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.

Since 2 September 2022, Roza Otunbayeva has been working as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).  Ms. Otunbayeva brings to the position over 35 years of professional experience in leadership, diplomacy, civic engagement and international cooperation. She served as President of the Kyrgyz Republic (2010-2011) and on three occasions as Foreign Minister. She was a Member of Parliament (2007-2010) and served as Deputy Prime Minister (1986-1989) of her country. From 1989 to 1991, she was President of the Soviet National Commission for UNESCO.  Ms. Otunbayeva was first Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States of America and Canada (1992-1994) and Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Kingdom (1997-2002).  Ms. Otunbayeva holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Moscow State University and a degree from the Philosophy Faculty of the Moscow State University. She is fluent in Kyrgyz, Russian and English.

Shin OYA joined Sojitz Research Institute, Ltd. in August 2024, as Chief Analyst. Before that, he experienced various positions at the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), including Director, Asian Operation; Director, Oil and Gas Operation; Chief Representative for New Delhi office; Chief Representative for Strategic Research residing in Washington DC. From 2022 to 2024 he served as Director, Head of Tokyo Office, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He also serves as Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Geoeconomics (IOG), a think tank in Tokyo. He received his BA in Law from Tohoku University and his LLM from the law school at Boston University and passed New York Bar exam. He also received his M. Sc. in Finance from Business School at George Washington University. He wrote many articles and op-eds on geo-economics and geo-politics. He published books, “The Era of Geoeconomics” (Chikeigaku no Jidai, single author, Jitsugyo no Nihonsha) in 2022 and “What is Economic Security” (Keizaianzenhosho towa nanika, co-author, Toyo Keizai Inc.) in 2024.

Feraye Ozfescioglu is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Humanitarian Forum. She has been instrumental in the process of its establishment as an impactful initiative and a platform with dedication and passion to shape a better future. She is a strategist with cross-sector knowledge, has designed and implemented various initiatives with the power of dialogue as a catalyst for action. Working alongside Ban-Ki Moon, Rt. Hon. Jack Straw and various heads of states, government and multilateral officials, she has contributed to the transition from aid to development built on “one humanity and shared responsibility”. Prior to her appointment as a CEO, she worked as the Events Director of the UN’s first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, 2016; where she was not only responsible of the management of the Summit, but also advised a number of governments on the structuring and implementation of new models in humanitarian aid and international development. She has international expertise and has been a consultant for UN since 2010. She is on the Sustainable Development and Gender Equality Working Groups of C20. In 2011, she was selected as one of the women leaders who will influence the future of the world by US State Department.

Jonathan Panikoff is the director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Program, where he leads the Atlantic Council’s efforts on Middle East pan regional and inter-regional political, leadership, and security issues. Panikoff served as the deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East at the National Intelligence Council (NIC) from 2015 to 2020. In this role, he oversaw production of the IC’s assessments on the region, represented the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) at the assistant secretary-level for interagency policy meeting, and briefed the most senior policy customers on the region, including the President. Following this role, he led the IC’s analytic support to the 2020 presidential transition before taking on his final IC assignment as director of ODNI’s Investment Security Group, overseeing a team of twenty-six and leading the IC’s efforts on foreign investment. Panikoff holds a JD and MA in International Relations from Syracuse University and a BA in international affairs and political science from the George Washington University.

An experienced tech exec, space angel investor, mentor and producer, Tim has been helping to build the Australian space ecosystem since 2014. Leveraging 25 years in digital transformation, and a PhD in aerospace engineering. Today Tim is a recognized advisor, coach and mentor to over 20 Australian space start-up and scale-up companies, has run over 50 design workshops for commercialization efforts in agritech, climate-tech and space-tech, and volunteers on space industry growth associations, and consults for space agencies, space companies and deep tech-focused organizations worldwide.

Lynn Pasquerella was appointed president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities in 2016, after serving as the eighteenth president of Mount Holyoke College. She has held positions as Provost at the University of Hartford and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Rhode Island, where she taught for more than two decades. A philosopher whose work has combined teaching and scholarship with local and global engagement, Pasquerella has written extensively on medical ethics, metaphysics, public policy, and the philosophy of law. Her most recent book, What We Value: Public Health, Social Justice, and Educating for Democracy, examines the role of higher education in addressing some of the most pressing contemporary issues at the intersection of ethics, law, and public policy. Pasquerella is a past president of the Phi Beta Kappa Society (2018-2021) and the host of Northeast Public Radio’s The Academic Minute. A graduate of Quinebaug Valley Community College, Mount Holyoke College, and Brown University, her awards and honors include the President’s Award and Judith Krug Medal from Phi Beta Kappa; the William Rogers Award and the Horace Mann Medal from Brown University; the STAR Scholars Network North Star Lifetime Achievement Award; Mary Baldwin University’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Service to Humanity Award; the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences Advocacy Award; Quinebaug Valley Community College Champions Award; the Mount Holyoke Alumni Association’s Elizabeth Topham Kennan Award, and URI’s Teaching Excellence Award. Pasquerella holds honorary degrees from Elizabethtown College, Bishop’s University, the University of South Florida, the University of Hartford, the University of Rhode Island, Concordia College, Mount Holyoke College, Bay Path University, and St. Mary’s College and was named by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as one of America’s top 35 women leaders. She serves on the boards of the Lingnan Foundation, the National Trust for the Humanities, the Coalition for the Common Good, and Handshake.

Geir O. Pedersen became UN Special Envoy for Syria in January 2019, as appointed by Secretary-General Guterres. He previously served the United Nations in various roles, including as Special Coordinator for Lebanon (2007 to 2008), Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for Southern Lebanon (2005 to 2007), and Director of the Asia and Pacific Division in the Department of Political Affairs. In his national capacity, Mr. Pedersen most recently served as Norway’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2017 to 2018) and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2012 to 2017). Between 1998 and 2003, He served as Norway’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority and previously was the Chief of Staff for the Foreign Minister. In 1993, he was a member of Norway’s team to the Oslo negotiations that led to the signing of the Declaration of Principles.

Presenter/Content Creator

Thomas Perriello is the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan. He rejoins the State Department, having previously served as the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of Congo and as the Special Representative for the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Perriello brings over two decades of experience working across the executive branch, the legislative branch, multilateral institutions, and NGOs working on peace, security, and transitional justice issues. He served as Senior Advisor to the Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. For the International Center for Transitional Justice, he worked in Kosovo, Darfur, and Afghanistan. He has worked in parts of the Middle East and South America as well. Prior to his work in the Executive Branch, Perriello was elected to Congress to represent Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District, where he served as a founding Member of the Leader’s National Security Working Group and on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Most recently, Perriello has focused on the security and democracy implications of artificial intelligence as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Center for Cyber Policy and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Outside of government, Perriello has led the Center for American Progress Action, the Open Society Foundations for the United States, and several non-profits focused on bolstering democracy, advancing human rights and racial justice, and addressing climate change. He has taught at the University of Sierra Leone and University of Virginia School of Law. His publications have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, Newsweek, Forbes, Washington Post, and Politico. Perriello earned his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate degrees from Yale University and is from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dr. Richard Ponzio is Director of the Global Governance, Justice & Security Program and Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center, where he also co-directs the Global Governance Innovation Network, serves on the Steering Committee for the Mary Robinson-led Climate Governance Commission, and earlier directed the Albright-Gambari Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance (2014-2016). Widely published, Dr. Ponzio has served in senior peacebuilding roles with the United Nations and U.S. State Department in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, New York, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, and Washington, D.C. He is the author of Democratic Peacebuilding: Aiding Afghanistan and other Fragile States and co-author (with Dr. Arunabha Ghosh) of Human Development and Global Institutions: Evolution, Impact, Reform.

Presidential adviser, diplomat, international lawyer and academic, Dr Paul Porteous is a thought-provoking leadership theorist and practitioner with over 35 years professional experience spanning the globe. He has been a representative to numerous international organisations including the United Nations and International Court of Justice as well as Visiting Faculty at Harvard Kennedy School and a Fellow at Harvard's Center for Public Leadership. Paul was Senior Adviser to the President of Madagascar for four years, developing cutting edge leadership practice for nation-building and the alleviation of poverty. He has developed national policy initiatives and provided executive leadership training for Government Ministers and Heads of Departments across the world, and has coached hundreds of CEOs and senior executives in government, NGO and corporate sectors. Paul was Director of the Australian Secretariat for the United Nations World Summit for Social Development, leading the development of innovative social policies addressing global poverty, unemployment and social disintegration. He is Adjunct Professor and Director of the Centre for Social Leadership focusing on sustainable development, humanitarian and post-conflict practice, foreign policy and community engagement.

Sasha Polakow-Suransky is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy and the host of the Counterpoint podcast. He was a 2015-2016 Open Society Foundations fellow and previously worked as an op-ed editor at the New York Times and a senior editor at Foreign Affairs. Polakow-Suransky is the author of The Unspoken Alliance: Israel’s Secret Relationship With Apartheid South Africa (2010) and Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy (2017). He holds a doctorate in modern history from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Victoria Prentis was Attorney General for England and Wales from October 2022 until the General Election in July. Before this, Victoria was the Minister of State at DWP (Minister for Work and Welfare) and DEFRA (Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food). She was responsible for food during the pandemic and steered through the legislation which made the greatest environmental changes for seventy years. She was elected to represent her hometown of Banbury between 2015-2024. Called to the Bar in 1995, she practiced at the Treasury Solicitor’s Department (now the Government Legal Department) from 1997 to 2014. She took a number of cases to the Supreme Court and represented parties in public inquiries. Specialisms included human rights, military and security law. She had significant management responsibilities, leading the general public law litigation team. She has worked on many of the major judicial review cases of the last thirty years.

Ala Qasem is the CEO of DeepRoot Consulting and a former member of the Economic Team that was established by the Presidential declaration of April 7th, 2022 in Yemen. Ala has previously served as the Managing Director for the Executive Bureau for the Acceleration of Aid Absorption and Support for Policy Reforms where he advised the Prime Minister and a number of ministers within the Government on various economic and development policies. Ala served as Consensus Committee Technical Advisor for Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference (NDC) Secretariat. Ala has founded and sits on the board of a number of civil society organizations in Yemen, including Resonate Yemen, the Civil Alliance for Peacebuilding, and Yemen Youth Observatory. He has an MPP from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Chris Quilty Co-CEO and President, Quilty Space. Chris Quilty began making his footprint in the satellite & space sector as a trusted authority, media pundit, and twice-recognized Wall Street Journal “Best on the Street” analyst more than two decades ago while serving as a sell-side analyst for Raymond James. Chris initiated coverage on the space industry in the mid-2000s and has subsequently published hundreds of reports on company-specific performance, macroeconomic trends, and sector-wide analyses. Leveraging his vast space industry knowledge and a commitment to thought-leading research, Chris co-founded Quilty Space (formerly Quilty Analytics) in 2016. He is regarded as a valued source of industry insight across all verticals of the space ecosystem — from manufacturing and launch through satcom, EO, hardware, and downstream analytics. He is a frequent advisor to the full range of satellite and space investors and stakeholders, including prime contractors, government agencies, satellite operators, component suppliers, and tech companies. Chris earned a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from The University of Chicago.

Dr Giridhara R. Babu, a professor of population medicine at Qatar University's College of Medicine, brings a wealth of experience from his earlier roles at prestigious institutions in India, the United States, and the Netherlands. His comprehensive educational background from the University of California, Los Angeles, including a PhD and MPH and an MBBS from Kasturba Medical College, India, underpins his expertise in a broad range of public health issues. His professional journey includes significant roles such as a Surveillance Medical Officer for the World Health Organization and various academic and leadership positions in public health academia, policy support and research. Dr Babu is a prolific researcher with substantial contributions to understanding disease burden and public health challenges globally, as evidenced by his numerous peer-reviewed publications and leadership in major research projects funded by international funding agencies. Dr Babu actively participates in shaping public health policy and has been integral in developing strategies for managing pandemics like COVID-19 in India. His unwavering commitment to improving health outcomes through rigorous science and effective policy implementation is evident in his work with many governments and international health organizations. Dr Babu will use his extensive experience in epidemiology, global health, and policymaking at the Doha Forum to discuss innovative solutions for pressing global health issues, specifically contributing to discussing access to primary healthcare services in the Global South. Dr Babu’s expertise and experience are truly testimonials to the theme ‘Diplomacy, Dialogue, Diversity’ in addressing the interconnected challenges of today’s global health landscape.

Ambassador Adela Raz is the Director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute. Ambassador Raz served as the last ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States. Prior to that, she was the first female Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations. At the U.N., Amb. Raz was the Vice President of the 75th session of the General Assembly and was appointed by the President of the General Assembly to serve as the co-coordinator on COVID-19-related initiatives. Before her tenure at the U.N., Amb. Raz was the Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, managing regional and economic cooperation portfolios. She led two major platforms: the Regional Economic Cooperation Conferences on Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process. She also helped manage and coordinate the Brussels (2016) and Geneva (2018) Donor Conferences on Afghanistan and led the negotiations on the outcome documents. Amb. Raz initiated the conference on Empowerment of Afghan Women with the government of Kyrgyzstan and created additional confidence-building measures on Women Economic Empowerment as part of the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process. In 2013, she served as the first female Deputy Spokesperson and Director of Communications for President Hamid Karzai. She began her career with the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and held various positions in international development organizations in the U.S. and Afghanistan. Amb. Raz holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in International Relations, Political Science, and Economics from Simmons University in Boston. She also earned a certificate in International Development from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Michael Robbins is based at Princeton University where he serves as the director and co-principal investigator of Arab Barometer. He has been a part of this public opinion research network since its inception and served as its director since 2014. He has led or overseen hundreds of surveys around the world and is a leading expert in methods for ensuring survey data quality. His work on public opinion in MENA, survey methodology, and political behavior has been published in numerous journals, including Foreign Affairs, Comparative Political Studies, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, the Journal of Democracy, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Statistical Journal of the IAOS. His analysis has been featured by major media outlets around the world including the BBC, CNN, the Economist, Al Jazeera, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Times of London, Der Spiegel, and Science Magazine.

Daniel F. Runde is a senior vice president, director of the Project on Prosperity and Development (PPD), and holds the William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a leading global think tank. Mr. Runde also served as the acting director for the CSIS Americas Program from 2020-2022. His work is oriented around U.S. leadership in building a more democratic and prosperous world. Among his many other contributions, Mr. Runde was as an architect of the BUILD Act, contributed to the reauthorization of the U.S. EXIM Bank in 2018, and was an architect of Prosper Africa, a U.S. government initiative to deepen the United States' commercial and development engagement in Africa. He has been a leading voice on the role and future of the World Bank Group and U.S. leadership in the multilateral system. Prior to CSIS, Mr. Runde held leadership roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank Group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Runde worked in commercial banking at Citibank in Argentina and in investment banking at Alex. Brown & Sons. Mr. Runde was granted the Officer’s Cross in the Order of Isabel la Católica, a Spanish civil order. Currently, he serves on the board of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF), Spirit of America, and the Ashesi University Foundation. Mr. Runde is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bretton Woods Committee. He is also a columnist for The Hill and hosts a CSIS podcast series, Building the Future: Freedom, Prosperity, & Foreign Policy with Dan Runde. Mr. Runde is also the author of the book The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership through Soft Power (Bombardier Books, 2022). He previously chaired two U.S. government advisory committees: the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid at USAID and the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee at the U.S. EXIM Bank. Fluent in Spanish, he graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College and holds a master’s in public policy from Harvard University.

Date and place of birth: 1977, Baku, Azerbaijan 1994-1998 – BA in International Relations, Baku Institute of Political Science and Social Management 1998-2000 – MA in International Relations, Public Administration Academy under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan 2000-2003 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2003-2005 – Mission to OSCE, Vienna 2005-2008 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008-2011 – Mission to EU, Brussels 2011-2013 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2013-2015 – Director, International Cooperation Dept., Ministry of Education June 2015-January 2017 – Deputy Chief of Staff, Ministry of Education January -June 2017– Chief of Staff, Ministry of Education Since June 2017 – Deputy Chief, Secretariat of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Since September 2020 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mashael Al-Sabah is a senior scientist at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI). Before that, Mashael was an assistant professor at the computer science and engineering department at Qatar University. Her research interests lie in the area network security and privacy enhancing technologies, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology. She has published papers that were featured in various magazines such as Wired and New Scientist, and was awarded the Education Excellence Day Platinum Award for PhD holders category in Qatar for year 2014. Mashael obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in 2013, and later spent time at MIT as a visiting scientist.

Dr. Abdulaziz Sager - A Saudi strategic expert specializing in international politics and regional security issues, he is the Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Research Center. Dr. Sager has also been a visiting professor at a number of universities, and member of various councils, advisory and academic committees, institutes and international research centers. He participates in international and regional conferences that address issues pertaining to the Gulf region. Notably, he has authored and edited numerous publications and has many articles in local and international newspapers related to Gulf affairs and regional issues, and he frequently contributes to major international media outlets. He is also the editor-in-chief of "Araa" a monthly Arabic-language magazine focused on Gulf affairs and is the editor-in-chief of "The Gulf Yearbook”. Dr. Sager holds a PhD in politics and international relations from Lancaster University.

Paul Salem is the Vice President for International Engagement. He served previously as MEI’s President and CEO.  He is currently based in the Middle East and works on building partnerships throughout the region.  His research focuses on issues of political change, transition, and conflict as well as the regional and international relations of the Middle East. Salem is a frequent commentator on US and international media, and is the author and editor of a number of books and reports including Escaping the Conflict Trap: Toward Ending Civil Wars in the Middle East (ed. with Ross Harrison, MEI 2019); Winning the Battle, Losing the War: Addressing the Conditions that Fuel Armed Non State Actors (ed. with Charles Lister, MEI 2019); From Chaos to Cooperation: Toward Regional Order in the Middle East (ed. with Ross Harrison, MEI 2017), Broken Orders: The Causes and Consequences of the Arab Uprisings (In Arabic, 2013), "Thinking Arab Futures: Drivers, scenarios, and strategic choices for the Arab World", The Cairo Review Spring 2019; Bitter Legacy: Ideology and Politics in the Arab World (1994), and Conflict Resolution in the Arab World (ed., 1997).  Prior to joining MEI, Salem was the founding director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, Lebanon between 2006 and 2013.  From 1999 to 2006, he was director of the Fares Foundation and in 1989-1999 founded and directed the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanon's leading public policy think tank. Salem is also a musician and composer of Arabic-Brazilian jazz. His music can be found on iTunes.

Dr Gudo is the Director General of the National Institute of Health in Mozambique, with over 20 years’ experience in Public Health. Holds a PhD in Immunology and Virology and Post-Doctoral training on Emerging Infectious Diseases and Senior Post-Doctoral training through a fellowship from the European Foundation Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical Diseases between 2015 and 2018. Prior to this position, occupied the following position at the National Institute of Health in Mozambique: Deputy Director General (2018 – 2023) and Scientific Director (2014 – 2018). Dr Gudo has a long track record in coordinating Public Health Response to major health crises. During COVID-19 pandemic, served as the Deputy Chair of National Task Force on COVID19 response in Mozambique. Currently is serving as the Chair of the Advisory and Technical Council of Africa CDC, member of the Executive Committee of Lancet Commission for Sustainable Health and member of the Executive Board of International Association of National Public Health Institutes.

Dr Ben Sanders is the Executive Director of the International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev). He leads the operating team and accounts to the Steering Board with a mandate to sustain, strengthen and scale the reach and impact of sportanddev.He is also Course Director for the massive open online course (MOOC) on Sport for Sustainable Development, developed with the Commonwealth Secretariat and Australian government, which has attracted over 8,500 learners from 197 countries and counting. Ben has extensive practical and theoretical experience, including working with the United Nations, Commonwealth, FIFA, Laureus and many others, in designing, delivering and evaluating policies and programmes that use sport to achieve development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He completed the first PhD (doctorate) by publication in Sport for Sustainable Development in Africa at the University of the Western Cape in 2017 and has published academically and presented widely. He has extensive management, strategy and leadership experience in the non-profit sector, public sector and international development cooperation and is proudly South African.Ben is also a Research Associate at the UNESCO Chair for Sport, Development, Peace and Olympic Education, the first of its kind in Africa, and a member of the Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Chair on Sport for Development, Peace and Environment.

Ambassador Nureldin M. H. Satti is a seasoned diplomat and a retired UN senior official from Sudan. He served as the Principal Deputy SRSG at the United Nations political and peacekeeping missions to Burundi, UNOB and then ONUB, from 2002 to 2006 (Acting SRSG from April to December 2006).  He also served as ambassador of Sudan to France, Portugal, Switzerland and the Vatican as well as Permanent Delegate to UNESCO (1992-1996); and as Minister Plenipotentiary in the embassies of Sudan to Belgium and Chad (Was Sudan Chargé to Chad in 1989).  Ambassador Satti served as ambassador of Sudan to the United States (July 2020 – January 2022). He was forced to resign following the October 2021 military coup in Sudan and has since been involved in the civic movement to restore peace and civil democratic rule in Sudan.  He has a longstanding experience in mediation, conflict resolution, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and culture of peace through his work on a number of conflict situations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, including Burundi, Chad, the DRC, Libya, Iraq, Rwanda, the Philippines (Mindanao), Somalia, South Sudan, and his own country, Sudan, as well as the broader Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Regions where he represented UNESCO on culture of peace programs and where he worked on mediation and conflict resolution issues, particularly in support of the AU and IGAD.  Ambassador Satti is a Global Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center of Washington DC, where he was a Senior Fellow and Distinguished African Scholar (2008-2009) and is also co-chair of the Sudans Working Group at the Center. He also served as Special Advisor with the Humanitarian Dialogue Centre (HD) of Geneva on Sudan issues with particular focus of the National Dialogue in Sudan and humanitarian dialogue in Darfur and with the SPLM-North. He also worked as Senior Regional Advisor to the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) of Helsinki, working on issues of Iraq, the Red-Sea-Horn of Africa and the Lake Chad Basin and providing support to the AU and IGAD on mediation issues.  Ambassador Satti served as member of the High Council for Peace in the Sudan in 2020.  Ambassador Satti was awarded the National Order of the Légion d’Honneur by the French Republic and the Medal of Saint Gregory by the Vatican.  He authored several articles on issues of Sudan identity, as well as social and political issues related to Sudan and Africa in general. He authored books in Arabic language on the failures of the Sudanese elite, on his experience in conflict resolution and peacekeeping as well as on the role of youth in social change in Sudan. The first parts of his memoirs in Arabic and French have been published in 2019 and 2022, the English version is to be published soon. He authored two books on the 2018 revolution and the unfinished democratic transition in Sudan.  Ambassador Satti graduated from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Khartoum in 1969 and holds a Master’s degree from the university of Lyon and a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Paris-Sorbonne in 1974.  He is fluent in Arabic, English and French

Cynthia P. Schneider, Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, teaches, publishes, and organizes initiatives in the area of diplomacy and culture. Ambassador Schneider co-directs the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown, a joint signature initiative between Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and College of Arts and Sciences, with the mission of humanizing global politics through the power of performance. Additionally, Dr. Schneider co-directs the Timbuktu Renaissance, a Mali-based platform for countering extremism and promoting peace and development through a focus on culture. Dr. Schneider publishes and speaks frequently on topics related to arts, culture, and media and international affairs. Her writings range from op eds articles for USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, CNN.com, and Foreign Policy to policy papers for Brookings; she has spoken at TED and TEDx, as well as at universities, conferences, and festivals around the world. Ambassador Schneider’s book in progress is Why Culture Matters: Re-Imagining Diplomacy. Professor Schneider teaches courses in Diplomacy and Culture in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, where, from 1984-2005, she was a member of the art history faculty, and published on Rembrandt and seventeenth century Dutch art. She also organized exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.From 1998-2001, she served as US Ambassador to The Netherlands, during which time she led initiatives in cultural diplomacy, biotechnology, cyber security, and education. Professor Schneider has a BA and a PhD from Harvard University. @schneidercp, schneidc@georgetown.edu

Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft Born in 1960. Graduated from Leningrad State University in 1984. PhD in Economics. From 2000 to 2004 - Deputy Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation. From 2004 to 2008 - Deputy Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. From 2008 to 2012 - Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Since May 2012 till now – Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft, Chairman of the Management Board of Rosneft. From 2004 to 2011 – Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft. He was newly elected to the Board of Directors of Rosneft in November 2012. Since June 2013 till now – Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft. Igor Sechin holds a seat in the boards of several organizations.

Kamel Senouci is a nonresident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He specializes in global health. A medical doctor by training, Senouci’s expertise covers public health, epidemiology and health policy, and health economics. He is currently the director of the Advanced Course of Vaccinology (ADVAC)—an advanced vaccinology training for health professional—at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. His more-than-20-year career spanned various institutions including the Ministry of Health in France, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP)—an international NGO. More recently, Senouci was deputy director in the Global Development department at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, overseeing the reinforcement of the Polio Eradication and Immunization Programs. Senouci has worked in numerous countries all over the world including the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. He has focused on public health and health policy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries; immunization; maternal and child health; outbreaks prevention, preparedness, and response; health financing; and health advocacy.

Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi joined QatarEnergy in 1986 as a student studying Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering at Pennsylvania State University in the USA, from which he graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering. In 2006, he was appointed as the Director of Qatar Energy’s Oil & Gas Ventures Directorate, where he was overseeing all of Qatar’s oil and gas fields’ developments as well as all the exploration activities in Qatar. In September 2014, Mr. Al-Kaabi was appointed as QatarEnergy’s President and Chief Executive Officer, where he oversaw QatarEnergy’s gas, oil and petrochemical developments in Qatar and internationally. On November 4, 2018, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi was appointed Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Cabinet member of the State of Qatar, and Deputy Chairman of QatarEnergy, in addition to his position as President & CEO.

Work Experience:2015 - 2019: Member of Parliament 2011- 2016: Chairman, Darfur Regional Authority (DRA)2005 - 2010: Senior Regional Advisor United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Addis Ababa, Ethiopia2001- 2003 Senior Research Fellow Middlesex University, London1990 - 1992 Senior Lecturer University of Khartoum, Sudan1988 - 1989 Governor Darfur Region, Western Sudan1986 - 1988: Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Darfur Region1984 - 1987 Lecturer University of Khartoum1982 - 1983 Researcher The World Bank, Washington D.CPolitical and Native Affiliations:2022 - Present: Chairman, National Movement Forces,  a Coalition of Political parties, Native Administration, civil, youth and women groups.2012 - Present: Demingawi, Chief of the Fur Tribe in Central Darfur including Gebel Mara, Zalingie, Wadi Salih2015 - Present: Chairman; National Liberation and Justice Party (NLJP).2010 - 2015: Chairman, Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), signatory to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, (DDPD).

Mrs. Seren worked as a senior advisor in the Turkish Parliament from 2005 to 2015. She then served as a researcher in Security Studies Department of SETA (2015-2017) and as a senior consultant at STM’s ThinkTech (2017-2018). Since May 2018, Seren has been a lecturer at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University and a visiting scholar, teaching intelligence and security issues at various postgraduate institutions. Seren was accepted into the “U.S. Legislative Fellow” program, co-sponsored by Freedom House and the National Democratic Institute, funded by the U.S. Department of State. She was also selected as a member of the “Atlantic Council’s Young Atlanticist” program and chosen for the “First Middle East Generational Ambassadors Summit” and the “Youth Ministerial Meeting”. Additionally, she was named one of the “2017 Munich Young Leaders”, a joint initiative of the Körber Foundation and Munich Security Conference, and was selected to for the “2018 Taiwan International Elite Leadership” program by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan). In 2019, she was recognized as a “Southeast Asian Young Leader” by the IISS and invited to participate in the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration, an M.A. in European Union studies, and a Ph.D. in International Security and Terrorism. Her doctoral dissertation focused on strategic intelligence and national security.

Director General of IPIS, Iran

 Fahad Hamad Hassan Al- Sulaiti is the Director General of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the State of Qatar’s international development provider dedicated to promoting sustainable development and mobilizing humanitarian aid globally inspired by Qatar National Vision 2030.  Under his guidance, QFFD will advance innovative finance mechanisms, including concessional loans, grants, guarantees, and investments, to address critical global challenges in health, education, and economic development.  Fahad strongly advocates for collaboration with governments, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector to achieve sustainable, impactful solutions that foster peace, justice, and prosperity.  Prior to his current role, Fahad served as Chief Executive Officer, where he played a pivotal role in establishing and steering the organization’s governance, strategy, financial frameworks, partnership models, and overall business plan since its inception in 2012. Under Fahad’s leadership, the organization became a globally recognized player in advancing education, reflecting Qatar’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education development.  Fahad managed an extensive project portfolio spanning 60 countries, leveraging over USD 3 billion in funding and forging partnerships with more than 100 entities, including development banks, UN agencies, official development organizations, international NGOs, and private sector stakeholders. His efforts included fostering strategic collaborations with key development funding nations like the USA, UK, France, Italy, and South Korea, alongside leading global financial institutions such as the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.  He also focused on strengthening relationships with governments in project implementing countries, delivering tangible impacts on their education systems and reinforcing Qatar’s role in global education development.  Additionally, Fahad chaired the board of an international entity based in the United Kingdom, contributing to resource mobilization and project funding on a global scale.  With 23 years of professional experience, Fahad’s career includes 12 years in his previous leadership role at Education Above All Foundation and 11 years in senior finance, administration, and project management positions at Qatar Foundation. He also gained expertise in retail, international, and corporate banking at Qatar National Bank (QNB), where he managed multiple overseas operations.  Fahad holds a BSc in Business Administration with a focus on accounting and economics and an Executive MBA from HEC Paris in Qatar.

Rebecca is Director Defense Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Rebecca has over 20 years experience in policy, operational and corporate roles in the Australian Department of Defense and in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She has served as senior adviser Major Powers to Australia’s Foreign Minister and led trade and investment in the defense and space sectors in Austrade. For the last decade Bec has specialized in space policy, deterrence, and advanced capabilities, including the role of commercial dual use technologies and innovation in national security. Rebecca has provided high level policy advice to the Australian Government on Australia’s relations with the US, China, Five Eyes, SEA, the Pacific and on policy issues related to terrorism, insurgency, cyber, space, missile defense, nuclear and strategic deterrence, and critical technologies. From 2015-2017 Bec was Counsellor Defense Strategic Policy in the Australian Embassy in Washington. Rebecca is a Fellow of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Program (2017) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC and an Alumni of the Munich Young Leaders Forum (2015). She is an Alumni of the Australian War College (2013 Defense and Strategic Studies Course) and is a Fellow of the College. She has a Master of Strategic Studies (with Honours) from the Australian National University and a Master of Strategic Studies from Deakin University.

Ng Pak Shun joined the Republic of Singapore Air Force in 2000 as an Air Warfare Officer (Air Battle Management). BG Ng graduated from the French Command & Staff Course in 2012 and the Indonesian Joint Command & Staff Course in 2018. During his career, he held various command and staff appointments, including Senior Assistant Director of Research and Enterprise Division at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Commanding Officer of 200 Squadron, and Deputy Director of Defence Policy Office at the Ministry of Defence. He was appointed Head of Air Training Department in Jan 2019 and Head of Air Plans Department in Feb 2020, prior to his appointment as Commander Air Defence and Operations Command in Jan 2021. BG Ng assumed his current appointments as Group Chief, Policy & Strategy and Group Chief, Plans & Transformation in Mar 2022.

Muznah Siddiqui plays a pivotal role in supporting the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research. Her work focuses on global governance, digital technologies, international finance, peace and justice, and climate change. Ms. Siddiqui has held key positions at esteemed institutions, including the Stimson Center, the Climate Governance Commission, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. In 2023, she was awarded the prestigious Geneva Centre for Security Policy Prize. An active speaker and moderator at high-profile international forums, including the Doha Forum, the United Nations Civil Society Conference and the Beyond Bretton Woods Conference, Muznah is also dedicated to promoting peace as a Youth Peace Ambassador. She holds a master’s degree in international relations and politics from the University of Cambridge.

Mehmet Simsek served as the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs of Türkiye during 2015-2018. He previously served as the Minister of Finance (2009-15), and as the Minister of Economy (2007-09). He was elected to the Parliament for three terms (2007, 2011, 2015) representing the ruling AK Party. Mr. Simsek has formulated the fiscal policy which has helped Türkiye recover strongly from the global financial crisis. He has also undertaken far reaching reforms such as simplifying tax regulations, enhancing taxpayers’ rights, and reducing the size of shadow economy. During his 11 years of public service as a minister, Mr. Simsek was a strong advocate of structural reforms and prudent macroeconomic policies. The country’s strong fiscal position and reform efforts have helped Türkiye weather multiple (domestic and external) shocks over the past decade. A credit guarantee scheme, enhanced under Mr. Simsek’s leadership, helped the country avoid a recession after the failed coup attempt in 2016. Mr. Simsek represented Türkiye as a governor at the IMF, the World Bank Group and the IsDB and as the Finance Minister of Türkiye at the G20. He has regularly attended several international forums including the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the Bilderberg Group meetings. Before entering politics, he worked for Merrill Lynch in London for seven years, initially as economist and strategist, and later as the head of Fixed Income Strategy and Macro Economic Research for the emerging EMEA region (2005-2007). From 1998 to 2000, he was a senior economist and bank analyst at Deutsche-Bender Securities in Istanbul. Earlier in his career, he worked on Wall Street for UBS Securities in New York (1997-1998), and as a senior economist at the US Embassy in Ankara (1993-97). Mr. Simsek holds a B.S. in Economics from Ankara University and worked as a research assistant in the University’s International Economics and Economic Development Department. He also studied in United Kingdom after being awarded a competitive Turkish State Scholarship. He holds an M.PHil in Finance and Investments from Exeter University. Mr. Simsek is also a member of the Global Economic Symposium (GES) advisory board. Mr. Simsek was born in 1967, in a small village in Batman, a province in Southeastern Türkiye. He is married, has twin girls, and a boy. He is fluent in Turkish, English and Kurdish.

Carl Skau Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Carl Skau is WFP’s Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he leads the organization’s overall coordination, strategic direction, humanitarian diplomacy, and support for field operations. He also supports corporate efforts to maximize WFP’s inter-agency collaboration and partnerships. Mr. Skau has over 20 years of experience working in diplomacy, humanitarian affairs, peace-building and development across different regions and organizations. He is a recognized and experienced leader with a track record in forging strong bilateral and multilateral partnerships, mobilizing resources, international negotiations, strategic communications, and leading and motivating empowered and diverse teams. Prior to joining WFP, Mr. Skau headed the Department for Multilateral Partnerships at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he led its response to humanitarian crises across the globe, including the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served as Sweden’s Ambassador and Special Envoy to Venezuela, and was Ambassador and Deputy Repre-sentative to the United Nations in New York during Sweden’s two-year term on the Security Council. His previous positions have included Deputy Representative to the European Union Political and Security Committee in Brussels, in addition to postings for the EU and UN in Africa and Latin America. He began his career with UNHCR and UNDP. Mr. Skau, a Swedish national, holds a bachelor’s degree in social science, and a master’s degree in political science from Lund University. He is fluent in English and Spanish. He is married with three children.

Slim Slama is an Internal Medicine specialist and a public health expert with over 25 years of experience in global health. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) at Qatar Foundation. Dr Slama started his career as a clinician, serving as an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine at the Geneva University Hospital for 16 years, where he contributed to the establishment of global health as an academic discipline at the University of Geneva.  Dr. Slama's extensive career includes more than a decade at the World Health Organization (WHO). In his role as Regional Adviser for Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention and management at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, he advised 22 Member States on scaling up their efforts to prevent and control NCDs. Following this, he transitioned to WHO Headquarters in Geneva as the Head of the Management-Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Unit (MND). There, he provided strategic leadership and oversaw the development and implementation of a broad portfolio focused on early detection, diagnosis, and management of NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, oral health, and digital health solutions. His work also extended to implementation research and managing NCDs in humanitarian settings.  During his WHO tenure, Dr Slama oversaw the development and supported the implementation of several major WHO cancer flagship initiatives, such as the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, The Global Childhood Cancer Initiative and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative.  Dr Slama holds a Swiss Board Medical Degree in Internal Medicine and a master’s degree of Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Additionally, he co-founded and served as the Programme Director of the Geneva Health Forum, which promotes action-driven and innovative debate around healthcare issues.

Randa Slim is senior fellow and director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues program at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, and a non-resident fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). She works and publishes on regional and international issues of the Middle East with an emphasis on Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.    A former vice president of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, Slim has been a senior program advisor at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a guest scholar at the United States Institute of Peace, a program director at Resolve, and a program officer at the Kettering Foundation.  A former member of the Dartmouth Conference US-Russia regional conflicts taskforce, she was a member of the US-Russia mediator team in the Inter-Tajik Dialogue (1992-2000) and participated in the design and implementation of several peace-building initiatives in the Ferghana Valley (2000-2006).  Since 2004, she has convened Track 1.5-2.0 dialogues focused on the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, U.S.-Russia and U.S.-Turkey bilateral relations, and regional cooperation frameworks. Slim also worked on the UN-mediated negotiations in Yemen as a consultant with the office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen (2015-2016).

Dan Smith is the Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). He has researched and written on security, conflict and peace for four decades. He served four years in the UN Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group, two as Chair (2010–2011). He was part-time Professor of Peace and Conflict at the University of Manchester from 2014 to 2017. Before taking up his post at SIPRI, he was Secretary General of the London-based peacebuilding NGO, International Alert (2003–2015) and Director of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (1993–2001). His most recent book is the 10th edition of The State of the World Atlas (2020).

Ann Snow MBE has been appointed UK Special Representative for Syria in succession to Jonathan Hargreaves. She took up her appointment in May 2023. Ms. Snow joined the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2009. She has served in Malaysia and worked on Iran, China and Counter Terrorism. Before joining the FCDO, she worked for an international human rights organization, the UK Parliament and as a Middle East analyst in the private sector.

Jie-ae Sohn an invited professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Ewha Womans University. She was formerly Korea’s Ambassador for Cultural Cooperation and also hosts a weekly talk show, “The Globalists” on Korea’s only English-language TV and Radio channel, Arirang TV. Amb. Sohn comes from a journalism background, having spent 15 years from 1995 to 2010 as Seoul bureau chief and correspondent for CNN. She then joined the South Korean government, serving as the spokesperson of the Presidential Committee for the Seoul G20 Summit in 2010 and then the Presidential Secretary of the Office of Overseas Public Relations. She was also the President/CEO of Arirang TV and Radio from 2011 to 2014. Ms. Sohn is married with three daughters.

Ahmed Soliman is a senior research fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House, where he leads programming on the Horn of Africa region. He has over a decade of experience in producing policy-relevant research that influences thinking on the region. His core research focus is on the political economy of Sudan and Ethiopia, as well as geopolitical connectivity across the Horn and Red Sea region. Ahmed is the author of several publications and comment pieces, and oversees the implementation of the institute’s research projects, activities and outputs on the Horn of Africa. He regularly contributes to media reporting on the region

Ambassador sorour graduated in faculty of commerce Cairo university 1990. He joined the Foreign ministry 1995 joined the Non-Aligned Movement and organization of Islamic conference. He was a member of Egyptian delegations to several international conference . He took the responsibility of river Nile file for more than 12 years. he served in the Egyptian embassies in Pakistan , Italy, New York and Bosnia and Herzegovina.Recently he was appointed as Assistant Foreign Minister for Sudan and South Sudan.

President and CEO, The Ergo Group, Inc.; President Elect of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI); Professor of Practice in Public Policy and Faculty Director of the MPA program at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley. Héctor Cárdenas is a visionary executive and consultant with 25 years of experience at the forefront of public policy, international cooperation, and digital transformation in the public sector. As CEO of The Ergo Group, he has led pioneering initiatives that blend advanced technologies with policy reform, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and regulatory innovation. His expertise spans both the application of AI to enhance government operations—especially within regulatory agencies—and the critical task of shaping policies that regulate AI itself. Cárdenas has worked extensively on building government capacities through organizational transformation, focusing on digital transformation, process improvement, and fostering stronger relationships between government and citizens. His efforts have enhanced the effectiveness of public sector institutions across North America, including key engagements with the US Department of Labor, USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank. His consulting work has supported government agencies in Mexico, Canada, Singapore, and Panama, helping them streamline operations, embrace innovation, and improve service delivery. A recognized thought leader on US-Mexico relations, Cárdenas teaches a graduate-level course on the topic at UC Berkeley and serves on the board of COMEXI. He has also contributed to policy discussions as a member of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Working Group on Migration and Nacional Financiera’s California Business Advisory Board. With a Ph.D. in Public Policy from UC Berkeley, and a Master in Public Administration from France’s École Nationale d’Administration, Cárdenas brings strategic insight and global expertise to every project.

Victoria Taylor is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Ms. Taylor joined the Department of State in 2003. Ms. Taylor was the Director for North African Affairs from 2021 to 2023 and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Croatia from 2018 to 2021. She has served as the Deputy Director for Western Europe in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and as the Director for Balkans, Caucasus, and Black Sea Affairs at the National Security Council, where she coordinated U.S. policy and advanced U.S. interests in the region. Other Washington assignments include positions in the Office of Iranian Affairs, on the Turkey Desk in the Office of Southern European Affairs, and as an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Ms. Taylor has served overseas at U.S. Embassies in Georgia, Tunisia, and Pakistan, as well as at the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan. Ms. Taylor hails from Springfield, Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks French, Mandarin, Russian, and Urdu.

Ishaan Tharoor is a columnist on the international desk of The Washington Post, where he authors WorldView, The Post's flagship newsletter and column on international politics. In 2021, he won the Arthur Ross Media Award in Commentary, a prize administered by the American Academy of Diplomacy. In 2023, he received the Ted Sorensen prize, an honor bestowed by Network 20/20, a New York-based group that seeks to bridge the gap between the private sector and foreign policy worlds. The group hailed his “consistent, high-quality columns that regularly ask readers to reckon with their worldview.” Ishaan joined The Post in 2014 and has reported from four different continents for the paper. He previously was a senior editor and correspondent at Time magazine, based first in Hong Kong and later in New York

Eleven years of work experience in high level government offices, overseeing stakeholder engagement, strategic partnership relations and project management. A robust management and stakeholder engagement portfolio, facilitating the successful delivery of various projects on a national level. Built long-lasting strategic relationships with government agencies and the private sector. Managed sizeable projects on a national and international level with long term strategic implications and impact. Haya started her professional journey at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tasked as a young diplomat to act as the rapporteur of the Permanent National Committee in Support of Jerusalem. Transitioning into the security sector, Haya joined the Ministry of Defense in 2016 and lead on developing and implementing the international cooperation strategy and annual business plan alongside managing the establishment phase of the Qatari Armed Forces Academic Bridge program and overseeing its successful delivery. At her current position as the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Haya manages a team strategic partnership officer across two sectors: Partnership Development and Planning and Evaluations. Overseeing the delivery of projects, from managing the onboarding of new partners to facilitating the necessary components in support of the due diligence process and implementing steps for the expansion of established strategic relationships.

JEEVAN THIAGARAJAHColombo, Sri Lanka • +94 777 316288 • execdir@cha.lkSummaryPreventing Violent Extremism - Human Security – Responding to Pandemics and Disasters – GovernanceCEO working since 1983 promoting multiculturalism, design of public policies and defining advisory services for policies around human security for minorities and marginalised groups, durable solutions for the end of displacement, countering root causes of violent extremism, specialist countering climate induced disasters, coordinating agencies delivering assistance, seeking compliance with standards and international best practices, convening observers and observing elections (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Nepal) ; Career working with specialists and eminent persons in the non-profit sector, government institutions and multilateral bodies and other governments; Columnist in national daily ; Resource persons at Think Tank organised events and Civil servant.QualificationsM.A. (South Asian Studies), School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) Certificate from Summer School on Forced Migration, Refugee Studies Programme (University of Oxford)Social Entrepreneurship Programme (INSEAD Business School - Singapore)

Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Member Ex Officio of Sidra Medicine, a women’s and children’s hospital in the State of Qatar. She joined the healthcare organization in November 2022. Prior to her appointment as the CEO of Sidra Medicine, Dr. Tinubu-Karch was actively involved with the management team of the healthcare organization, in her previous capacity as a non-executive board member since 2019 as well as in an advisory role with the management committee. Dr. Tinubu-Karch has extensive clinical experience in general internal medicine, hospital and geriatric medicine. She is certified in health information technology and has led several international based programs about the application of technology in clinical medicine. She also holds numerous high-profile board appointments and memberships in leading healthcare colleges and societies in the United States of America. Prior to joining Sidra Medicine, Dr. Tinubu-Karch was the clinical instructor at the University of Washington, School of Public Health. Her previous experience as a practicing physician in the USA includes; Swedish Medical Center; University of Washington; the Department of Veterans Affairs in Seattle and VA Health Care Systems. Dr. Iyabo is also the founder and CEO of 6M Geriatrics and Hospital Medicine. Her international roles include serving as a consultant physician in health systems improvement at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Dr. Tinubu-Karch received her medical degree from St. George’s University Medical School. She has a master’s degree in health administration and conducted her fellowship training in critical care from the University of Washington. She also has a fellowship in geriatric medicine from the Swedish Medical Center and completed her residency in internal medicine from Lennox Hill Hospital. She was a recipient of the Washington State health information technology grant and previously served in the Washington State Medical Association Health Informatics Advisory and Accreditation Committees.

Born on May 17, 1953 in the city of Alma-Ata (Almaty). Father – Kemel Tokayev (1923-1986), a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, a well-known writer, founder of a detective-adventure genre in Kazakh literature. Mother – Turar Shabarbayeva (1931-2000), worked for the Alma-Ata Teacher Training Institute of Foreign Languages.  In 1975, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev graduates from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He got his pre-degree internship at the USSR Embassy in the People's Republic of China. In 1983-1984, he interned at the Beijing Linguistic Institute. In 1992, he graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. He started his career in 1975 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and was posted to the Soviet Embassy in the Republic of Singapore. In 1979, he returned to the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1984 to 1985, he worked at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then was posted to the Soviet Embassy in China, where he served until 1991 as Second Secretary, First Secretary and Counsellor. In 1992, he was appointed as the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 1993, he becomes the First Deputy Foreign Minister. In 1994, he was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In March 1999, he becomes the Deputy Prime Minister. In October 1999, with the consent of the Parliament by the Decree of the President of Kazakhstan, he was appointed as the Prime Minister. In January 2002, he becomes the State Secretary – Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2003 to 2007, he headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At this post, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was taking an active part in the global process of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. In January 2007, he was elected as the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament. In 2008, as the Speaker of the upper chamber of the Kazakh parliament he was elected as the Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. In March 2011, he was appointed as the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, as well as served as the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General at the Conference on Disarmament. In addition, he also held the position of the Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament. He was also elected as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. On October 16, 2013, he was re-elected as the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament. On March 20, 2019, he takes the oath as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On June 9, 2019, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had won the early presidential election with 70.96%, and was elected as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On June 12, 2019, in accordance with the article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, he took the oath of office and officially assumed the post of Head of State. On November 20, 2022, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had won the early presidential election with 81.31%, and was re-elected as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The inauguration ceremony was held on November 26, 2022. Since April 2021, he was elected as the Chairman of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan. Since January 2022,  he becomes the Chairman of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador. Doctor of Political Sciences. Full member of the World Academy of Humanities and Natural Sciences. Member of the Council of the Wise Men of the Munich Security Conference. Honorary Professor of the Shenzhen University (China) and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Honorary President of Kazakhstan’s Council on Foreign Relations. Honorary Dean of the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations. According to the Russian Biographical Society, he enters the list of winners of the “Man of the Year – 2018”. Over 13 years he headed Kazakhstan’s Table Tennis Federation.He is the author of 10 books on international relations. He has been awarded with numerous state awards of Kazakhstan and foreign countries, as well as with commemorative medals. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supports a healthy lifestyle. He is fond of reading fiction, political and memoir literature.

Jelena Trkulja is the Senior Advisor for Academic and Cultural Affairs at Qatar Museums and the Editorial Director of Qatar Creates and the Design Doha Forum. She leads initiatives and public programs focused on using art, design, and education to make a positive impact. Trkulja's work centers on educational strategies and cultural diplomacy to promote collaboration between museums, universities, and schools. She holds a Ph.D. in art and archaeology from Princeton University and has a broad background teaching art theory and architectural history. In addition to her academic career, her experience spans research institutes, NGOs, consulting, museums, and the art industry, which gives her a unique perspective on how art and education can help shape modern society. Trkulja moderates discussions at international conferences and forums, connecting academics, government officials, and contemporary artists and architects. Her goal is to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among diverse groups, supporting Qatar Museums' mission to use art and design as tools for social change and community improvement.

1990 – 1996 Studies in Literature and History in Freiburg, Vienna and Jerusalem  1999 PhD in Literature.  1998 – 2000 Editor for the German TV stations ZDF and 3sat.  2000 Federal Foreign Office.  2001 – 2004 German Embassy Sanaa, Yemen.  2004 – 2007 Federal Foreign Office Berlin, Desk Officer for the Cultural Department.  2007 – 2009 Political Advisor of the EU Special Envoy for the Middle East in Brussels.  2009 – 2011 Permanent Mission EU Brussels.  2011 – 2015 Federal Foreign Office, Deputy Head of Middle East Division.  2015 – 2018 German Embassy Moscow, Head of Division for Economic Affairs.  2018 – 2019 Federal Foreign Office, Head of Middle East Division.  2019 – 2022 Federal Foreign Office, Head of Division for Russia and Belarus and Eastern Partnership. 2022 Director for the Near and Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. Türk is the current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He took up his official functions as High Commissioner on 17 October 2022. He has devoted his long and distinguished career to advancing universal human rights, notably the international protection of some of the world's most vulnerable people - refugees and stateless persons. Prior to this, Mr. Türk was the Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General where he coordinated global policy work. He also ensured UN system-wide coordination in the follow-up to the Secretary-General’s “Call to Action for Human Rights” and his report, Our Common Agenda, which sets out a vision to tackle the world’s interconnected challenges on foundations of trust, solidarity and human rights. He previously served as Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (2019-2021). As Assistant High Commissioner for Protection in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva (2015-2019), Mr. Türk played a key role in the development of the landmark Global Compact on Refugees. Over the course of his career, he held a number of key positions including at UNHCR headquarters where he served as Director of the Division of International Protection (2009-2015); Director of Organizational Development and Management (2008-2009); and Chief of Section, Protection Policy and Legal Advice (2000-2004). Mr. Türk also served UNHCR around the world, including as Representative in Malaysia; Assistant Chief of Mission in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively; Regional Protection Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and in Kuwait. Mr. Türk holds a doctorate in international law from the University of Vienna and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Linz, Austria. He has published widely on international refugee law and international human rights law. He is fluent in English and French and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Gayane Umerova is dedicated to developing the culture sector in Uzbekistan. As Deputy Head of the Department of Social Development of the Presidential Administration and Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), Gayane Umerova is at the helm of building Uzbekistan’s cultural infrastructure. Her efforts are bringing the nation’s art, artists, and cultural heritage into the global spotlight. Currently, she is overseeing the restoration and development of the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent, poised to become a new cultural hub for the region. She is also driving the construction of the new State Museum of Arts designed by Tadao Ando, hosting the World Conference on Creative Economy in October 2024, and is commissioner for Uzbekistan’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka among other significant projects. Committed to boosting Uzbekistan’s prominence on the international culture scene, Umerova serves as the Chairperson of the National Commission of Uzbekistan on UNESCO Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers and as the commissioner of the Uzbekistan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2021. Her public service commitment is evident in her dedication to creating opportunities for young people in Uzbekistan’s cultural sector and fostering a cultural economy that unites communities and generations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia Originally from Chocó, Colombia, the Minister is an accomplished Mining Engineer with a Master’s in Engineering Sciences and a distinguished career in public policy. Between 2022-2024, he served as Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States. Murillo served as Colombia's first Afro-Colombian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development (2016–2018), where he expanded the nation’s protected areas, integrated ethnic communities into environmental policy, and developed a public policy framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation. His leadership also advanced the ratification of crucial environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement. Elected Governor of Chocó in 1997 and again in 2011, Murillo was a staunch advocate for environmental protection and community rights in his region. He also served as General Director of the Corporation for Sustainable Development of Chocó (Codechocó) and contributed to environmental governance during Antanas Mockus’s first term as mayor of Bogotá, working as Deputy Director of Planning and Acting Director of the Environmental Protection Department, now the Secretariat of the Environment. He has served as a Senior International Policy Analyst for Lutheran World Relief and as a consultant for USAID, UNDP, and FAO. Murillo was the first Afro-Latino to testify before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Black community issues in Latin America. He has contributed to environmental research at the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University in Washington, D.C., as well as at MIT as a Martin Luther King Research Fellow in the Environmental Solutions Initiative.

Mustafa Ünal Erten is currently the Chief of UNODC Regional Center for Combating Cybercrime and the Head of Programme Office in the State of Qatar. He has over two decades of experience in strategic planning, partnership building, and the management of development programs in the fields of law enforcement, criminal justice, and security sector reform. He has particularly focused on work through his postings in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Gulf Region.He has been working at the UNODC for over ten years, where he managed international law enforcement capacity-building programmes. Prior to his current role Mr. Erten was the Head of UNODC Programme Office in Tajikistan. Prior to joining UNODC, Mr. Erten served as the Project Manager for the first two Cyber Crime and Digital Forensics projects at INTERPOL in its Global Center for Innovation based in Singapore. He also worked as a UN Peacekeeping Officer in East Timor and as a Superintendent of Police in the Turkish Police.Mr. Erten has extensive experience in designing and delivering specialized training programs for law enforcement personnel, judiciary members, correctional officers, and academics from 30 countries across Southeast and Central Asia, Europe, MENA and the Gulf regions, as well as Africa.Mr. Erten holds a BA in Law Enforcement Management from the Turkish Police Academy. He also possesses a Criminal Justice Education Certificate from the University of Virginia in the United States, and an MA in Human Resource Development in Education from the Middle East Technical University in Türkiye.

Dr Sanam Vakil is the director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme where her work focuses on geopolitics, regional security, and Iran and Arab Gulf political dynamics. She also studies socio-economic developments across the MENA region pertaining to governance reform and challenges as well as gender issues.  Sanam is also the James Anderson professorial lecturer in the Middle East Studies department at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe) in Bologna, Italy.

Aude Vignelles is the Director of Vignelles Space, providing expert professional services and solutions for space governments and industries across all aspects of space programs. Until April 2024, Aude served as the inaugural Chief Technology Officer of the Australian Space Agency, where she was instrumental in developing the civil space strategy's technical roadmaps, scoping and managing the Agency’s space programs and delivering on domestic and international activities. Prior to this role, Aude was the Executive Manager of Satellite & Fixed Wireless Operations at NBN.  Aude is a space and aeronautics engineer, graduating from ENSICA (now ISAE-SUPAERO) in Toulouse, and began her career at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands. Having lived in Australia for the past 23 years, Aude has significantly contributed to the Australian space community and the establishment of the Australian Space Agency.

Antonio Villafranca is Vice President for Research at ISPI. He is in charge of ISPI’s research activities and Co-Head of the Europe and Global Governance Centre. He has coordinated several research projects funded by Italian Institutions (such as the “Osservatorio di Politica Internazionale” of the Italian Parliament) and by the EU Commission and Parliament (including Gr:een, Rastanews, Trade and Economic Relations with Asia, and Parlatrade). Since 2001, he has been teaching International Relations at the Bocconi University (Milan), where he was lecturer of European Economic Policy (2015-2018). He was also lecturer of ‘Structure of International Society’ at the IULM University. He has extensively published on global and European governance and on EU policies. Selected publications include: EU Economy: Fit for the Future? (with C. Altomonte), ISPI, 2023; New Fiscal Rules: The EU after Covid and the War (with F. Bruni and D. Tentori), ISPI, 2022; Europe in Identity Crisis. The Future of the EU in the Age of Nationalism (edited with C. Altomonte), ISPI, 2020; The Quest for Global Monetary Policy Coordination (with F. Bruni and J. Siaba Serrate), Economics E-Journal, Kiel Institute, 2019; Global Governance and the Role of the EU. Assessing the Future Balance of Power (edited with C. Secchi), Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011.He is an economist by training and received his MA from the Catholic University of Milan, where he also specialised in Economics and International Relations and was awarded the ‘Agostino Gemelli Prize. He is in charge of “NEXT-Empowering Future Leaders” and served as ISPI Coordinator of Think7 Italy (T7) in 2024 and of Think20 (T20) Italy in 2021.

Dr Gerhard Wahlers is the Deputy Secretary General and Head of the Division European and International Cooperation at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). Under his leadership, the international work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has been further expanded and now maintains more than 100 overseas offices worldwide. Previously, Wahlers headed the KAS country offices in the USA (1997-2003) and Israel (1994-1997). He is also the author and editor of numerous contributions and publications on topics of international politics as well as German and European foreign, security, and development policy.

Dr. Thomas Volk is the Head of the Middle East and North Africa department of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) since August 2024. He holds a PhD in Near- and Middle Eastern Studies and previously headed the foundation's Senegal/Gambia office based in Dakar from 2016 to 2020 and then the regional program Political Dialogue and in the Southern Mediterranean based in Tunis from 2020 to 2024. In 2023, he also re-established the Foundation's activities in Egypt. Dr. Volk has been working for the Foundation since 2014, initially as Coordinator for Islam and Religious Dialogue. He studied Islamic Studies and History in Freiburg, completed a German-Turkish Master's program in Ankara and Berlin and received his doctorate from the University of Basel.

Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang is Founder and President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG), Former Counselor to China State Council appointed by Chinese Premier and Vice Chairman of China Association for International Economic Cooperation under Ministry of Commerce; Vice Chairman of China Public Relations Association; Director of Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation under Ministry of Foreign Affairs; a member of Advisory Committee for Global Competence Development of Tsinghua University. In addition, he is a Steering Committee Member of Paris Peace Forum (PPF) and also sits on the Advisory Board of Duke Kunshan University and Richard Ivey Business School.  Dr. Wang pursued his PhD studies at University of Western Ontario and University of Manchester. He was a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, a Visiting Fellow of Brookings Institute. As a thought leader on global relations, international business, global governance, talent migration, global investment and trade, etc., he has published over 100 works; a frequent speaker at international events such as the World Economic Forum, Munich Security Conference, Paris Peace Forum; a frequent contributing writer for the op-eds to South China Morning Post, Financial Times, Bloomberg, New York Times etc.

Dr Annette Weber has been the EU Special Representative to the Horn of Africa since July 2021. She is a leading expert on the Horn of Africa with more than 25 years of experience in the region advising German decision makers at the highest level. At the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) she was Senior Fellow in the Africa and Middle East Research Division since 2007, serving as Head of Department from 2012-2014. She was engaged in mediation in Sudan and Ethiopia as Senior Advisor for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (2019-2021) as well as the Berghof Foundation (2014- 2019). Before joining SWP, Annette Weber was Coordinator and Head of Office for the Ecumenical Network for the African Great Lakes region (2003-2006). From 1996-2003 she held several positions, including Head Researcher (Sudan, Somalia) with Amnesty International and Head of Mission for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. EUSR Weber has also lectured as Professor in Conflict Studies, International Relations and African International Relations at various universities in Germany, Austria and Spain. From 2010-2012 she worked as a consultant in residence in Addis Ababa. She has published extensively on peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea arena. Annette Weber holds a PhD and MA in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin.

Dr Florian Weigand is co-director of the Centre on Armed Groups, a Geneva-based think tank. He is an associate fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and at the Geneva Graduate Institute. His work focuses on conflict zones, borderlands and other complex environments, how they function and are governed. He conducts extensive field research and has published widely on armed groups, legitimacy, and illicit economies, including several books and numerous policy reports. In addition, he has worked for international organisations such as the United Nations in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, supporting dialogue and engagement efforts as well as conducting analysis on armed actors, conflict dynamics, and the political economy. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and master's degrees from the LSE and the University of Oxford.

She is director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, where her work focuses broadly on political violence, identity politics, inequality, citizenship, and the refugee crisis.  She has two PhDs in the social sciences and humanities from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Architectural Association (AA) in London. She has consulted with international organizations including the United Nations organizations and the World Bank as well the private sector on a broad range of issues in among other countries Lebanon, Pakistan, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. She serves on a number of advisory boards including the UNESCO international commission on the Futures of Education; a global member of the Trilateral Commission; co-chair of the International Advisory Board for the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut; and member of the Board of Directors of the Ana Aqra Association.  Yahya  is the author of numerous publications, including most recently Unheard Voices: What Syrian refugees need to return home (April 2018); editor of Contentious Politics in the Syrian Conflict: Opposition, Representation, and Resistance, co editor of Visualizing Secularism and Religion, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, India and was the director and principal author of The National Human Development Report 2008–2009: Toward a Citizen’s State in Lebanon.

Professor Yan Xuetong is the distinguished Professor of Tsinghua University, and Honorary Dean of the Institute of International Relations of Tsinghua University. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992 with a PH.D. degree in political science. In 2008, he was named one of the world's top 100 Global Thinkers by the Foreign Policy. From 2014 to 2019, he was the only political science scholar cited by Elsevier. His two books in English Ancient Chinese Thought, Modern Chinese Power (2011) and Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers (2019) were published by Princeton University Press. His latest edited Essence of Interstate Leadership (2023) is published by Bristol University Press. In addition, some of Professor Yan's books have been translated into English, Russian, Japanese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean and Albanian, generating wide international impact.

Sienho Yee (www.sienhoyee.org) studies the international legal system and dispute settlement. He has published widely and had substantial experience in practice.  He is Professor and Director of Chinese Institute of International Law at China Foreign Affairs University; Changjiang Xuezhe Professor; Member of Institut de Droit International (IDI) and of US Supreme Court Bar; Editor-in-Chief, Chinese Journal of International Law (Oxford). He was Principal Presenter on Article 38 at the official “ICJ at 70” seminar; author on territory in IDI Sesquicentenary Book. Author of the “international law of co-progressiveness” idea and a paper that anticipated Article 16 of Rome Statute, and of articles quoted or cited in judicial opinions and/or proceedings at ICJ, ITLOS, arbitration or other forums, Yee has acted as counsel and advocate or adviser in several ICJ cases and as adviser to governments elsewhere.  He has served as Special Rapporteur, AALCO Informal Expert Group on Customary International Law; International Advisor for ALI Restatement 4th on US Foreign Relations Law; Vice President, Chinese Society of International Law; lecturer at The Hague Academy; Hamilton Fellow at Christ Church, Oxford; Senior Fellow at Humboldt and Potsdam; Rockefeller Bellagio Resident Fellow; visitor at Harvard Law School; Member of several IDI commissions on IDS matters; Member of ILA Committee on Baselines and Sub-Reporter on ICJ Matters for ILA Study Group on UN Reform; Chair of ABILA IDS Committee; law clerk to Judge Cowen, US Third Circuit and Judge Li Haopei, ICTY; and lawyer at IMF and Sullivan & Cromwell.

Fatima Yasmin is the Vice-President for Sectors and Themes of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). She assumed the position on 1 September 2023.  Ms. Yasmin is responsible for management of the Sectors Group and the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department under ADB’s new operating model.  Ms. Yasmin was the Senior Secretary at the Finance Division of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance. She has more than 32 years of broad development experience, including in macroeconomic management, public sector and fiscal policy reform, and trade and poverty reduction in government and international organizations.  ADB’s sector and thematic expertise are consolidated in the two groups under Ms. Yasmin to deliver integrated solutions to clients in accordance with country programs and strengthen ADB’s position as a leader in development knowledge in the region. The sector and thematic groups will launch and lead innovative initiatives to tackle the region’s key development challenges, with a focus on climate change.  Ms. Yasmin holds a master in development economics from Australian National University and a Master of Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration, Dhaka University, in Bangladesh. She also received a Fellowship in Public Policy and Human Rights under the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program at Rutgers University in New Jersey, United States.

Nasser Yassin is currently the Minister of Environment in Lebanon. He has been leading the humanitarian response to the latest Israeli war on Lebanon as coordinator of the Government Emergency Committee, He is Professor of policy, planning and strategy.Until his appointment in the cabinet, he was a professor and administrator at the American University of Beirut (AUB): he headed the Health Management & Policy Department & between 2014-2020, he was the Director of Research of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs & the Institute's Director in 2019-2020. He also co-chaired the AUB4Refugees Initiative that brought together faculty in AUB responding to refugee crises.He founded in 2020 & directed the Crisis Observatory to track the repercussions of the crises & to provide evidence and systematic analysis of various facets of the crises.He holds a PhD from University College London (UCL), an MSc from London School of Economics (LSE), and an MSc and BSc from the AUB. His research and practice interests are in development planning and policymaking in fragile and transition states. He researches and works on policy and social innovation especially in areas of refugee, youth & health policies and programs.He is author of more than 60 internationally published peer-reviewed articles and books. His research has been featured in many media channels including Al-Jazeera, BBC, The Economist, New York Times, and Deutsche Welle - among others.

Upon graduating from The University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law in March 1986, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After pursuing further studies in Portugal (PGD in European Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon) and the United States (MA in National Security Studies, Georgetown University), he served as Counsellor to the Embassy of Japan in Thailand and the Embassy of Japan in the United States; Director, First North American Division, North American Affairs Bureau; Executive Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister's Secretariat; Counsellor, Cabinet Secretariat; Counsellor, International Legal Affairs Bureau; Deputy Assistant Minister, Minister’s Secretariat; Director-General (Ambassador), Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Science Department, Foreign Policy Bureau; Director-General (Ambassador), Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau; and Director General of Public Diplomacy, Press Secretary, Minister’s Secretariat. Following a stint as Director, Refugees Assistance Headquarters, Foundation for the Welfare and Education of the Asian People, he was appointed Chief Executive Director of The Japan Institute of International Affairs in October 2023.

His career has spanned the academic and think-tank world as a faculty member in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington; Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School; and Senior Fellow at Brookings and Director of the Brookings Doha Center. His involvement with public policy includes working at the Middle East Department at the International Monetary Fund; the Middle East and North Africa region of the World Bank; and the UN Millennium Project.  He has a PhD in economics from Harvard University. His research has focused on the economic development and political economy of policy reform in the Middle East. He has contributed more than 80 articles, chapters, and reports, and co-edited several volumes including most recently Public Sector Reform in the Middle East and North Africa: Lessons of Experience for a Region in Transition (Brookings Institution Press, 2020); The Gulf Cooperation Council at Forty: Risk and Opportunity in a Changing World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022); and The Middle East's Fragile Reset: Actors, Battlegrounds, and (Dis)order (Middle East Council on Global Affairs, 2023).

Ramy Youssef is a comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He is known for his Hulu comedy series Ramy, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and a Peabody Award. He also starred in the Oscar nominated film Poor Things. He has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, for his show Ramy and for directing the critically acclaimed FX series, The Bear. In 2024, he hosted Saturday Night Live.

Nudhara Yusuf is the Executive Coordinator of the Global Governance Innovation Network (GGIN) at the Stimson Center and Co-Chair of the 2024 UN Civil Civil Society Conference in Support of the Summit of the Future. She served as a lead author of the Doha Forum’s Future of International Cooperation Report 2024.Prior to Stimson, Nudhara worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s SDG Integration Team and the UNDP Regional Bureau for the Asia Pacific’s Strategic Foresight Unit. Previously, she worked on Education and Training with the World Federation of United Nations Associations and supported the British Shadow Secretary of State for Justice in the UK’s Parliament. Nudhara is the founder and trustee of several grassroots NGOs and CSOs across India and the UK. Her research primarily focuses on the governance of and with future generations, the role of globalization, emerging technologies, and development in the shifting multilateral architecture and engaging youth and civil society in governance and multilateral institutions. In addition to her role at Stimson, Nudhara also serves as Coordinator of the Global Futures Forum, Global Youth Coordinator at the Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN), and a fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. She was formerly a fellow with UN University’s Center for Policy Research to support the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board for Effective Multilateralism, as well as an honorary advisor to the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY. 

Sawsan Abou Zainedin is the Chief Executive Officer of Madaniya, a Syrian-led and funded initiative that brings together over 200 Syrian civil society organizations. Independent of political and foreign influence, Madaniya works to reclaim the political agency of Syria's civic space. Sawsan is an architect and urban development planner by training. Her professional background spans a decade in the development sector and employs a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the manifestations of the Syrian conflict through research and practice. 

The National Research Center: Remote Sensing Department in the Institute of the Environmental Studies (Khartoum -1992 2 - Contributed in the preparation of the national investment map 1992. Registered in the Agricultural Council – Khartoum. Manager in “The Great man-made River” Libya 1996-1998. Manager - Banghazi new company (import & export)- Libya 1998- 2001. Politics & peace Doha Document for Peace in Darfur 2010 (negotiator in the power sharing file). Refugees and IDP’s conference- Doha 2010 - Chief negotiator – Doha peace talks 2013. Doha Donors conference 2013 – Doha. Meeting of the Implementation follow up commission Doha 2013. Chief negotiator, Juba peace talks 2019- 2020). Head of the “Media Committee” of the Sudanese Revolutionary front (2020-2023). Member of the committee for the alignment of the Juba peace agreement and the constitutional charter (November 2020).Member of the high committee for the following up of the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA). Member of the national high committee for governance conference (2021-2023). Member of the government negotiating team with Abdel Aziz Alhilu ( July 2021). Instructor in many workshops to explain (JPA), Head of the mission to explain (JPA) in Neyal, Deain, Alfasher) (UNDP &National Commission for Peace 2021). Presentation at Adama – Ethiopea (4-8)2021, about Sudan’s Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development Strategy (PCRD)- organized by IGAD. Presentation at Adama – Ethiopia (12-15) October 2022, about Sudan’s Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development Strategy (PCRD)- organized by IGAD. Attendance: UNITAMS & PILPG workshop on “elections’ law’ and constitution making 2022. IGAD’s workshop on the “Durable Solutions for IDPs and Refugees (2023). Tutor in a workshop for the training of the armed movements in Alfasher December 2022 (Protection of civilians’ force) by the national commission for peace. Secretary of the chief negotiators committee to support the Darfur Regional Government. Workshop on the Implementation Matrixes of JPA February 2023 Baseline surveys of the Blue Nile returned refugees (National Commission for Peace) January 2023. Framework Agreement Committees up to 15th April 2023. Workshop on Sudan crisis -July 2023, organized jointly by French Promediation and the Swiss Ministry of external affairs. Togo conference on Darfur reconciliation issues August 2021. Peace Partners’ conference: Juba, November 2023. Humanitarian Dialogue workshop on transitional Justice – Kampala 2024.

Zhaslan Madiyev is the current Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. With a robust background in finance, investment, and strategic planning, he has previously held roles such as the First Vice Minister of Digital Development and Vice Minister of National Economy. His academic credentials include a Master's degree in Public Administration in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University and an MBA from MIT Sloan Business School.  Zhaslan's diverse career spans positions at Morgan Stanley and various public sector organizations in Kazakhstan. Notably, as the General Manager of Binance Kazakhstan, he launched key initiatives like the first official banking crypto-fiat channel and nationwide blockchain education programs. In his current ministerial role, he aims to enhance Kazakhstan’s digital infrastructure, develop human capital, and foster international cooperation.

Since October 2013, Dr Fabian Zuleeg has been Chief Executive of the European Policy Centre, with overall responsibility, including providing strategic direction, managing its staff and resources, and representing the EPC. He remains Chief Economist at the same time. Before coming to the EPC, he worked as an economic analyst in academia, the public and the private sector. Fabian holds a PhD on the political economy of EU accession from Edinburgh University and is currently a Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University.  His analysis focuses on the political economy of the future of European integration in the context of political dis-cohesion within the EU and a contested, challenging global landscape. His current work is concentrated on determining how EUrope can meet the triple challenge of the watershed of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the fundamental transformations EUrope has to go through (technological revolution, climate change mitigation and demographic change), and the Permacrisis, a term he coined with EPC colleagues in 2021. Fabian works closely with decision-makers in the European institutions, the EPC members and partners, European think tanks and the wider Brussels and member state stakeholder community, and regularly comments on current political and economic issues in the EU in the media. He also chairs and contributes to a wide range of debates, conferences and seminars and has researched and published widely on the future of European integration, global challenges, Brexit and on European economic and social policies.