The Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) hosted the seventh annual Sulaimani Forum on March 15 and 16, 2023 entitled “20 Years Later: Iraq and the Region Amid New Global Challenges." Officials and thought leaders from around the world convened to discuss the most pressing policy challenges facing Iraq and the wider region. Forum speakers included Iraqi and Kurdish leaders such as the Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Kurdistan Regional President Nechirvan Barzani, and KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, in addition to foreign leaders such as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Plasschaert, Special Advisor to the US President Terry A. Wolff, and theFormer Foreign Minister of Sweden Ann Linde. Researchers from across Iraq, the MENA region, and beyond participated in the discussion as speakers and panellists during the two-day event.
Overview of Agenda
Day 1 (March 15, 2023)
- Geopolitics: Iraq, MENA, & the Changing Role of the International Community (Panel)
- Energy: Oil & Gas, Renewables, and Regional Dynamics (Panel)
- 20 Years Later: Reflections on Iraq’s Past, Present & Future (Panel)
- The Future of Aid in Iraq (Roundtable)
- Transnational Conflict Dynamics in the MENA Region (Roundtable)
Day 2 (March 16, 2023)
- Economic Policy: The Dinar & the Challenge of Growth (Panel)
- Governance: Corruption & Barriers to Reform (Panel)
- Environment: Climate Change, Water, and Conflict (Panel)
- Security: Conflict & Stabilization in Iraq and the Region (Panel)
- War, Environment & Medicine: Challenges in Environmental & Health Policy (Roundtable)
- Iraq Economic Review: What to Expect in 2023 and Beyond (Roundtable)
- Five Years after ISIS: Return, Reintegration and Rebuilding Communities (Roundtable)
Important Links
- Access here to download the full proceedings of the seventh annual Sulaimani Forum.
- Video: All panels were televised and recorded; complete videos of day 1 panels can be viewed here, and day 2 panels can be viewed here. Roundtables were closed events for specialists; contact IRIS for more details.
- Full Agenda: To view a more detailed agenda and a list of speakers for each of the panels and roundtables, see the Sulaimani Forum 2023 website and click on “schedule”.
- Photographs: Photographs for the first day of the event can be viewed here and the second day here.
