World Forum for Democracy 2026: speakers

Abrar AHMED Youth Engagement Coordinator, Welfare Association for New Generation (WANG) Pakistan

Liz ALDERMAN Journalist, Former New York Times European Business Correspondent

Miguel ALOR FLORES Executive Director, Plaza Cívica Peru

Samia BADANI Co-Founder and Chief Executive, The SPACE United Kingdom

Sally BAILEY Chief Interpreter and Head of Conferences and Travel, Council of Europe

Petra BAYR President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Alain BERSET Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Matias BIANCHI Founder and Director, Asuntos del Sur Argentina

Marie BOHNER Head of Development and Partnerships, Digital Investigation, AFP France

Helfried CARL Founder & CEO, European Capital of Democracy (ECoD) Austria

Arthur CHAPMAN Professor of History Education at University College London and Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council of the OHTE United Kingdom

Ambassador Nathalie CHUARD Director of Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance

Natalia COLOMBO Institutional Development Manager, Factchequeado

Liz CORBIN Director of News, European Broadcasting Union

Prof. Olivier DE SCHUTTER Catholic University of Leuven, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

Renzo DIAZ President & Founder of the International Institute for Liberty, Democracy & Progress (IILDP) Peru

Oche Precious EDEH Executive Director, YES Africa Nigeria

Gerardo GOMEZ CRESPO Project Manager, Diversit Spain

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

Anace HEDDAN General Director, Les Citoyens Morocco

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

Reda JUTELIAVICIUTE Co-founder, Ribologija Lithuania

Prof. Mary KALDOR Director of the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science

Oleksandra KEUDEL Founding Director of the Center for Democratic Resilience, Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) Ukraine

Omar KHALED Co-Founder and Executive Director, SpotCast Lebanon

Georgios KOLLIARKIS Senior Associate Fellow, Strategic Foresight, Technology & Security, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) Germany

Adam LABARAN Founder and Director, ENRMSC Poland

Rodrigo MAYORGA Chief Executive Officer, Momento Ciudadano Chile

Achille MBEMBE Historian Cameroon

Thibilisse NKURUNZIZA Founder and Editor in Chief, Shikiriza

Aoife NOLAN President of the Council of Europe European Committee of Social Rights

Mark PEARSON Acting OECD Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs

Jonathan REYES GONZALEZ Net Zero Cities Practice Expert, Democratic Society Ireland

Georgios STAMATIS General Rapporteur on Roma and Travellers Greece

Janis STARTS Director at NATO Strategic Communications Center of Exellence

Frixos STEFANIDIS Policy Officer, Oxygen for Democracy Cyprus

Massimiliano TARANTINO Director of Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli and Corporate Communications and Sustainability Director of the Feltrinelli Group Italy