DEF Slemani 2026

The New Global (Dis)Order

Order Without Consensus:

Power, Fragmentation and the Limits of Alignment

The contemporary international system functions without shared premises or stable equilibrium. This panel examines how states operate in an environment where alignment is fluid, norms are contested, and strategic ambiguity has become a permanent condition rather than a transitional phase

The West and the Arab World:

Reassessing Partnership in an Era of Mistrust

Relations between Western states and the Arab world are undergoing a period of recalibration. This discussion focuses on credibility, expectations, and misalignment, and asks how cooperation can be rebuilt on the basis of mutual interest rather than temporary convergence.

Europe and the Gulf:

From Transactional Engagement to Strategic Coordination

Relations between the European Union and the Gulf have expanded rapidly in trade, energy, and investment, yet strategic coordination remains uneven. This panel examines how the EU and GCC can move beyond episodic cooperation toward more structured engagement, balancing regulatory power, capital flows, and political interests while managing diverging positions on security, regional stability, and global governance.

The United States and the Region:

Power, Priorities and Policy Under Donald Trump

American engagement in the Middle East is entering a phase defined by selectivity rather than withdrawal. This discussion explores how U.S. policy under President Trump approaches security commitments, regional partnerships, and economic interests, and how regional actors — including Iraq and the Kurdistan Region — adapt to a United States that prioritises leverage, deterrence, and transactional clarity over long-term intervention.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region: Stability & Security

Iraq & the Kurdistan Region:

Balancing Autonomy, Reform and Regional Pressures

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region face simultaneous demands for stability, reform, and external balance. This panel considers how internal governance choices interact with regional rivalries, and how both Baghdad and Erbil can strengthen their strategic position without becoming arenas of competition.

The Middle East as a Partner:

Beyond Crisis, Toward Shared Interests

Too often the Middle East is framed through crisis rather than contribution. This panel reconsiders the region as a partner in energy, trade, and connectivity, and discusses how cooperation grounded in shared interests can replace episodic engagement driven by instability.

Economics, Energy, and the Post-Oil Transition

The Price of Stability:

Why Economic Fragility has become Security Risk

Security is increasingly determined by fiscal strength, institutional capacity, and social resilience. This discussion explores how economic weakness translates into political exposure, how reform affects stability, and why growth has become central to national and regional security calculations.

After Oil:

Fiscal Adaptation, Economic Diversification and Political Stability

The gradual shift away from oil revenues poses economic and political challenges for producing regions. This panel examines how post-oil adjustment affects public finances, employment, and state legitimacy, and how diversification strategies — if poorly designed — can create new vulnerabilities. The discussion focuses on sequencing, realism, and institutional capacity as determinants of whether post-oil transitions reinforce stability or undermine it.

Energy and Constraint:

Markets, Infrastructure and Strategic Dependence

Energy no longer operates as a neutral economic sector. Infrastructure, contracts, and investment decisions increasingly shape diplomatic leverage and political alignment. This session examines how energy structures constrain policy choices for producers, consumers, and transit states alike.

The Gulf as a Strategic Investor:

Capital, Influence and Long-Term Positioning

Gulf capital now plays a decisive role in shaping regional and global economic outcomes. This panel examines how GCC investment strategies affect infrastructure, energy, and industry, and how financial engagement increasingly intersects with political and strategic considerations.

Governance, Innovation, and Local Resilience

Investment Under Conditions of Stability:

The Kurdistan Region and Slemani as Anchors of Confidence

In a global environment defined by uncertainty, investment increasingly follows predictability rather than scale. This panel examines how the Kurdistan Region — and Slemani in particular — has cultivated institutional continuity, social cohesion, and legal reliability, positioning itself as a credible destination for long-term investment. The discussion focuses on governance, human capital, and risk management, and considers how stability, rather than speed, has become the decisive factor for sustained economic engagement.

Slemani as a Platform:

Urban Stability, Human Capital and Long-Term Investment

Slemani has emerged as a city defined by education, openness, and institutional continuity. This panel examines how local governance, human capital, and social cohesion shape Slemani’s appeal as an investment destination, and how cities — not only states — increasingly compete for capital, talent, and trust.

Kurdistan and Gender Equality:

Inclusion, Opportunity and Institutional Progress

Gender equality is increasingly recognised as a measure of institutional development and social resilience. This panel examines the Kurdistan Region’s experience in advancing women’s participation in education, the workforce, and public life, assessing how legal frameworks, policy choices, and cultural dynamics interact to support inclusion, economic growth, and long-term stability.

Modernisation Through Governance:

Innovation, Startups and the Capacity to the State

Economic innovation does not emerge in isolation from public institutions. This panel examines how governance frameworks, regulatory clarity, and administrative capacity shape the conditions under which startups and new enterprises can scale. The discussion focuses on how modernization efforts in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region can align state capability with private initiative, ensuring that innovation contributes to productivity, employment, and long-term economic resilience rather than short-lived experimentation.