World Forum for Democracy 2026: opening session
2 November 2026 - 10.00-11.30 / Hemicycle of the Council of Europe
Interpretation: FR/EN
Master of ceremony

Sally BAILEY-RAVET
Chief Interpreter and Head of Conferences and Travel, Council of Europe
10:00 - Welcoming by

Petra BAYR
President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
10:05 - Opening Plenary - Strengthening Democracy for Disrupted Times

Alain BERSET
Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Guy RYDER
UN Under-Secretary General for Policy

Andrej PLENKOVIĆ
Prime Minister
Croatia
10:40 - Video
A Taste of Foresight
Keynotes moderators

Liz ALDERMAN
Journalist, Former New York Times European Business Correspondent

Emma NELSON
Journalist, broadcaster and presenter
10:45 - Keynotes – Democracy needs strategic foresight

Ambassador Nathalie CHUARD
Director of Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance

Michèle GRIFFIN
Director of Electoral Assistance, UN Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs

Věra JOUROVÁ
Chair of the Task Force Democracy27, former Vice-President of the European Commission

César VILLANUEVA ESQUIVEL
Director General for Human Rights and Democracy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
Mexico
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