8:30 – 09:00    PRESIDENTIAL FIRESIDE CHAT 

H.E. Paul Kagame, President, Republic of Rwanda

Moderator: Mr. Steve Clemons, Host and political commentator, The Bottom Line, Al Jazeera English

9:00 – 9:30        MINISTERIAL FIRESIDE CHAT

H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson, African Union Commission

Moderator: Ms. Folly Bah Thibault, Principal Presenter, Al Jazeera                        English

9:30- 9:40       HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

Ambassador Ahmed Abubakar, Director General, National Intelligence     Agency, Federal Republic of Nigeria

9:40 – 9:50       COFFEE BREAK

9:50 – 10:20       DISCUSSION: The Current Geopolitical Landscape in Africa

Description: This discussion will examine the geopolitical landscape in Africa in which more outside actors, both state and non-state, are involved and wherein African regimes, and their opponents, have more options.

His Excellency Professor Robert Dussey, 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Togolese Abroad, Togolese Republic

Ambassador J. Peter Pham, Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council

10:20 – 10:30   HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

Ambassador Roger Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage          Affairs, U.S. Department of State

10:30 – 11:40  PANEL

Theme: The Impacts of Hostage-Taking by State and Non-State Actors

The practice of hostage-taking has become a more frequently employed tactic of state and non-state actors alike. Global power shifts have created hurdles for those advocating for hostages and wrongful detainees, while also expanding opportunities for international cooperation. Speakers in this session will present the challenges, explore ways to more effectively support hostages and their families, and share lessons learned and best practices that can inform critical national and international efforts to stem this pernicious crime.

Moderator: Mr. Adam Goldman, Journalist, New York Times

COL Christopher P. Costa (ret.), Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council; Board of Directors, The Soufan Center

Ms. Liz Hirsh Naftali, Victim Advocate

Mr. Rajiv Maan, Director, Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, Federal Bureau   of Investigation

Ambassador Roger Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage          Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Dr. Julie Sunday Assistant Deputy Minister, Consular, Security and Emergency Management, and Senior Official for Hostage Affairs, Canada

11:40 – 11:50  HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

Dr. Thanos Dokos, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of        Greece, Hellenic Republic

11:50 – 12:20    FIRESIDE CHAT

General Austin S. Miller (ret.),Former Commanding General of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command and Senior Fellow, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point

Moderator: Ms. Brianna Keilar, Co-Anchor, “CNN News Central”, CNN

12:20 – 12:30  HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

H.E. Mohammed Sahib Al-Darraji, Prime Minister Advisor, Republic of      Iraq (Attending as a personal representative of H.E Prime Minister of Iraq)

12:30 – 12:40    HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

Theme: Countering Terrorism in the Context of Strategic Competition

 Mr. Andhika Chrisnayudhanto, Deputy for International                                        Cooperation, National Counter-Terrorism Agency, Republic of                            Indonesia

12:40 – 13:10  FIRESIDE CHAT

Theme: Local repercussions of geopolitical events and threats,

changing security landscape and its challenges

Moderator: Dr. Karen Greenberg, Director, Center on National Security,   Fordham Law

Ms. Rebecca Weiner, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and                 Counterterrorism, New York City Police Department

13:10 – 14:20  LUNCH

14:20 – 15:20  PANEL

Theme: Africa and the Global Counterterrorism Agenda

Sponsored by CTED Global Research Network

The surge of terrorist activity in parts of the African continent, particularly in conflict areas in the Central Sahel and West Africa, and mounting concerns about the spread of terrorism into coastal west African States, have placed terrorism in Africa firmly on the global counter terrorism agenda. This year at the Global Security Forum, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate will convene a panel, comprising of members of its Global Research Network and partners, to discuss the impact of a range of trends impacting the terrorist threat in Africa. These trends will include: border security and immigration; great power dynamics; energy and resources; adoption of new technology; and flows of illicit drugs and finance from Latin America.

Moderator: Dr. David Scharia, Chief of Branch, United Nations Security    Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate

Hon. Djibrill Bassolé, former Foreign Minister, Burkina Faso

Mr. Idriss Mounir Lallali, Deputy Director, African Centre for the Study     and Research on Terrorism

Dr. Anneli Botha, Extraordinary Professor of Practice, North-West             University

Ms. Ornella Moderan, Independent Researcher for Sahel and West           Africa, Global Initiative Expert Network

15:20 – 16:20  PANEL

Theme: The Proliferation of and Growing Strength of Non-State Actors

From private military companies to proxy groups, non-state actors have proliferated across the globe and are used by states to accomplish foreign policy objectives under a veneer of plausible deniability. This panel will focus on the spread and growth of non-state actors, analyzing Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance,’ the Wagner Group, and a range of other terrorists, insurgents, and militias, assessing the increasingly prominent role they have assumed in modern statecraft and geopolitics.

Moderator: Dr. Colin P. Clarke, Senior Research Fellow, The Soufan Center

Ambassador Nathan Sales, Former Acting Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, US Department of State; Senior Fellow, The Soufan Center

Dr. Thomas Renard, Director, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) – The Hague

The Hon. Marshall Billingslea, Former Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing at the United States Department of the Treasury; Senior Fellow, The Hudson Institute

Dr. Amira Jadoon- Assistant Professor, Clemson University, College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences

17:00 – 19:00  SIDE EVENT

 Ali Velshi- Small Acts of Courage, Book Signing, Open to Public

19:00 – 20:00    SIDE EVENT

Sponsored by the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Global Research Network, Invite Only 

8:30 – 8:40      HIGH LEVEL REMARKS               

H.E. Ali Ihusaan, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Republic of Maldives

8:40 – 9:10     MINISTERIAL FIRESIDE CHAT

Ambassador Timmy Davis, United States Ambassador to the State of        Qatar, USA

Moderator: Mr. Ali Velshi, Host of “Velshi” and Chief Correspondent for   MSNBC, and a weekly economics contributor to NPR’s “Here And Now.”

9:10 – 9:40      FIRESIDE CHAT (V)

Ambassador Robert C. O’Brien, Former National Security Advisor

Co-Founder & Chairman, United States American Global Strategies

Moderator: Mr. Steve Clemons, Host and political commentator, The Bottom Line, Al Jazeera English

9:40 – 10:10    DISCUSSION: Interdependency in a Multipolar World

Description: This discussion will explore the complexities of interdependency and strategic competition in a multipolar world.

Moderator: Andrew Oros, Professor of Political Science, and International Studies; Director, International Studies Program Washington College

Amb. Bilahari Kausikan, Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of             Foreign Affairs, Singapore

10:10 – 10:15  COFFEE BREAK

10:15 – 10:45      IN CONVERSATION: What are the Geopolitical Implications of the War in
Gaza?

Description: This discussion will analyze the fallout from the war in Gaza and assess the impact of the conflict on regional dynamics.

Mr. Wadah Khanfar, President, Al Sharq Forum

Dr. Ilan Pappe, Director, European Centre for Palestine Studies,                 University of Exeter

10:45 – 10:55     HIGH LEVEL REMARKS

Theme: The Crossroads of Peace Project and Regional Security

Mr. Armen Grigoryan, Secretary, Security Council of Armenia office          of the Prime Minister.

10:55 – 11:25     FIRESIDE DISCUSSION

Moderator:  Ms. Sarah Muscroft Chief of Response Support Branch,         United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-      OCHA)

Brigadier Mubarak Sherida Al Kaabi, Commander of Qatar International Search and Rescue Group.

11:30 – 12:30    PANEL

Theme: Threats to Human Security in the Global South

The devastating impact of climate change, forced migration, food insecurity, sexual and gender-basedviolence, and other threats to human security present major obstacles to countries in the Global South. In regions like the Sahel in sub-Saharan Africa and in Central and South Asia, these issues intersect and can exacerbate one another, presenting governments with a Herculean challenge. This panel will discuss what steps the international community can take to help prevent instability in crucial regions throughout the Global South.

Moderator: Dr. Lyla Kohistany, Former counterterrorism analyst in Afghanistan, NATO, SOF, Senior Fellow, The Soufan Group

H.E. Hekmat Karzai, Chairman, Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies

Mr. Wassim Nasr, Journalist, France 24, Senior Research Fellow, The Soufan Center

Dr. Adejoké Babington-Ashaye, Former Senior Consultant, The World Bank, Senior Research Fellow, The Soufan Center

Ms. Naureen Chowdhury Fink, Executive Director, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT)

12:30 – 13:30  PANEL

Theme: The Security Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

This session will discuss artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies and how their further integration into society could impact global security. What are the implications for autonomous weapons, nuclear stability, and the laws of war? This panel will discuss these issues and others, debating if and how AI should be regulated and whether the quest to dominate AI will lead to a modern-day arms race.

Moderator: Mr. Bradley Peniston, Executive Editor, Defense One

Ms. Anjana Rajan, Assistant National Cyber Director, The White House

Ms. Helen Zhang, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of Eric Schmidt

Dr. Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor in Middle East Studies, and Digital Humanities at Hamid bin Khalifa University

Dr. Ahmad Antar, Harvard University Instructor, specializing in the convergence of digital transformation and sustainability, Founder of Digital Emissions

13:30 – 14:40  LUNCH

14:40 – 15:40  PANEL

Theme: Energy Security and Economic Interdependence in an Era of Global Competition

The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other shockwaves to the international system have exposed the vulnerability of energy and supply chains, leading to political instability in the West and some countries to pull back from globalization. New economic partnerships, ambitious trade routes, and the energy transition will reshape alliances and have a significant impact on geopolitics.

 Moderator: Dr. Carolyn Kissane, Associate Dean and Clinical Professor,    Center for Global Affairs, New York University

Mr. Ali Wyne, Senior Research and Advocacy Advisor, U.S.-China, International Crisis Group

Dr. Neil Quilliam, Associate Fellow Middle East & North Africa Programme Chatham House

Dr. Thomas Juneau, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa

Ms. Heidi Crebo-Rediker, General Partner, America’s Frontier Fund and Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations