Provisional Programme Subject to minor changes
Tuesday, 2 May 2023
13:00 Registration Open Roundtable Sessions: By Invitation Only
14:00 Welcome and Introduction 14:05 Roundtable 1: Six months into Government: Challenges and Progress
- Aqeel Al-Khaz’ali, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq
- Salih Dhumad, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq
- Hussein Allawi, Advisor for Security Sector Reform in the Prime Minister’s Office
- Abbas Al-Amiri, Iraqi Institute for Dialogue
- Ali Nasir, Al-Nahrain Centre for Strategic Studies (Moderator)
15:45 Break
16:15 Policy Debate: The US Strategies in Iraq and the Wider Region
- Barbara Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, USA
- Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI (Moderator)
17:00 Panel Switch
17:10 Roundtable 2: International Partnership: Perceptions, Aspirations & Barriers (Chatham House Rules Apply)
- Lukman Faily, Iraqi Ambassador to Germany
- Mark Bryson, British Ambassador to Iraq
- Eric Chevallier, French Ambassador to Iraq
- Minujahir Mohammedi, International Relations, University of Tehran, Iran
- Randa Slim, Middle East Institute, USA (Moderator)
18:45 Summary and final words * * *
Wednesday, 3 May 2023
08:00 Registration
09:00 Welcome
09:10 The Organiser’s introduction
- Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President, Middle East Research Institute
09:30 S1 – Tackling Corruption and Reforming the Financial System
- Ali Allaq, Governor of Central Bank
- Haider Hanoon, Chairman of Integrity Committee, Iraq
- Shwan Ibrahim Taha, Chairman of Rabee Security (Moderator)
10:45 Break
11:15 S2 – Investment & Diversification: Transforming Iraq’s Economy
- Mohammed Ali Timim, Minister of Planning
- Salar Mohammed Amin, National Commission for Investment
- Mohammed Al-Najjar, Advisor to the Prime Minister
- Mohammed Al-Egaily, Al-Nahrain Centre for Strategic Studies (Moderator)
12:30 Panel Switch
12:40 S3 – Iraq’s Water & Environment: Time to Act & Avert a Catastrophe
- Awn Thiab Abdulla, Minister of Water Resources, Iraq
- Fareed Yaseen, Iraq’s Climate Envoy
- Benjamin Thomson, Economic Counselor, US Embassy in Iraq
- Zeinab Shuker, Sam Houston State University, USA (Moderator)
13:50 Lunch
15:00 S4- Iraq’s Energy Sector: Key Challenges & Future Strategies
- Hayan Abdulghani Al-Sawad, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil
- Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region of Iraq
- Ziad Ali Fadhil Al-Rizij, Minister of Electricity
- Abdulla Al-Qadi, Crescent Petroleum, UAE
- Lizzie Porter, Journalist, Iraq Oil Report (Moderator)
16:15 Break
16:45 S5 – State-building in the Eyes of Iraq’s Political Leaders: Open Debates
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18:15 End of Day * * *
Thursday, 4 May 2023
08:00 Registration 09:30 Welcome
09:35 S6 – Iraq in the Middle East: Zero-Problem with Neighbours
- Maha Yahya, Carnegie Middle East, Lebanon
- Sayed Kazim Sajjadpour, Institute for Political and International Studies, Iran
- Hisham Al-Ghannam, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Saudi Arabia
- Bilgay Duman, ORSAM, Turkey
- Hafsa Halawa, Middle East Institute, USA (Moderator)
11:05 Panel Switch
11:15 S7 – State-Building in Iraq and the Role of the International Community
- Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative of the Secretary General, UN
- Farhad Alaaldin, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq
- Randa Slim, Middle East Institute, USA (Moderator)
12:00 Break
12:30 S8 – Modernisation and Reform of Iraqi Security and Armed Forces: In Theory and Practice
- Abdul-Amir Kamil Al-Shummary, Minister of Interior
- Qasim Al-Araji, National Security Advisor
- Khalid Al-Yaqoubi, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq
- Thomas Röwekamp MP, Member of the German Parliament
- Suadad al-Salhy, Senior correspondent, Middle East Eye (Moderator)
13:45 Lunch
14:45 S9 – Stability in Diversity: Saving Iraq’s multi-cultural Identity: Sinjar as an Exemplar
- Mayan Khairy Saeed Beg, Khatoon of Yezidis
- EvanFaiq Jabro, Minister of Migration and Displaced
- Claudio Cordone, Deputy SRSG, UNAMI, Iraq
- Sarhang Hamasaeed, United States Institute of Peace, USA (Speaker/Moderator)
16:00 Break
16:30 S10 – The Kurdistan Region: A Substate Actor on the National and International Stage
- Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
- Ranya Al-Attar, BBC Arabic (Moderator)
17:25 Panel Switch
17:35 S11 – Iraq’s Immediate Policy Priorities and the Challenges ahead
- Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq
- Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI (Moderator)
18:30 Final Words & End of Forum