14:00 - 14:30
India finds itself increasingly at the center of the post-pandemic global debate on health, development and technology solutions. There are three critical components. First, India’s partnership in vaccinating the world against COVID-19. Second, India’s new role in proactively responding to health and development imperatives beyond its own people. Third, India as an emerging solutions provider as technology and its application takes centre-stage.
S. Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs, India
K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor, India
In Conversation with - Mark Suzman, Chief Executive Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States
14:30 - 14:45
14:45 - 15:15
Protecting the Rules-Based International Order: A conversation with NATO Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation
15:15 - 15:25
15:25 - 15:30
Message from Zbigniew Rau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Poland
15:30 - 16:15
The EU has been buffeted by multiple crises that have sharpened existing debates and disagreements between member-states. The Union was built on ‘shared values’ – but what if the disagreement is about those ‘values’ themselves? Is the ‘Gospel According to Monnet’ still valid or are there new drivers that will shape the future of the EU? Is the economic division between north and south, and east and west overwhelming the centripetal forces? Or, can the centre hold on the strength of values? Are the grumblings and the rumblings around CAI a manifestation of a Europe divided in its approach? Are Europeans heading for Non-Alignment 2.0? Can they balance their American allies with China? Will the bureaucracy in Brussels be able to rebuff Pax Sinica?
Speakers
Anže Logar, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Slovenia
Augusto Santos Silva, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Portugal
Bogdan Aurescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Romania
Milena Lazarevic, Programme Director and Co-founder, European Policy Centre, Serbia
Garima Mohan, Fellow, Asia Program, German Marshall Fund, United States
16:15 - 16:30
16:30 - 17:15
The world’s fastest growing economies reside in this continent, powered by the world’s most youthful population and unmatched energy and aspirations. Choices made in Africa today will shape the global economy of tomorrow. It is already home to a billion-strong market, and soon to the world’s largest free trade area. How and why does Africa matter to global economic growth? What are the impediments and challenges that need to be responded to in order to fulfil African aspirations and potentials?
How can the world benefit from and participate in the African story?
Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Kenya
Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs, India
Gwendoline Abunaw, Managing Director, Ecobank, Cameroon
Navdeep Suri, Distinguished Fellow and Director, CNED, Observer Research Foundation, India
17:15 - 17:30
17:30 - 18:30
The lesson of 2020: A resilient international system requires robust and responsive health systems. Multilateral organisations and platforms, such as the G-20, G-7 and BRICS will have to take a renewed interest in developing and promoting the social infrastructure needed for healthy populations. How will the Fourth Industrial Revolution impact the provision of, and access to, healthcare? What can governments do singly and in partnership to catalyse a digital transformation in global health?
Suresh Prabhu, Prime Minister’s Sherpa to the G20 and G7, India
Azis Syamsuddin, Vice Speaker for Politics and Security, The House of Representatives (DPR), Indonesia
Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister, Sweden
Simon Duggan, Deputy Secretary: Economy, Industry and G20 Sherpa, Australia
Shamika Ravi, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, United States
Amandeep Gill, Director, International Digital Health & AI Research Collaborative (I-DAIR), Geneva
18:30 - 18:45
18:45 - 19:15
The COP26 meeting in Glasgow this year will likely focus on increasing the availability of climate finance. Yet will emerging economies be left short once again? Without a clear #commitment to regulatory changes in the global north that push climate finance towards the developing world, countries like India will find it impossible to commit to further painful cuts in their emissions pathways. Can private and public sector, developing and developed countries, find common ground in the time that remains before COP26? What can be hoped for in terms of unleashing capital from the north to get to Work on the green transition in the south? What role do financial processes and constraints in the world’s financial centres play in creating bottlenecks on the flow of climate finance across borders?
Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Chair of Economics and Government, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
Jayant Sinha, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Finance, India
Annapurna Mitra, Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
19:15 - 19:30
19:30 - 20:15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India
With Chief Guests
President Paul Kagame, Rwanda
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Denmark
V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State, External Affairs, India
20:15 - 21:10
21:10 - 21:15
21:15 - 22:00
Ending the pandemic will require more than just recovery: it will require a reset. Economic principles post-pandemic will have to privilege resilience and inclusion. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable, and restarting the world economy will have to take this into account. Strong and effective female leaders have received considerable attention for their ability to manage the pandemic well; how will female leadership play into the recovery? What are the ways in which social contracts and economic arrangements that have been disrupted by the pandemic year can be rebuilt by women leaders to create a more sustainable and equitable world?
Minouche Shafik, Director, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom
Geraldine Ang, Policy Analyst, Green Investment, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, France
Bhakti Sharma, Sarpanch, Barkhedi Abdullah, India
Delphine O, Ambassador-at-Large and Secretary General for the Generation Equality Forum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France
Kate Hampton, CEO, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, United Kingdom
22:00 - 22:15
22:15 - 22:45
Brad Smith, President, Microsoft, United States
Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, United States
22:45 - 23:00
23:00 - 23:55
The India-US strategic partnership continues to gather momentum both at the bilateral as well as multilateral level. Political consensus in both democracies has helped reach landmark bilateral strategic agreements in the past year; participation in a revitalised Quad has broadened and deepened the relationship. The challenge now is to work together to ensure that emerging technologies lead to growth and stability. The bilateral relationship requires new driving ideas, and can cyberspace provide them? How can the two democracies cooperate on securing the cyber domain? What are the ways in which collaboration is possible to protect information societies and democracies? How the world’s leading democracies regulate and engage with content will determine the world’s digital future.
Rajeev Chandrasekar, Member of Parliament, India
Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, India and Chairperson, Standing Committee on Public Sector Enterprise
Ajit Pai, former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, United States
Jane Holl Lute, President and CEO, SICPA, United States
Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook, India
Richard Verma, Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Mastercard, United States
09:00 - 09:30
Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore
Rory Medcalf, Professor and Head of the National Security College, Australian National University, Australia
09:30 - 09:45
09:40 - 10:10
Augusto Santos Silva, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Portugal
Harsh V. Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation, India
10:10 - 10:30
Linden P Blue, Chief Executive Officer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, United States
Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Director, CSST, Observer Research Foundation, India
10:30 - 12:00
12:00 - 13:00
The India-US strategic partnership continues to gather momentum both at the bilateral as well as multilateral level. Political consensus in both democracies has helped reach landmark bilateral strategic agreements in the past year; participation in a revitalised Quad has broadened and deepened the relationship. The challenge now is to work together to ensure that emerging technologies lead to growth and stability. The bilateral relationship requires new driving ideas, and can cyberspace provide them? How can the two democracies cooperate on securing the cyber domain? What are the ways in which collaboration is possible to protect information societies and democracies? How the world’s leading democracies regulate and engage with content will determine the world’s digital future.
Rajeev Chandrasekar, Member of Parliament, India
Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, India and Chairperson, Standing Committee on Public Sector Enterprise
Ajit Pai, former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, United States
Jane Holl Lute, President and CEO, SICPA, United States
Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook, India
Richard Verma, Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Mastercard, United States
13:00 - 13:45
13:45 - 14:00
Charles Michel, President, European Council
14:00 - 14:45
The Indo-Pacific is a region that is over-politicised but underinstitutionalised. What is the role of plurilateral arrangements in addressing this gap? Do they bring dynamism to problem-solving in the region? Indo-Pacific powers such as the four represented on this panel all have legacy engagements as well, within and beyond the region – NATO, SAARC, ASEAN. How do the flexible new arrangements in the region interact with their older alliances and relationships? Can the new plurilateralism move beyond dialogue and talk-shops to affect actual change on the ground? What are the material objectives for these relationships? This panel will provide a high-level view of the emerging geometries of power in the Indo-Pacific.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France
Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia
S. Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs, India
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation, India
14:45 - 15:00
15:00 - 15:45
Multilateralism is under increasing stress as countries explore alliances and partnerships in the post-pandemic world. Nations are opting for minilateral and plurilateral issue-specific partnerships, marking a shift from grand alliances of the past. In this scenario the G7 and G20 have to explore ways and means of working together in domains ranging from economy to technology to climate, while ensuring that global institutions stay rooted in their purpose of protecting and promoting a liberal order.
Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister, Sweden
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India
Nicolas Pinaud, G20 and G7 Sherpa, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Akshay Mathur, Head of Geoeconomics Studies Programme and Director, ORF Mumbai, India
13:45 - 16:00
16:00 - 16:45
Global powers have assessed the implications of staying away from the new theatre of intense multidimensional collaboration and cooperation, the Indo-Pacific. The new grammar of trade, security and climate cooperation is being scripted in this region. What is at stake in the IndoPacific, and who are the new actors – including from Europe? What new networks and relationships will determine the future of these seas?
Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Naval Staff, India
Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, United States
Rajeswari Rajagopalan, Director, CSST, Observer Research Foundation, India
16:45 - 17:00
17:00 - 17:45
Three decades after the end of the USSR, Russia is once again a potent actor on every major geopolitical stage. Its relationship with Europe is a crucial determinant of the EU’s future path; its historic closeness with India faces new challenges; and its Far East has become a new gateway to the Indo-Pacific. What does Russia’s re-emergence as a player mean for these geographies? How will Russia’s own conception of its place in the world affect the future of the global order? What are the important directions and new features of Russia’s evolving foreign policy?
Seyed Kazem Sajjadpour, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iran
Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, India
Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, Russia
Anastasia Likhacheva, Director, CCEIS, Higher School of Economics, Russia
Veerle Nouwens, Senior Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute, United Kingdom
Anupam Ray, Joint Secretary, Policy Planning and Research, Ministry of External Affairs, India
17:45 - 18:00
18:00 - 18:45
The EU and the countries of Europe have begun to understand the implications of staying away from the new theatre of globalisation, the Indo-Pacific. The new grammar of trade, security and climate co-operation is being devised in this region, and Europe has recognised it must be a participant in these developments. How are Europe’s nations evolving a strategy for the Indo-Pacific? What are their challenges, and what strengths do they bring to the table as partners for countries in the region?
Gen. Claudio Graziano, Chairman, European Union Military Committee
David McAllister, Member of the European Parliament
Jens Frølich Holte, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Amrita Narlikar, President, German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Germany
18:45 - 19:30
19:30 - 21:00
Over the past year, the countries of the Indo-Pacific have faced new challenges in both the economic and strategic domains. The reconfiguration of supply chains has stepped up after the pandemic, with countries seeking to create a more sustainable trade architecture. Security issues, in traditional and emerging domains, have also taken on a fresh urgency. How can like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific create new and inclusive avenues for co-operation to support global norms and regional integration?
21:00 - 22:00
The public sphere, so essential to the conduct of liberal democracy, is under threat. Internal divisions are multiplying; and external actors are weaponising democratic spaces by pushing misinformation out through social media platforms. For democracies to ride out this storm, they must create public spaces for debate that is diverse, even discordant -- but ensures broad spectrum participation. How can democratic processes and the election infrastructure be protected from disinformation and influence operations? How can the information space be preserved from being gamed? Can deplatforming be consistent with a social order built around the platform economy -- which must be, by definition, inclusive?
How should democracies protect the integrity of academic and other institutions, including the media?
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director, Cyber Policy Center, Stanford University, United States
Baijayant Panda, National Vice President, Bharatiya Janata Party, India
Celine Calvez, President, France-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, France
Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer, YouTube and SVP, Google
James Carafano, Vice President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, The Heritage Foundation, UnitedStates
Kanchan Gupta, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
22:00 - 22:15
22:15 - 22:45
Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, United States
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation
22:45 - 23:00
23:00 - 23:45
Kenneth Juster, former Ambassador of the United States to India, United States
Richard Verma, Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Mastercard, United States
Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security (CNAS), United States
Nikhila Natarajan, Senior Program Manager, Media and Digital Content, ORF America, United States
09:00 - 10:00
The heartland of global growth is also coping with enormous political and economic churn. Its future growth prospects will depend on its ability to create resilience, and promote innovation and entrepreneurship. How can the supply chains essential for the industries of the future – from semiconductors to rare earths – be built and protected? Can plural, open, transparent, and democratic technology partnerships underwrite this
region’s growth and stability and ensure inclusive prosperity for its people?
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology, Bangladesh
Tobias Feakin, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs & Critical Technology, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
T.V. Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education, India
Paul Kapur, Former, Member, Policy Planning Staff - State Department; Professor, Department of National Security Affairs, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, United States
Erin Watson-Lynn, International Relations Consultant & Special Advisor to G20 Women Summit Australia
Maha Siddiqui, Editor, Foreign Affairs & Anchor, CNN News 18, India
10:00 - 10:15
10:15 - 10:45
Arancha González Laya, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooeperation, Spain
Mihir Sharma, Director, Centre for Economy and Growth, Observer Research Foundation, India
10:45 - 11:00
11:00 - 11:45
Kenneth Juster, former Ambassador of the United States to India, United States
Richard Verma, Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Mastercard, United States
Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security (CNAS), United States
Nikhila Natarajan, Senior Program Manager, Media and Digital Content, ORF America, United States
11:45 - 12:00
12:00 - 12:45
Latin America’s growth momentum has been severely dented by the pandemic. How can the countries of the region emerge from this decade to reclaim growth and agency, and become a hub for global value chains? Is there a glue that unites and binds the continent together? Can the next decade see the emergence of a vibrant Latin American market or will the continent continue to be subservient to the machinations of big powers with America and China as the main contestants for dominance? Will the South American growth paradigm be innovation based? Can Latin America take advantage of the post-pandemic reconfiguration of supply chains, while avoiding the neo-debt trap? If the US failed South America in the 20th century, will China rescue it in the 21st century?
Andrés Allamand Zavala, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Chile
Raul Cano-Ricciardi, Vice Minister for Economic Relations and Integration, Paraguay
Julián Ventura, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico
Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, India
Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, Observer Research Foundation, India
12:45 - 13:00
13:00 - 13:30
The post-pandemic world is marked by greater commitment to accelerating the green transformation. Various forms of green mobility are crucial to this effort – the past year has seen a renewed push for electric vehicles across the world, both from governments and the private sector. What other ways can states, local governments and corporations collaborate on green mobility? For example, what role can freight electrification play in the green transition? How will new green mobilityfriendly infrastructure in cities and along freight routes be financed, including by private capital? How can the mobility transition be just – preserving routes to prosperity for all, and creating more jobs for underserved areas and communities?
Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, India
Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, India
13:30 - 13:45
13:45 - 14:00
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australia
14:00 - 14:15
14:15 - 15:00
The emerging threat landscape requires immediate coordinated action across national boundaries and geographies. Democracies have to band together to assess the multiple threats posed by the future theatres of conflict—be it land, air, water, or more ominously, cyber. There has to be a commonality of approach towards identifying and recognising the potential of authoritarian states in inflicting harm, which is no less than that of rogue states and their proxy non-state actors. What are the possible domains of conflict that will be of concern in this decade? How can the threat posed by authoritarian regimes be met by democracies? Will we witness the rise of new state and non-state actors? Which are the techniques, especially in the domain of cyber, that are most likely to challenge democracies?
Gen. Angus Campbell, Chief of the Defence Force, Australia
Gen. Kōji Yamazaki, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Japan
Gen. Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff, India
Tim Cahill, Senior Vice President, Lockheed Martin, United States
Yalda Hakim, Journalist, BBC World News, United Kingdom
15:00 - 15:10
15:10 - 15:15
15:15 - 16:00
The Indo-Pacific will emerge from the pandemic hungrier than ever for investment, infrastructure, and resilient supply chains. Rebuilding and resetting the region will require new forms of co-operation and norms that prioritise openness, transparency and quality. What are the prospects for fresh arrangements that will allow finance, innovation and goods to flow across the region and beyond? How can the countries of the region be empowered in their relationship with investors, and how can we ensure that the infrastructure being built is sustainable financially, politically and environmentally?
Anthony Abbott, Former Prime Minister, Australia
Tadashi Maeda, Governor, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Japan
Kyungjin Song, Director, FN Global Issues Center and Indo-Pacific Fellow, Perth USAsia Centre
Kaush Arha, Fellow, Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, United States
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways (I/C) & Chemicals & Fertilizers, India
Mitali Mukherjee, Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
16:00 - 16:15
16:15 - 16:45
John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation, India
16:45 - 17:00
17:00 - 17:45
The battle against air pollution is at an inflection point. The COVID-19 pandemic has re-emphasised the critical link between air quality, resilient development and public healthcare. As the post-pandemic economic recovery gathers momentum, mitigating multi-sectoral risks contributing to ambient air pollution in India should be a priority for policy-makers. What will be the post-COVID roadmap for addressing the air quality crisis? What are the key policy interventions, financial incentives and technology solutions required to mitigate the repercussions of air pollution? Did the pandemic mark a significant moment in public appreciation of the health and other benefits of clean air?
Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Chair of Economics and Government, The London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom
Priyanka Chaturvedi, Member of Parliament, India
Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Chair, ReNew Foundation, India
Mitali Mukherjee, Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
17:45 - 18:00
18:00 - 18:40
Major changes are afoot in West Asia. With new groupings and old alliances, countries in the Middle East will need to frame pathways for achieving peace and stability. The role of countries outside the region will also need to be explored, in shaping political and economic partnerships in this dynamic region. Is greater peace and stability likely in the region as the pandemic ebbs? What is the truth of the old adage that the Middle East can at best have a truce but not lasting peace? What has led to the new dynamics in the region between old rivals, such as the Abraham Accord? Does the emergence of new networks and groupings have anything to do with these changes? Could countries that are still holding out seize this new opportunity? And what is the role of states outside West Asia in underwriting and supporting these emerging relationships?
Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President, UAE
Yousef Bataineh, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Jordan
Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (CPV & OIA), Ministry of External Affairs, India
Marya Shakil, Journalist, Political Editor, CNN-News18, India
18:40 - 18:50
18:50 - 19:00
19:00 - 20:00
The western world will emerge from the pandemic into a world much changed, including through shifts of power in their own capitals. Will a new era of bonhomie prevail, led by renewed cooperation at multilateral institutions and on climate change? Or will emerging flashpoints such as digital governance and taxation, or old disagreements on trade continue to hold the relationship back? What place do shared values hold in a world
increasingly shaped by state-led economies and managed democracies?
A. Wess Mitchell, Co-Founder and Principal, The Marathon Initiative and Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, United States
Gen. David H. Petraeus, Partner, KKR and Chairman, KKR Global Institute, United States
Jürgen Hardt, Member of the Bundestag, Germany
Stefano Sannino, Secretary-General, European External Action Service, Belgium
Theresa Fallon, Founder and Director, Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies, Belgium
20:00 - 20:45
Digital technology will drive growth and development in the coming decade. At the moment cowboy regulations define Big Tech which are increasingly reluctant to accept any governance norms. This absence of global tech governance has begun creating anxieties, security concerns and hostilities. The 5G debate has only served to accentuate the fact that global governance norms can no longer wait. How can nations individually and collectively address the questions of choice, ownership and control of communications infrastructure? How to resolve contentious issues around data ownership? Where does data sovereignty begin and end? What can be done through global governance norms, involving all three stakeholders—individuals, corporations and states—to ensure information security and a safe internet?
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President, European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, European Union
Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder, Infosys Technologies Limited, India
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director, Cyber Policy Center, Stanford University, United States
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation, India
20:45 - 21:00
21:00 - 21:15
21:15 - 21:30
21:30 - 22:15
The spiralling requirements of public health during the pandemic have further burdened emerging economies, especially those already enduring political or financial fragility. What dangers lie in the two-speed global recovery caused by the vaccine gap? Are there ways in which global institutions and responsible nation-states can ensure that the most vulnerable states and communities are not left further behind? How will the stresses on emerging-economy public health systems play out, and what will the geopolitical consequences be?
Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maldives
Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Sri Lanka
Shahriar Alam, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh
Shoba Suri, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
Ashok Malik, Policy Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs, India
22:15 - 22:30
22:30 - 23:00
Marina Kaljurand, Member, European Parliament, Estonia
Robert D. Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, United States
Bruce McConnell, President and CEO, EastWest Institute, United States
10:30 - 11:00
Marina Kaljurand, Member, European Parliament, Estonia
Robert D. Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, United States
Moderator
Bruce McConnell, President and CEO, EastWest Institute, United States
11:00 - 11:10
11:10 - 11:30
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President, European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, European Union
Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, Observer Research Foundation, India
11:30 - 11:40
11:40 - 12:00
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qatar
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation
12:00 - 12:15
12:15 - 12:45
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Minister of Defence, Germany
Amrita Narlikar, President, German Institute for Global and Area Studies, Germany
12:45 - 14:00
14:00 - 14:45
The Afghanistan ‘peace talks’ are yet to produce any tangible results on the ground from Kabul to Kandahar. Violence continues, often targeted at the unarmed, casting a shadow not just over the troubled nation but also its wider neighbourhood. Will the Biden Administration change the United States’ approach to Afghanistan? What would be the implications of such a change? How can a broader coalition, including all Afghanistan’s neighbours, be formed to find a path forward? Can the Taliban or its backers be trusted? Will China be the new player in determining the destiny of Afghanistan? How can the gains made by the independent government in Afghanistan over the past decades be protected?
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iran
S. Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs, India
Hamdullah Mohib, National Security Advisor, Afghanistan
Palki Sharma Upadhyay, Executive Editor, WION News, India
14:45 - 15:00
15:00 - 15:45
Multilateral associations to extend the scope of solar power have achieved considerable success. The next step, however, will be to ensure that grids are interoperable and that finance flows across borders to support these countries’ renewable energy ambitions. Do barriers continue to exist when it comes to financing renewable energy in the emerging world? What institutions could countries come together to create to underwrite a global effort towards solar power? How must the norms and regulations for global finance change for that to happen?
Abdulla Shahid, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maldives
Kate Hampton, CEO, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, United Kingdom
Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance, India
Kanika Chawla, Program Manager, Sustainable Energy for All, UN Energy
15:45 - 16:00
16:00 - 16:05
16:05 - 16:15
16:15 - 17:00
The effects of the pandemic on livelihoods have underlined gaps in existing social security mechanisms that were already evident prior to COVID-19. Social protections had failed to adapt to increasing informality, urbanisation in developing countries, and the gig economy worldwide. What can we learn from those emerging economies that have begun to develop mechanisms to deliver assistance to those in increasingly insecure workforces? Why are robust social security systems, adapted to 21st century needs, essential for growth and development in the emerging world? How can we take forward the understanding, developed during the pandemic, of the gaps in welfare schemes – for example for internal migrants in India?
Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development and Minister of Textiles, India
N.K. Singh, Chairman, Fifteenth Finance Commission, India
Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, India
Shrayana Bhattacharya, Senior Economist, Social Protection and Jobs, World Bank
Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India, World Bank
17:00 - 17:15
17:15 - 18:00
The pandemic year has undermined the assumptions and certitudes that have driven two decades of global integration, forcing states and corporations to acknowledge that their global value chains and economic co-dependence had embedded social and political consequences. Have efficiency arguments that sustained pre-pandemic supply chains been coloured by security concerns during and after the pandemic? What are the opportunities and challenges in diversifying supply chains, moving them away from single-country suppliers? Which are the sectors that are going to witness this shift away from the old model? How will this impulse to diversify play out in the realm of digital economy?
Manish Tewari, Member of Parliament, India
Søren Gade, Member of European Parliament, Denmark
Cho Choongjae, Deputy President, Center for Area Studies, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, South Korea
Melissa Conley Tyler, Research Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne, Australia
I-Chung Lai, President, Prospect Foundation
Naghma Sahar, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
18:00 - 18:15
18:15 - 19:00
The states bordering the Arabian Sea are the crossroads of east and west – and as they emerge from the pandemic, they have the chance to leave behind historic tensions. How can institutions and dialogue foster a new community in the region? What are the great power dynamics at play here, and how have they shifted in recent years? How can these countries be empowered to find new arrangements that protect their path to prosperity and autonomy? Can the linkages of history be transformed into economic and strategic partnerships between east and west in the future?
Aakanksha Tangri, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Re:Set, UAE
Aaditya Thackeray, Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Environment, Government of Maharashtra, India
Majed Al-Ansari, President of Qatar International Academy for Security Studies, Qatar
Kwame Owino, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya
Harsh V. Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation, India
19:00 - 19:15
19:15 - 19:20
19:20 - 19:30
19:30 - 20:30
The withering of the pre-pandemic world order is epitomised by the failure of the WHO to play a global leadership and managerial role. The UN and other institutions, like the WTO, are struggling for contemporary relevance. Global bodies have been captured and weaponised to defend and promote national agendas. ‘Coalitions of the willing’ could come to replace existing institutions unless they are reformed so that they can return to their foundational purposes. Do the outbreak of the pandemic and the feeble attempt to investigate its source demonstrate the capture of institutions meant to serve humankind? Can global institutions be rescued from cynical Great Power ambitions through reforms and restructuring? Is it time to question the private sector for raising barriers to easy and equitable access to vaccines through IPR and related trade issues?
Anthony Abbott, Former Prime Minister, Australia
Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister, New Zealand
Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, India
Asle Toje, Deputy Head of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Norway
Ketty W. Chen, Vice President, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
Naghma Sahar, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
20:30 - 20:45
20:45 - 19:15
The pandemic’s disproportionate effect on legacy business models has accelerated the transition, worldwide, to digital ways of doing business. Financial technologies in particular -- whether insurance models, online payments, or digital banking -- are seen by many as essential to develop a social safety net fit for the 21st century. How can fintech bring down costs for business and consumers and expand financial services to those
currently under-served? What norms are evolving worldwide in the sector, and in what ways does regulation need to evolve in various jurisdictions, or be harmonised across countries? This panel will unpack digital business’ potentials for growth and innovation, its relationship with the state and its implications for geopolitics, and consider its potential for under-served communities and developing countries.
Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister, Sweden
Abhijit Bose, Head of India, WhatsApp, India
Bricklin Dwyer, Chief Economist and Head of Mastercard Economics Institute, United States
Mahima Kaul, Independent Tech Policy Advisor, India
21:15 - 22:00
22:00 - 22:45
Across the emerging world, countries are innovating solutions to critical development challenges. The old development paradigm, in which recommendations and advice was a one-way stream, is definitively dead; yet new and more equitable networks are yet to be built. Does the response to the pandemic in the emerging world provide any clues to the solution? Might that solution come from centring emerging economies’ own development experience and expertise? Can development partnerships be reconfigured to catalyse growth hubs in the erstwhile global South? Can large emerging economies become new centres for shaping the 4IR?
Tandi Dorji, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bhutan
Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Kenya
Ann Marie Yastishock, Chief Advisor to the Acting Administrator, USAID, United States
Rachel Glennerster, Chief Economist, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), United Kingdom
Mohan Kumar, Chairman, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, India
Maitreyi Bordia Das, Manager, World Bank, United States
22:45 - 23:00
23:00 - 23:20
Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum, Switzerland
Samir Saran, Curator, Raisina Dialogue; President, Observer Research Foundation, India
23:20 - 23:25
23:25 - 23:30
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India
10:00 - 10:45
Delphine O, Ambassador-at-Large and Secretary General for the Generation Equality Forum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France
Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Director, CSST, Observer Research Foundation, India
Sebastian Groth, Director, Policy Planning, Federal Foreign Office, Germany
Ambika Vishwanath, Director, Kubernein Initiative, India