2017 U.S.-Islamic World Forum

Saturday, September 16, 2017 - Monday, September 18, 2017

6:30 pm - 5:00 pm EDT

On September 16-18, 2017, the Brookings Institution, in conjunction with the State of Qatar, convened the 13th annual U.S.-Islamic World Forum. The theme of this year’s Forum was “Crisis and Cooperation.”

The Forum’s plenary sessions (see agenda below) explored major developments, transitions, and crises affecting our world. Topics included:
-Ending civil wars in the Middle East and North Africa region and rebuilding afterwards
-The future of pluralism, citizenship, and religion in the Middle East
-Refugees and cities, and the global response
-Counterterrorism

The Forum also convened working groups which focused on current issues confronting the Islamic world. Group topics included:
-The future of pluralism in the Arab world
-Refugees and cities
-Stabilization and reconstruction

Plenary Session II: The future of pluralism, citizenship, and religion in the Middle East

Plenary Session III: Refugees and cities

Plenary Session IV: Counterterrorism

Agenda

September 16
- Welcoming remarks
  
  Martin S. Indyk Former Brookings Expert, Distinguished Fellow - The Council on Foreign Relations @Martin_Indyk
- Keynote
  
  HSMbAAT
  
  H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Minister of Foreign Affairs - Qatar
- Remarks
  
  HNAA
  
  H.E. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser High Representative for United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
- Plenary Session I: Stabilization in the MENA region
  
  Moderator
  
  Bruce Jones Vice President and Director - Foreign Policy, Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for Asia Policy Studies, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology @BruceBrookings
  
  Panelist
  
  Abdallah Al Dardari Senior Adviser on Reconstruction, Office of the Vice President, Middle East and North Africa Region - World Bank
  
  Adama Dieng United Nations Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide
  
  Samar Haidar Former Executive Director - Arab Human Rights Fund
  
  Annika Söder State Secretary for Foreign Affairs - Kingdom of Sweden
- Plenary Session II: The future of pluralism, citizenship, and religion in the Middle East
  
  Moderator
  
  Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani National Correspondent - Vice News Tonight
  
  Panelist
  
  Mustafa Akyol Senior Visiting Fellow, Freedom Project - Wellesley College
  
  Shadi Hamid Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy @shadihamid
  
  Mehrezia Labidi-Maïza Member, Executive Board - Ennahda Party
  
  Bassem Youssef Former Host - "AlBernameg"
- Plenary Session III: Refugees and cities
  
  Moderator
  
  Bruce Katz Founding Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab - Drexel University @bruce_katz
  
  Panelist
  
  Alex Aleinikoff Director, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility - The New School
  
  Ann-Margarethe Livh Vice Mayor - City of Stockholm
  
  Lefteris Papagiannakis Deputy Mayor - City of Athens
  
  Marvin Rees Mayor - City of Bristol
  
  Wolfgang Schmidt State Secretary - City of Hamburg
- Plenary Session IV: Counterterrorism
  
  Moderator
  
  Eric Schmitt Senior Correspondent - The New York Times
  
  Panelist
  
  John R. Allen
  
  Nelly Lahoud Senior Fellow for Political Islamism - IISS-Middle East
  
  Rym Momtaz Producer - ABC News
  
  George Selim Senior Vice President for Programs - Anti-Defamation League