesses across multiple international markets to drive growth and profitability. His leadership extends beyond corporate roles, serving as an advisor for digital health and cybersecurity platforms.

Is an expert in humanitarian aid and international cooperation with experience in government administration, non-government organization and private sector. In November 2024, I have been seconded to Qatar Charity, where I am currently the Manager of Humanitarian Operations. From 2019 to 2024, I have been working with Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), where I have worked in the area of humanitarian aid and international cooperation. My career started in 2014 with airline industry. One of which I established a strong professional career in airport operations, project management and partnerships. From 2021 to 2022, I operated as International Organization Head at the QFFD. I led program development, assessment and monitoring, develop and maintain partnerships with key partners including UN, INGOs and governmental partners, needs assessment mission to The Philippines. In addition, I ran Qatar Creating Vision Initiative and co-managed the Nanmo Partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. From March 2022 to November 2024, I operated as Manager of Humanitarian Aid Department at the QFFD. I have provided strategic and policy advice on humanitarian issues, needs and emergencies; Directed and lead the relief efforts in Sudan, Gaza and Lebanon. During my career, I was a delegate for Qatar in several international conferences, committees and grouping, including The Global Refugee Forum, The Global Fund Board and Audit and Finance Committee, The Lives and Livelihoods Fund Impact Committee and 2019-2024 at the UN-OCHA Donors’ Support Group (ODSG). My education spans an executive masters in Development Policy and Practices at the Geneva Graduate Institute, an (M.A) in Islam and Global Affairs at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and (B.A.) in international Relation and Political Science at University of Birmingham.

Laura Kyle joined Al Jazeera English in 2006 and was a producer on the first bulletin of the channel. She reported extensively across the Asia region on major stories including Cyclone Nargis, the China milk scandal, the illegal wildlife trade, tribal violence in Papua New Guinea and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Tomas Lamanauskas is Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, elected at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference of 2022, and taking up duties as of January 2023.His 25 years of experience spans across sectors of telecoms and digital policy, regulation and strategy, stemming from executive level positions in agencies, companies, and organizations across Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific region. As Deputy Secretary-General of ITU, Tomas focuses on the financial sustainability and operational excellence of the organization. He also works to raise the digital industry’s ambition in fighting the climate crisis through the Green Digital Action initiative and promotes investments into the digital infrastructure as well as digital resilience through the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative and other efforts. Additionally, Tomas contributes to the global efforts to harness the opportunities and mitigate challenges of new technologies, in particular Artificial Intelligence, including through his role as a co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on AI. He is also playing a key role in ensuring ITU’s support to other UN-wide development and governance efforts, including through the World Summit of the Information Society process and membership at the Operational Steering Committee of the UN Joint SDG Fund. Tomas holds Master’s Degrees in Public Administration (Harvard), Leadership and Strategy (London Business School), Telecommunications Regulation and Policy (The University of the West Indies) and Law (Vilnius University).

Christina Lamb is one of Britain’s leading foreign journalists as well as a bestselling author. Her dispatches with the Afghan mujaheddin fighting the Soviet Union saw her named Young Journalist of the Year at the age of 22. She has since reported everywhere from Iraq to Ukraine, Israel to Zimbabwe and been awarded Foreign Correspondent of the Year seven times as well as Europe’s top war reporting prize, the Prix Bayeux, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Editors and the Chesney Gold Medal for promoting the understanding of war.She has always particularly focused on what war does to women, and her book Our Bodies, Their Battlefields about sexual violence in conflict was described by leading historian Antony Beevor as ‘the most powerful book’ he had ever read and recommended by Queen Camilla in a speech. She has written ten books including co-authoring the international bestseller I Am Malala. She is a Global envoy for UN Education Cannot Wait, Honorary Fellow of University College Oxford, on the board of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and an Associate of the Imperial War Museum and was awarded an OBE in 2013.

Joris Larik is Assistant Professor of Comparative, EU and International Law at Leiden University in the Netherlands and Senior Advisor and Nonresident Fellow for the Global Governance, Justice & Security Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. His research focuses on EU external relations, other regional organizations on the global stage, and global governance reform. His work has been acknowledged with several awards, including NATO’s Manfred Wörner Essay Award, the Mauro Cappelletti Prize for the Best Doctoral Thesis in Comparative Law from the European University Institute, and recently the GCSP Prize for Transformative Futures in Peace and Security. In 2022, Dr. Larik was appointed to both the Committee on European Integration of the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) and the European Commission’s pool of arbitrators for disputes in the framework of bilateral trade agreements. Dr. Larik is the author and editor of several books, including with Oxford and Cambridge University Press. He has published in leading international journals, including American Journal of International Law, European Journal of International Law, European Foreign Affairs Review, International & Comparative Law Quarterly, Legal Issues of Economic Integration, and Survival. He appears regularly in the Dutch and international media for commentary, including NPO Radio 1, Volkskrant, Al Jazeera, BBC World Service, CBC News, EU Observer, The Guardian, The Irish Times, Radio New Zealand, and Xinhua.

On 18 March 2020, Mr Philippe Lazzarini was appointed UnderSecretary-General of the United Nations and Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres. Prior to his appointment to UNRWA, Mr Lazzarini served, from August 2015, as the Deputy UN Special Coordinator (UNSCOL) and as the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon. Mr Lazzarini has over 30 years of professional experience, including in leadership positions with the United Nations, the private sector and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He has extensive experience in humanitarian assistance and international coordination in conflict and post-conflict areas at senior levels, including through his assignment to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia as Deputy Special Representative, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, from 2013 to 2015. He joined the United Nations in Iraq in 2003 and since then has held a number of senior positions, both at Headquarters in New York, and in Angola, Somalia and the occupied Palestinian territory. Prior to joining the United Nations, he worked with Union Bancaire Privée in Geneva as Head of the Marketing Department. From 1989 to 1999, Mr Lazzarini worked with ICRC as the Deputy Head of Communications in Geneva, Head of Delegation in Rwanda, Angola, and Sarajevo, and as a delegate in Southern Sudan, Jordan, Gaza, and Beirut. He started his professional career in 1987 as an economist with the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. Mr Lazzarini is a graduate of the University of Neuchatel and of the University of Lausanne, and he is married with four children.

Prof. Hilal A. Lashuel is the Research Development and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Executive Director of RDI at the Chairperson’s Office. He also directs the Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration at EPFL and is Founder and CEO of ND Biosciences SA. Prof. Lashuel received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the City University of New York and completed his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute. He held research positions at the Picower Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. At EPFL since 2005, his research focuses on understanding protein misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases and developing therapies and diagnostics. He has served in leadership roles at Qatar Biomedical Research and Qatar Genome Project and advised on several national and international scientific committees. Prof. Lashuel has authored over 225 publications, holds nine patents, and has delivered over 250 invited lectures. His work has been widely recognized with awards, including the Kuwait Prize in Biological Sciences and the Takreem Foundation's Scientific Achievement Award. He is also a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

Tim Lenderking is the U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen. Mr. Lenderking previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs in the Near East Bureau at the U.S. Department of State. He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Mr. Lenderking served previously as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2013-2016. He served as the Director of the Pakistan Office at the Department of State from 2010-2013. From 2008-2010, Mr. Lenderking completed two tours in Baghdad, the first as the Senior Democracy Advisor at the US Embassy, and the second as the Policy Advisor to LTG Charles Jacoby, Commanding General of Multi-National Forces Iraq (MNF-I), based at Camp Victory. Before his Iraq tours, Mr. Lenderking served as the Economic Counselor and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at US Embassy Kuwait. He was also the Political Counselor at Embassy Rabat from 2002-2006. Mr. Lenderking’s other tours in the Foreign Service include serving as the Special Assistant to Under Secretary for Political Affairs Marc Grossman 2001-2002, as the Lebanon Desk Officer 2000-2001, and as a Watch Officer in the Operations Center. Mr. Lenderking also served in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and in Damascus, Syria. Mr. Lenderking joined the Foreign Service in 1993 after a career in the refugee field, where he held numerous positions with American NGOs and with the United Nations in New York, Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Thailand. Mr. Lenderking received a Master's degree in History and International Relations from the University of Washington in 1989 and a Bachelor's Degree with Honors from Wesleyan University in 1985. He is the recipient of the Presidential Merit Award, nine Superior Honor Awards from the Department of State and the Meritorious Civilian Service Award from the Department of the Army for his service in Iraq.

Mark Leonard is co-founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, the first pan-European think–tank. He is also the current Henry A Kissinger chair in foreign policy and international relations at the US Library of Congress, Washington DC. His topics of focus include geopolitics and geoeconomics, China, EU politics and institutions. Leonard hosts the weekly podcast “Mark Leonards’s World in 30 Minutes” and writes a syndicated column on global affairs for Project Syndicate. Previously he worked as director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform and as director of the Foreign Policy Centre, a think-tank he founded at the age of 24 under the patronage of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. In the 1990s, Leonard worked for the think-tank Demos where his Britain™ report was credited with launching Cool Britannia. Mark has spent time in Washington, D.C. as a Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and in Beijing as a visiting scholar at the Chinese Academy for Social Sciences.  He was Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Geoeconomics until 2016.  Honored as a “Young Global Leader” of the World Economic Forum, he spends a lot of time helping governments, companies, and international organizations make sense of the big geo-political trends of the twenty-first century. He is a regular speaker and prolific writer and commentator on global issues, the future of Europe, China’s internal politics, and the practice of diplomacy and business in a networked world. His essays have appeared in publications such as Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, the New York Times, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, El Pais, Gazeta Wyborcza, Foreign Policy, the New Statesman, the Daily Telegraph, The Economist, Time, and Newsweek. As well as writing and commenting frequently in the media on global affairs, Leonard is the author of best-selling books. His first book, Why Europe will run the 21st Century, was published in 2005 and translated into 19 languages. Leonard’s second book, What does China think? was published in 2008 and translated into 15 languages. He has published an edited volume on Connectivity Wars and in September 2021, his latest book on this topic The Age of Unpeace. How Connectivity Causes Conflict was released.

Jan Lipavský, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, was appointed on December 17, 2021. From 2017 to 2021, he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. He held the position of Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Defence. He was a member of the Standing Commission on Hybrid Threats, the Subcommittee on Defence, Cyber and Security Policy and the Strategic Concept of the Czech Republic, and the Subcommittee on Migration and Asylum Policy. As an MP, he focused mainly on energy and international security issues and hybrid threats. Jan Lipavský is the author of the Czech version of the Magnitsky Act, which allows the imposition of sanctions against foreigners and companies who have committed serious illegal acts. In November 2022, he received the The Magnitsky Human Rights Award for contribution to the protection of human rights. In the same year, he was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit. Before entering politics, he worked in the private sector in banking information technology. He worked for companies such as McKinsey & Company, Euro RSCG, ZOOT, Total Solutions and Moro Systems. Mr. Lipavský was born in Prague, where he continues living. He graduated in International Territorial Studies at the Institute of International Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. During his studies he spent a year at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. He has a daughter.

Charles Lister is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, where he is the Director of the Syria and Counterterrorism programs. His work focuses on all-things Syria and on issues of terrorism and insurgency across the Levant. At MEI, Lister directs two major international initiatives focused on Syria. The "Resolving the Detainee Crisis" initiative seeks to help the international community resolve the unprecedented challenges associated with the detention of 10,000 terrorist fighters and 45,000 associated people in northeast Syria. More than 40 governments and INGOs have engaged in high-level multilateral talks in London, Washington D.C, Vienna and Malta, resulting in decisive policy progress. The "Syria Strategy Project" is coordinating discussions involving 100 subject matter experts and 25 governments and Syrian governing entities aimed at developing a holistic and realistic multilateral approach to resolving Syria’s long-running crisis. Prior to joining MEI, Lister was a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Consultant to the Syria Track II Dialogue Initiative, in which he managed three years of intensive face-to-face engagement with the leaderships of over 100 Syrian armed opposition groups. He previously held other positions at the Brookings Institution and IHS Jane’s in London, UK. Lister’s critically acclaimed book, The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency, was published in 2016 by Oxford University Press. He has also published The Islamic State: A Brief Introduction and Winning the Battle, Losing the War: Addressing the Drivers of Non-State Armed Actors and Extremist Groups. He is working on a fourth book on Syria, commissioned by Oxford University Press.

Stefan Löfven is Chair of the SIPRI Governing Board as of June 2022. Löfven was the Prime Minister of Sweden from October 2014 to November 2021 and leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2012 to 2021. His background includes extensive experience from various domestic and international assignments. In 2022, he was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General to co-lead a High-level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism in preparation for the Summit of the Future. He was previously the International Secretary of the Swedish trade union IF Metall and, subsequently, its Chair (2006–12). He was also a board member of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (2006–12), a board member of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (2010–12), Deputy Chair of the Swedish Trade Council (2004–12) and a board member of the Olof Palme International Centre (2002–2006).

Irwin Loy is senior policy editor at The New Humanitarian, a news agency that reports on crises to inform prevention and response. He covers aid policy and what it means for people living in humanitarian emergencies.

Andrew MacLeod is Chairman Emeritus of British based Griffin Law, Non-Executive Director of the Arabian Leopard Fund, founding Director of child protection charity Hear their Cries and a Visiting Professor at Kings College London, amongst other activities. He was a member of the Chatham House/ICRC Expert Panel on Humanitarian Negotiations with Non-State Armed Groups, was an Affiliate Senior Associate to the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington DC, served on the Advisory Boards of the World Economic Forum’s Future of Civil Society Project Advisory Board, King's College Humanitarian Futures Project and the UN Expert Group on Responsible Business and Investment in High-Risk Areas. His humanitarian activities included time as Chief of Operations of the UN Emergency Coordination Centre in Pakistan, where MacLeod negotiated a complex series of relationships that saw the Pakistan military, international NGOs, UN agencies, US military, UK military and non-state militant groups all playing a role in delivering a successful operation without casualties or conflict. At the International Committee of the Red Cross Macleod served in the Balkans and Rwanda during the 1990s. He set up and ran Law of Armed Conflict training with military units in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia that resulted in a measurable decrease in civilian casualties. Macleod holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Tasmania University, a Master of Laws from Southampton University, a Graduate Diploma in International Law from Melbourne University, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been elected as an Associate of King's College London (AKC).

Bronwen Maddox took up the post of Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House in August 2022.Before joining Chatham House, Bronwen was Director of the Institute for Government (2016-2022), an independent think tank based in London promoting better government. From 2010 to 2016 she was editor and chief executive of Prospect, the monthly current affairs magazine. Before that, she served as chief foreign commentator, foreign editor and US editor at The Times, after a period at the Financial Times where she ran award-winning investigations and wrote economics editorials. Before becoming a journalist, Bronwen was an investment analyst in the City and a director of Kleinwort Benson Securities, where she ran its highly rated team analyzing world media stocks. Bronwen is a Visiting Professor in the Policy Institute at King’s College London, Honorary Governor of Ditchley, an honorary fellow of the British Academy, and a council member of Research England, one of the research councils of UK Research & Innovation. She writes frequent op-ed columns for the Financial Times and broadcasts widely. Bronwen has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from St John’s College, Oxford.

Ambassador Francisco Caetano José Madeira is currently a member of the African Union High Level Panel on Sudan. He was the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia and Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM/ATMIS) until June 2022.  Ambassador Madeira has vast experience in Mediation and Counter-Terrorism, and has served as the AU Special Representative for Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and Director of the Algiers-based African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), a post he held concurrently with that of Special Envoy for the issue of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), from November 2011 to July 2014.As Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to the Comoros, he led the negotiation process that produced the Fomboni Agreement which stabilized the political situation, gave a new name to the country -UNION OF THE COMOROS-, produced a new constitution and a new Comorian national flag. He was also Member of former Presidents Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela facilitation teams in the 1996-2000 Arusha Peace Negotiations on Burundi which put an end to the civil war in that country; Equally, he was Member of the Southern Sudan Vice-President Riak Machar’s facilitation team in the negotiations with the Lord’s Resistance Army   of Joseph Kony. A Mozambican national, Ambassador Madeira begun his career when he joined the Mozambique Diplomatic service in 1975, dealing mostly with African Affairs, both at the OAU level (OAU Liberation Committee, Anti-Apartheid Movements, the Frontline States and SADC) and at the UN level (Fourth Committee on Decolonization). . Amb. Madeira has served as Ambassador of Mozambique to Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana and as diplomatic advisor to the president of Mozambique. He was  a member of the Government delegation to the peace negotiations with RENAMO, which resulted in the signing of the August 1992 Rome General Peace Agreement for Mozambique, putting  an end to the  country’s 15 year long civil war.  Amb Madeira has held ministerial portfolios, having been, from 1995 to 1999, Minister in the President’s Office for Parliamentary Affairs and, from 2000 to 2010, Minister in the President’s Office for Diplomatic Affairs.  He has contributed to several other peace processes on the continent. In particular, he was the Special Representative of the Mozambican Government to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and the Great Lakes Region, following the political and military turmoil that erupted in the region in the aftermath of the demise of presidents Mobutu and Kabila Senior

Karim Makdisi is an Associate Professor of international politics and founding director of the Graduate Program in Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. He is also at senior fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, and an affiliated researcher in the Critical Security Studies working group in the Arab Council for the Social Sciences. Makdisi is an elected member of the Board of Directors at The Academic Council on the United Nations System. He is the co-editor of Land of the Blue Helmets: The United Nations in the Arab World (University of California Press) and Interventions in Conflict: International Peacemaking in the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan). His current book project, Disarming Syria: The International Politics of Eliminating Syria’s Chemical Weapons (with C. Pison-Hindawi) is under contract with Routledge Press.

Renad Mansour is a senior research fellow and project director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House. His research explores the political economy of state-building, conflict, and development in Iraq. He is also a senior research fellow at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. Mansour was previously a lecturer at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he taught the international relations of the Middle East. He is also a research fellow at the Cambridge Security Initiative based at Cambridge University, and from 2013 he held positions as Lecturer of International Studies and Supervisor at the Faculty of Politics, also at Cambridge. He received his PhD from Cambridge University. He is co-author of Once Upon a Time in Iraq, published by BBC Books/Penguin to accompany the BAFTA winning BBC series.

Safwan M. Masri is Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) and a Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Since joining GU-Q in October 2022, Dean Masri has championed initiatives that have strengthened the university’s position as a hub for global dialogue and interdisciplinary scholarship. Under his leadership, GU-Q has expanded its academic and research collaborations, launched new community engagement programs, and hosted signature events, such as the Hiwaraat conference series. Before joining Georgetown, Professor Masri served as Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University, where he oversaw the university’s global engagement strategy, and was a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. Prior to that, he held the position of Vice Dean and Professor at Columbia Business School, and previously taught engineering at Stanford University. Dean Masri is the author of Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly (Columbia University Press, 2017). He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an honorary fellow of the Foreign Policy Association. He is the founding chairman of King’s Academy and Queen Rania Teacher Academy in Jordan. Currently, he serves as a trustee of International College in Beirut, and is a director of AMIDEAST and of Endeavor Jordan.

Francisco Marmolejo is Higher Education President at Qatar Foundation (QF) in Doha, where he leads QF’s work in support of 8 prestigious universities established at Education City in Doha offering more than 70 academic programs to students from more than 110 countries. During 2012-20, he worked at the World Bank, where he served as the Global Coordinator of Higher Education, based in Washington, DC., and later as Lead Higher Education Specialist for India and South Asia, based in New Delhi. During 1995-2012, he served as founding Executive Director of the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, a network of more than 160 colleges and universities primarily from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S based at the University of Arizona, where he also worked as Assistant Vice President for Western Hemispheric Programs, Affiliated Researcher at the Center for the Study of Higher Education, and Affiliate Faculty at the Center for Latin American Studies. Previously, he has been American Council on Education Fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Academic Vice President of the University of the Americas in Mexico, and International Consultant at OECD in Paris. He has received honorary doctorate degrees in Mexico from five Mexican universities including his Alma Mater, the University of San Luis Potosi.

Charles McLean is the Founder and Managing Director of the Borderless Consulting Group. He is a senior public affairs and communications consultant specializing in international government communications. Mr. McLean formerly served as a foreign correspondent for NBC News and as Director of Communications for the World Economic Forum. Mr. McLean formed the Borderless Consulting Group after serving for nine years as a Partner with London-based Portland Communications, during which time he headed Portland’s New York office and led Portland’s on-site communications teams in Astana, Kazakhstan; Amman, Jordan; and Doha, Qatar. At the World Economic Forum, Mr. McLean organized exclusive gatherings for top international journalists at Davos. His guests at these events included Bill Gates, Thabo Mbeki, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Qatar’s Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, and Kofi Annan. Mr. McLean began his career as a broadcast journalist with NBC News. During his fifteen years with the network he covered news in 57 countries and served for five years as Africa Bureau Chief. In 1990 he directed the network’s coverage of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. Out of Africa, Mr. McLean won an Emmy Award for his work as a correspondent in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square uprising.

Teaching Fellow, Harvard University (1971-73); Member of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front - worked in military, political and administrative fields (1973-91);  Ambassador of Eritrea to Ethiopia and the AU (1993-96); Eritrean Special Envoy to Somalia (concomitant as Ambassador to Eth and AU - 1991-95); Eritrean Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region (1996-1997); Eritrean Permanent Rep to the UN (1997-2001); Chairman, UN Committee of Experts on Afghanistan (2001); Director, Africa 1 Division, UNDPA (2003-2005); Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (DSRSG), UN Mission to the DRC (2005-07); Assistant SG for Political Affairs (2007-2009); SRSG, UNMIS (Sudan) (2009-2011); Special Envoy of the SG for Sudan and South Sudan (2011-2015); SRSG and Head of UN Office to the AU (2013-18);  Currently Senior Advisor, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Geneva); Counsellor, Dragoman Global (Sydney); Advisor to the Chairman of ECONET Holdings, an African communications company; Independent Consultant on Peace, Security and Development in Africa (2018-present).

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer took on the role of Group Chief Executive Officer, at Qatar Airways Group, 5 November 2023. His appointment underscores his distinguished career, forged over two decades, pioneering multi-billion-dollar aviation, construction, and real estate development projects, while also reflecting Qatar’s succession planning towards a new generation of leaders.  Throughout his career, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer has played pivotal roles in some of Qatar's most intricate and iconic development projects. Notably, he has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport (HIA) since 2014, leading critical divisions such as MATAR (Airport Company), Qatar Duty Free, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Qatar Distribution Centre, Dhiafatina, and Real Estate.  While at HIA, he adeptly guided the airport through major milestones and challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Expansion Project, and the pivotal FIFA World Cup 2022 TM. His leadership also played an instrumental role in HIA being acclaimed as the Best Airport in the World, a testament to the strength and dedication of the entire team. From 2018 to 2020, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer was a Board Director of the Airports Council International in the Asia/Pacific Region, contributing to Future Airport Development and Airport Sustainability. Prior to his tenure at HIA, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer spent a decade with the United Development Company (UDC), ultimately rising to the position of Acting Chief Executive Officer.  During this time, he oversaw the delivery of the Pearl Project, UDC's flagship endeavour a renowned urban development in Qatar celebrated for its architectural design. With engineering degrees from the American University of Beirut and the University of Colorado, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer brings a solid educational foundation and a wealth of business insight and technical expertise in engineering, construction, and large-scale project development.  In his new role as Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer's track record of successful projects and expertise in aviation and project management uniquely positions him to lead Qatar Airways Group into an exciting new era, prioritising innovation and cultivating a united and motivated workforce

Magzum Mirzagaliyev is Chairman of the KAZENERGY Association based in Kazakhstan. Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Mirzagaliyev held several senior government roles in the Republic of Kazakhstan, including Chairman of Management Board of the Joint Stock Company National Company (JSC NC) “KazMunayGas” (KMG) (April 2022-May 2024), Advisor to the President (January–April 2022), Minister of Oil and Gas (2021–22), Minister of Environment, Geology and Natural Resources (2019–21), Vice Minister of Energy (2014–19) and Vice Minister of Oil and Gas (2013–14). Prior to serving in the government, Mr. Mirzagaliyev held several roles in industry, including Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Innovation-based Development and Service Projects (2012–13), Managing Director (2010–12) and General Director of TenizService LLP (2007–10) at JSC NC KMG. Previously he held roles as Business Development Manager, Production Operations Manager - Head of Aktau Branch at MI Drilling Fluids International from 2004 to 2007 and Drilling Fluid Engineer, MI Drilling Fluids International (Schlumberger), at the fields of Tengiz and Western Siberia from 2001 to 2004. Additionally, Mr. Mirzagaliyev has been awarded the Qurmet order (2021), Yeren Yenbegi ushin (2014), Kazakhstan Tauelsizdigine 25 zhyl (2016), For the Contribution to the Creation of the Eurasian Economic Union II degree (2015) and For the Contribution to the Eurasian Economic Union Development (2019) medals.

Dr. Saurabh Mishra has dedicated over two decades to advancing the fields of artificial intelligence, policy, infrastructure construction, and decision-making. In his early career in Washington, D.C., he held significant roles at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where he managed and oversaw more than 40 megaprojects worldwide. A proud alumnus of the University of Maryland, Dr. Mishra earned his Ph.D. in Reliability Engineering, producing the first thesis that applied AI to megaproject management. He then joined Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered AI as the Director of the AI Index program, contributing to the early development of AI policy. His academic contributions extend to teaching roles at institutions including UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, Sciences Po. As the founder and CEO of Taiyō.AI, Dr. Mishra has developed the largest data platform and the first AI platform for construction and public procurement, enhancing transparency in government spending and shaping one of the world's largest economic sectors. Dr. Mishra's research focuses on a systems architecture approach to AI, aiming to facilitate more sustainable investment and policy decisions. Currently, Dr. Mishra serves as a Visiting Fellow at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, and is a member of the OECD.AI expert group. He is a frequent keynote speaker and guest lecturer at business, policy, and academic forums.

Dr. Michal Mlynár (Slovakia) is a seasoned diplomat and educator with more than 30 years of experience, including in senior global assignments. He was appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and assumed his post in Nairobi on 10 April 2023. From 20 January 2024 until 7 August 2024, he was designated by the Secretary-General to temporarily lead UN-Habitat as Acting Executive Director. Until April 2023, he was Slovakia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. During his term, he co-chaired the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform during the 77th session of the General Assembly, served as Vice President of the UNICEF Executive Board, Vice Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, and Chair of the Sixth Committee. Prior to that, Mr. Mlynár served as Director General for International Organizations, Development Cooperation, and Humanitarian Aid at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. He was also Slovakia’s Ambassador in Nairobi and served as the Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to UN-Habitat and the President of its Governing Council. He holds PhD and MA degrees from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, and also studied in the UK and the USA.

Dr. Samson Mndolo, serving as the Secretary for Health in Malawi since April 2023, is a distinguished Anesthesiologist by profession. His extensive experience includes his previous role as the Director of Malawi's largest referral hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Central in Blantyre, where he provided leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and Cyclone Freddy. Dr. Mndolo has also contributed significantly to academia as a clinical lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Malawi, and as a part-time lecturer at the Malawi College of Health Sciences. His expertise in anesthesia and intensive care is further highlighted by his tenure as the Head of the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care. Additionally, he has demonstrated administrative acumen in his role as Deputy Hospital Director and has made significant contributions to medical ethics as a member of the Ethical Review Board of the National Health Sciences Research Committee.

Khalid Omer Yousif is a Sudanese politician and democracy advocate, recognized for his pivotal role in the December Revolution that ended the 30-year authoritarian regime of Omar al-Bashir. A leader in the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), Khalid played a key part in shaping Sudan’s transitional government following the 2019 revolution, working tirelessly to establish a civilian-led administration focused on justice, peace, and democratic transformation. As Minister of Cabinet Affairs during the transition, Khalid spearheaded efforts to implement reform programs, manage the complexities of post-revolution governance, and build consensus among diverse political and social groups. His steadfast commitment to civilian rule made him a vocal opponent of the military coup in October 2021. Despite arrest and persecution, Khalid continued to resist the coup, advocating for a return to democratic governance through peaceful and strategic means. In the face of the ongoing war in Sudan, Khalid has emerged as a key figure in the pro-democracy movement, working to unify voices against violence and authoritarianism. Through his leadership in “Tagadom”, a coalition focused on peacebuilding and democratic renewal, he champions initiatives for ending the war, addressing the roots of conflict, and paving the way for an inclusive, civilian-led future. Khalid’s work is rooted in his unwavering belief in justice, democracy, and the power of collective action to transform Sudan’s future.

1999: Joined the Spanish Foreign ServicePositions abroad: Embassies of Iraq (2001-2003 as Deputy Head of Mission), Portugal (2003-2006 as Political Counsellor), Panama (2006-2010 as Deputy Head of Mission and Cultural Counsellor) Israel (2014-2017 Deputy Head of Mission), and Vietnam (2017-2020 as Deputy Head of Mission). Positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain: Advisor to the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2000-2001) and Deputy Director General for the Near and Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2010-2014); currently serving as Ambassador at Large for the Gulf Region since August 2024. Academic background: Degree in Spanish Law and by the Complutense University of Madrid. Diploma in European Community Law (CEU SAN PABLO Madrid University); Diploma in French Law by Paris XI University and Diploma in National Defense by CESEDEN Spain. Spanish decorationsCruz de Isabel La Católica, 2004Oficial de la Orden al Mérito Civil, 2010. Cruz de la Orden del Mérito de la Guardia Civil con distintivo blanco, 2017Foreign decorations and recognitionsComendador de la Orden de Vasco Núñez de Balboa,  Panamá, 2009. Benefactor, University of Panama, Panama, 2010.Diploma of Recognition of the Town Hall of Panama. 2010.

Professor of Cultural and Social History, worked as an academic from 1990-2023 at (University of Anbar in Iraq, Higher Institute for Teacher Training in Libya, University of April 7, Libya, University of Bahrain, Ahlia University in Bahrain). Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Ahlia University - Bahrain 2019-2022. Winner of the Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Award for Humanities and Social Sciences, first place 2009. Best Research Paper Award at the Applied Methodologies Conference held at Oxford University - Great Britain - November 2019. Winner of the Arab Historian Medal 2018.His works include: The Arab Intellectual and Cyberspace./ Encyclopedia of the Formation of Humanity (fourteen parts, four volumes)./ The Cold Feast: Iraq and the Fragments of Identity./ The Arabs and Islam: From Tribe to Creed./ The Iraqi Revolution of 1920, History and Contexts of Reception./ The Concept of History among Arabs./ The Arabs and Colonialism: The Problem of Identity and Consciousness in Modern Arab Political History./ Transformations of the Arab Cultural Self./ The World and Its Transformations; History, Identity, Globalization. Publishing research in scientific journals, writing scientific books

Bouthayna Al Muftah is a Qatari visual artist that received a Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Qatar. Upon her graduation, Al Muftah directed her artistic practice to printmaking, typography and documentation, which evolved over the years into large-scale installations and performance pieces. The core inspiration behind her artistic production is her country’s cultural heritage where she borrows elements from the people of Qatar’s oral history and folklore and readapts them to reflect her relationship with her land’s past. Al Muftah’s fascination of all facets within the context of her country’s memories has led her to develop her research and reflect on life in the old neighborhoods of Qatar and the people who shaped them. As an approach to resuscitate and reconstruct past moments and memories into contemporary settings, she often finds characters and stories from these neighborhoods that transform in her own universe into the abstract figurative results seen in her work today. Al Muftah gradually turned to conceptual documentation through book-binding as a way to express the story of Qatar’s past through her eyes — immortalizing that which was previously lost in the abyss of time.

Julian Mueller-Kaler is the Director of the Strategic Foresight Hub in the Executive Office at the Stimson Center and also serves as Chief of Staff to the President and CEO. He coordinates and manages special projects, advises on strategy, and supports institutional advancement. As Director of the Hub, he researches global trends, evaluates the implications of emerging technologies on society and politics, and writes about the rise of populism, US-China relations, and the future of the liberal international order. Before joining Stimson, Mueller-Kaler was a resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center and the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative where he worked on the geopolitics of technology. He graduated as a Fulbright-Schuman scholar (M.A.) from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and holds a degree in International Relations (B.A.) from Zeppelin University in southern Germany.

Farea Al-Muslimi is a research fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. His research focuses on Yemen and the wider Gulf region. Before joining Chatham House, he chaired the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, Yemen’s premier think-tank, which he co-founded in 2014. He also serves as an advisory board member for the Arab Reform Initiative in Paris.

An MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, US Prof. Syed Munir Khasru founded, led, and successfully built two world class institutes in the global knowledge industry. The international think tank, the Institute for Policy, Advocacy, and Governance (IPAG) and the international management consulting firm e. Gen Consultants Ltd. (e.Gen).The digital age requires sound understanding of cross functional and multi-disciplinary nature of knowledge. On that note, Prof. Khasru has expertise in diverse areas with demonstrated intellectual leadership in a number of global platforms. Internationally, he has a number of critically acclaimed publications. As thought leader, Prof. Khasru’s opinion is carried by some of the leading international media outlets. He is the only scholar who has written an e-book providing keen insights into the pandemic era (www.covidthoughts.org). Prof. Khasru regularly speaks at international platforms for his expert opinion. As a global citizen, for him, borders exist only in maps and nationalities only in passports.

Educator and researcher. She has a degree in Visual Arts and a master's degree in Archaeology. She has extensive experience working in the artistic and cultural space from management and research. She has carried out several curatorial projects on modern art and contemporary artistic practices, most of them related to Ecuadorian women and the importance of the archive to rethink the processes of artistic valuation. She believes in art education, in the importance of research and in working with diverse communities to ensure the care of cultural heritage and the proper operation of the artistic ecosystem.

Dan Murphy is CNBC’s Anchor and Correspondent based in the United Arab Emirates. He reports on global business, markets, economics and politics from the Middle East region. Dan is host of CNBC’s “Capital Connection” - which connects Wall Street, Asia and Europe to the Middle East. His daily show is broadcast globally and features high-level interviews with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Finance Ministers, Central Bank governors, and executives from various sectors worldwide.  Dan’s reporting offers a critical regional perspective on the deep pools of public and private capital moving in the Gulf and wider region at a time of transformation, opportunity and change.  Dan has anchored breaking news and special shows from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. He’s reported on pivotal elections inside Turkey and Israel, interviewed high level officials in Egypt and Russia, and covered energy and climate change issues on the ground in Europe and the Caucasus.  In 2023, Dan was awarded the GI International Energy Journalism Award for his coverage of global energy markets and geo-economics. He regularly speaks to senior Ministers and OPEC+ officials at OPEC HQ in Vienna, and was recently recognised as an Energy Journalism Fellow at Columbia University’s Global Energy Policy Institute in New York.

Cloud computing, privacy, cybersecurity, sustainability, and emerging technologies. With over 16 years of experience, including more than 3 at Microsoft, Wafic has held pivotal roles in strategy consulting and risk management at Deloitte and Ernst & Young across the Middle East to support various sectors. He proudly serves on the boards of numerous non-profit and public service organizations such as HEC Paris “Advanced Technologies Club” in Paris, and the IIC "Digital Economy and Regulatory Modernization" Committee in Doha to inform and support the local public policy agenda for the digital society and economy. Wafic holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the American University of Beirut and an executive MBA from HEC Paris focused on Digital Transformation in three different locations Doha, Paris, and San Francisco. Wafic Naccash

Ms. Rwodah Ibrahim AlNaimi is the Head of the Digital Innovation Enablement Section at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Qatar. In this capacity, she spearheads initiatives designed to incubate and support entrepreneurs and startups, ensuring they have access to critical resources, expert guidance, and comprehensive mentorship. Her focus on fostering growth in the local market includes facilitating access to venture capital, providing specialized training programs, and creating high-impact networking opportunities. Through these initiatives, she helps entrepreneurs refine their business models, develop cutting-edge technological solutions, and navigate market entry challenges with confidence. Ms. AlNaimi’s leadership plays a pivotal role in cultivating a vibrant innovation ecosystem, which drives technological advancement and contributes to economic development across Qatar’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. Previously, Ms. AlNaimi served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), where she was instrumental in shaping the organization’s global strategy, overseeing its operations, and leading partnerships and funding programs across developing nations. Her work centered on international cooperation, sustainable development, policy formulation, and applying economic and investment principles to drive impactful development programs. In this role, she managed QFFD’s strategic relationships with governments, international NGOs, and UN agencies across Sub-Saharan Africa, the MENA region, and other global contexts. Under her leadership, QFFD successfully implemented numerous sustainable development initiatives aimed at addressing critical challenges such as poverty, healthcare access, and education in low- and middle-income countries. Ms. AlNaimi’s influence extends beyond her national roles through her service on numerous prestigious international bodies. She has been a member of the UNRWA Advisory Commission, the UNDP Accelerator Labs Core Investors Group, and the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) Strategy Group. In these capacities, she has contributed to shaping global policies and initiatives that focus on international development, humanitarian assistance, and capacity building. Notably, she played a key role in the convening of the Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative in February 2024, a collaborative event co-hosted by the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the support of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This initiative sought to address stagnating health indicators in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by fostering collaboration between public health officials, international experts, and local stakeholders to improve access to primary healthcare. With over six years of specialized experience, Ms. AlNaimi is recognized for her expertise in strategy development, innovation management, and risk assessment. She holds a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University, where her academic research focused on grassroots energy solutions and sustainable development in underserved regions. Her contributions to the United Nations and other global initiatives underscore her commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Ms. AlNaimi also holds a Bachelor of International Affairs, with a concentration in International Security and Diplomacy, from Qatar University. Her diverse experiences and deep knowledge of both the public and private sectors position her as a key player in the advancement of sustainable development and technological innovation on both national and international stages.

Office Director of the Air Forces Commander. Administration Wing Commander. Deputy Director of Supply Management of Air Forces. Head of International Cooperation Division. Director of Military Cooperation. Qatar Liaison Officer in Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Director of the Directorate of International Studies. Commander of Strategic Studies Center.

Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins-SAIS, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center. Between 2012 and 2019 he served as the Dean of the School, and between 2009 and 2011 as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. He is the author of several books including, Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History; How Sanctions Work; The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat; The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam will Shape the Future; Democracy in Iran; as well as articles in scholarly journals, and commentary in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. He is the recipient of Carnegie Scholar Award, and the Frank Guggenheim, and MacArthur Foundation research fellowships. Nasr has served on the Board of Trustees of Rockefeller Brothers Fund; Advisory Boards of Blovatnik School of Government, Oxford University; Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore; and Board of International Advisors of American University of Beirut. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Action Council. He was selected as Kissinger Scholar at Library of Congress for 2024-25 and Carnegie Scholar for 2006.

The Honorable Denise Natali is the Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. She previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations. Dr. Natali has extensive on the ground experience in conflict and border zones to include Peshawar, Pakistan as director of cross-border operations, northern Iraq in support of Operation Provide Comfort II, Dean of students at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimania, and in research capacities in the Kurdish regions of Turkey, Iran, and Syria. An award-winning author, Dr. Natali has numerous publications including, The Kurdish Quasi-State and The Kurds and the State: Evolving National Identity in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Dr. Natali received a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of International Affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She also studied at L’Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris, the University of Tehran, Iran (Deh Khoda Language Program), and Tel Aviv University. Dr. Natali is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and speaks French and conversational Kurdish and Farsi.

Adnan Nawaz is an international news anchor and broadcaster with more than 30 years experience covering the world's most important stories, with the BBC and since 2017, for TRT WORLD at its main headquarters in Istanbul.  A graduate of the London School of Economics, with a postgraduate degree in Latin American Politics from the University of London, Adnan is also Director of Topcom Media Limited, a UK-based company through which he works globally as a media consultant, keynote speaker and conference host.   Born in Pakistan, he has lived in eight countries on four different continents and speaks five languages. He has hosted international conferences and meetings across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the United States and Latin America, covering a range of subjects and industries for the private and public sector, all with an international angle, including economic and social development, geopolitics and global security, medicine, travel, telecommunications, sport, food, cybersecurity, smart applications for healthcare, Internet of Things, and the future of the internet.

Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC is a senior Irish barrister based in Matrix Chambers in London, specialising in international law, crime and human rights. She advises and appears in matters before domestic and international courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice, most recently on behalf of South Africa in its case against Israel for violation of the Genocide Convention. She is called to the Bars of Ireland, North and South, and of England and Wales, and is on the International Criminal Court’s list of Counsel. She is a former Vice Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee, and a former Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School. Widely recognized as a leader in her field, much of her practice focuses on justice and accountability for victims of State violence and violations of fundamental rights, including victims of the ‘The Troubles’ in the North of Ireland, and on the protection of the rights to free speech and protest. She was ‘commended’ Barrister of the Year in the 2022 Lawyer Awards for her defense of the ‘Colston Four’, acquitted of toppling a statue of a slave trader during the course of a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol in England. She was nominated for Public International Law King’s Counsel (KC) of the Year in the 2024/5 Legal 500 Awards, having previously been named Public International Law Junior Lawyer of the Year in 2022/3.

Lord Thomas is President of the Qatar International Court, Chair of the London Financial Markets Law Committee and Chair of the Steering Committee of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts. He was Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 2013-2017. He is also Chancellor of Aberystwyth University, Chair of several other legal associations, practices as an international arbitrator and is an active member of the House of Lords. He has written and spoken worldwide about international commercial law, constitutional law and legal history.

Michael OHNMACHT is a European diplomat with over 25 years of experience in the field. Michael currently serves as Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the European Union Delegation to Syria. An experienced diplomat, he has served as Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Libya in his previous posting. Before serving as Ambassador, he held several managerial positions in the German Foreign Office – as Head of Middle East Division, and in earlier years as Deputy Head of Mission of the German mission to both Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. OHNMACHT’s work experience also spans over German-French cooperation as he has served as Counsellor in the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and Deputy Secretary General for French German Cooperation. Michael’s connection with the Middle East is not new, as apart from him living in Damascus during his studies, he had assignments in Tripoli and Ramallah, in addition to those of Beirut and Riyadh.

Femi Oke is an award-winning international journalist, broadcaster, professional moderator and co-founder of the diverse moderators' bureau "Moderate The Panel." Femi's broadcast credits include BBC television and radio, Sky TV, all the U.K. terrestrial commercial television networks, CNN, national public radio in the United States and Al Jazeera English. As a sought after moderator Femi has presided over major global events including European Development Days for the European Commission, the UN Secretary-General's SDG Action Weekend and the UNDP's Annual Human Development Report.  Based in Washington, D.C where she hosted the live interactive news and current affairs show “The Stream” on Al Jazeera English for a decade, Femi is currently leading the talented team at "Moderate The Panel" and facilitating events around the world.