Written by Manray Davies and Kasia Makowska
The London Conference, organised by the Chatham House, is an annual event focused on exploring solutions to the challenges the world is facing by engaging in a dialogue between experts and an exchange of ideas between the attendees. It is attended by individuals from academia, NGOs, the civil society and the public sector. This year it took place on the 20th of June at the Renaissance Hotel in King’s Cross, London.
The Conference began with a Welcome Speech by the Chatham House’s Director Bronwen Maddox, who highlighted the importance of international dialogue and cooperation. It was followed by the first main panel discussion of the Conference, which was titled “A leaderless world? Solving global crises in 2024”. It was a discussion between Dr Comfort Ero the CEO of International Crisis Group, Prof Leslie Vinjamuri the Director of the US and Americas Programme at Chatham House, Lord Mark Malloch-Brown the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (2006) and Dr Majed Al-Ansari the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar. The discussion focused on the role of the US and China in the global scene and the emergence of middle power states, which were said to be able to shake up the world power balance.
The second panel was titled “Ukraine and European security: Unity in the end game?”, and was focused on the on-going Russian War on Ukraine. Its guests were experts on the topic from Ukraine, the UK, the US and Japan. It was a heartwarming and empowering panel to experience, as one could feel the unity of the global community in the words of the experts and the reactions from the audience.
The third main panel was a very insightful session which focused on pivotal issues regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader Middle Eastern geopolitics. Key discussions addressed the desires of both Israel and Palestine, the role of regional voices, and the international community’s efforts towards sustainable peace.
The highlights of the panel can be divided into three separate categories – ‘What Does Israel Want?’, ‘What Does Palestine Want?’ and ‘The Outer Perspective’. Aaron David Miller, the Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, provided a comprehensive analysis of Israel’s strategic objectives. He emphasised security concerns, political stability, and the need for international recognition and normalisation
of relations with neighbouring Arab states. However, Mustafa Barghouti, the Secretary General and Co-Founder of the Palestinian National Initiative and the Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, articulated the Palestinian perspective, focusing on the desire for sovereignty, recognition of statehood, and addressing human rights issues. He highlighted the critical need for ending the occupation and ensuring economic development. Thirdly, HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, emphasised Saudi Arabia’s commitment to peace and stability in the region. He discussed the potential role of the Arab Peace Initiative and the importance of regional cooperation. One of the quotes from Prince Khalid which has resonated with us was:
“The problem is not them not understanding each other, the problem is that they understand each other too well”
Finally, Ksenia Svetlova, the Executive Director of ROPES, brought attention to the diverse voices within the region, including civil society and grassroots movements, which play a crucial role in peacebuilding efforts as well as stating “Israel have to take a step back in order to move forward even if unpopular”. With an overall agreement on a ceasefire, the final part of the panel explored strategies for achieving a sustainable and lasting peace. Emphasis was placed on reconciliation, economic development, and creating inclusive governance structures.
The fourth panel focused on ‘How to navigate the global economy in troubled times’, and the session focused on economic changes within the economic policy landscape shifts.
The next part of the event comprised of a choice of three spotlight sessions. We have decided to attend one on ‘Energy security, critical minerals and the pursuit of net zero’. It was enriching and unusual, as we got to listen to Kheri Mahimbali, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Minerals of Tanzania. He highlighted how Tanzania is imposing policies to de-risk the mining system in the country, but also facilitate dialogue between the Ministry and the workers within the sector.
The final session focused on Artificial Intelligence, as it was titled ‘States, corporations and machines – democracy in the age of AI’. It was a very interesting and necessary dialogue due to how fast paced the AI industry is and its impact on democracy ought to be constantly analysed and monitored.
The London Conference 2024 at Chatham House, ended with a networking session, where we managed to speak to like minded individuals and managed to exchange some contact information with other participants. It was a very informative, enriching and empowering day for us. The event managed to bring in many professionals from many organisations and allowed for a great chance to listen and network with leading people from the industry. These events allow for Young European Leaders like ourselves to feel inspired and take the next step in the advocacy for further youth engagement within Europe and beyond.