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Middle East Strategy Forum 2024

Ottawa · November 18, 2024

In-Person

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The Institute for Peace & Diplomacy (IPD) is delighted to announce the 4th annual Middle East Strategy Forum (MESF 2024), to be hosted on November 18, 2024, in downtown Ottawa.

This year’s forum takes place at a pivotal moment, as the Middle East faces an unprecedented escalation of conflicts, causing immense humanitarian suffering and further entangling external powers—particularly the United States and the North Atlantic bloc.

MESF has established itself as the largest and most comprehensive Middle East-focused conference in Canada. The forum will bring together approximately 30 prominent speakers from Canada, the United States, and the Middle East, and convene a diverse in-person audience of 200 participants, including government officials, academics, diplomats, think-tankers, and business leaders.

The event offers deep-dive panels, on-stage interviews with policymakers, and dedicated networking sessions.

Set against the backdrop of the U.S. presidential elections in early November, the first anniversary of the October 7th attacks, the ongoing war in Gaza, and the expansion of Israel’s military operations into Lebanon, the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape is undergoing transformative changes that will shape the years ahead.

Amid such unprecedented shifts in the regional balance of power—where traditional red lines are being erased and new rules and deterrence strategies are emerging—this year’s theme, ‘Searching for Strategic Equilibrium in the New Middle East {Dis}order’, aims to explore new pathways to halt the region’s dangerous escalation toward an all-out regional war and to offer nuanced diplomatic solutions for achieving sustainable peace and security in the Middle East.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leading experts and policymakers on the pressing issues shaping the future of the Middle East.

Ticket Reservation

Purchase your ticket before November 1 for early bird pricing.
*Members of federal public service and diplomatic community in Ottawa have access to discounted tickets. For the discount code, please send an email from your work email address including your name, title and affiliation to info@peacediplomacy.org.

Location

Delta Hotel by Marriott Ottawa City Centre
101 Lyon St. N Ottawa, Ontario

Conference Program

Welcome Remarks

9:00 – 9:15

Younes Zangiabadi

Co-Founder and Advisor, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Panel — The Strategic Landscape of the Middle East Post-October 7th

9:15 – 10:30

Christian Koch

Director of Research, Gulf Research Center

Shira Efron

Senior Director, Policy Research, Israel Policy Forum

Matthew Duss

Executive Vice President, Center for International Policy; Former Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders; Former President, Foundation for Middle East Peace

Daniel Mouton

Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Atlantic Council; Former Director, Defense and Political-Military Affairs, Middle East, U.S. National Security Council

Jon Hoffman

Research Fellow, Defense and Foreign Policy, Cato Institute

Andrew Latham (Moderator)

Senior Washington Fellow, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Panel — Beyond the Shadows: Iran and Israel on the Brink of All-Out War

10:45 – 12:00

Roxane Farmanfarmaian

Academic Director, International Relations and Global Politics and Affiliated Lecturer, Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University

Nawaf Bin Mubarak Al-Thani

Former Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar to the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico

Danny Citrinowicz

Research Fellow, Iran Program, Institute for National Security Studies; Former Head, Iranian Strategic Branch, Research and Analysis Division, Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate

Mohsen Milani

Executive Director, Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies, University of South Florida

Younes Zangiabadi

Co-Founder and Advisor, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Fireside Chat — A Conversation with a Canadian Parliamentarian on Ottawa’s Middle East Policy

12:15 – 12:45

Heather McPherson

Member of Parliament; Foreign Affairs Critic, New Democratic Party

Lunch and Networking

12:45 – 1:30

Ambassadors' Panel — Pathways to Peace: Navigating Regional Security and a Lasting Solution for the Israel-Palestine Conflict

1:30 – 2:30

H.E. Mona Abuamara

Chief Representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada

H.E. Can Dizdar

Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Canada

H.E. Khalid bin Rashid Al-Mansouri

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar in Canada

Younes Zangiabadi (Moderator)

Co-Founder and Advisor, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Panel — Canada’s Strategy Towards the Middle East and Gaza Conflict

2:45 – 3:45

Arif Lalani

Former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan & the United Arab Emirates; Distinguished Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Peggy Mason

Former Canadian Ambassador to the UN for Disarmament; Advisor, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Jon Allen

Former Canadian Ambassador to Israel; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Miloud Chennoufi

Chair, Department of Defence Studies, Canadian Forces College

Andrew Latham (Moderator)

Senior Washington Fellow, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Keynote — Addressing the Rise of Hate in Canada Amid the Middle East War

4:00 – 4:20

Amira Elghawaby

Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia

Special Remarks — South Africa's ICJ Case: Implications and Prospects for International Law

4:30 – 4:45

H.E. Rieaz Shaik

High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to Canada

Panel — International Law After Gaza: Crisis of Rules or System Breakdown?

4:45 – 5:45

Annelle Sheline

Research Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Former Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Near Eastern Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State

Mai El-Sadany

Executive Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Jon Allen

Former Canadian Ambassador to Israel; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Jeremy Wildeman (Moderator)

Fellow, Human Rights Research & Education Centre, University of Ottawa

Special Session — What Trump 2.0 Could Mean for the Middle East in a Changing Global Order

6:00 – 7:00

Matthew Duss

Executive Vice President, Center for International Policy; Former Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders

Daniel Mouton

Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Atlantic Council; Former Director, Defense and Political-Military Affairs, Middle East, U.S. National Security Council

Annelle Sheline

Research Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Former Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Near Eastern Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State

Andrew Latham

Senior Washington Fellow, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Arta Moeini

Director of Research, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Jon Hoffman (Moderator)

Research Fellow, Defense and Foreign Policy, Cato Institute

Closing Remarks

7:00

Younes Zangiabadi

Co-Founder and Advisor, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy

Speakers

Mona Abuamara
H.E. Mona Abuamara
Chief Representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada
Khalid bin Rashid Al-Mansouri
H.E. Khalid bin Rashid Al-Mansouri
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar in Canada
Can Dizdar
H.E. Can Dizdar
Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Canada
Rieaz Shaik
Rieaz Shaik
High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to Canada
Amira Elghawaby
Amira Elghawaby
Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia
Heather McPherson
Heather McPherson
Member of Parliament; Foreign Affairs Critic, New Democratic Party
Nawaf Al-Thani
Nawaf Bin Mubarak Al-Thani
Former Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar to the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico
Jon Allen
Jon Allen
Former Canadian Ambassador to Israel; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Miloud Chennoufi
Miloud Chennoufi
Chair, Department of Defence Studies, Canadian Forces College
Danny Citrinowicz
Danny Citrinowicz
Research Fellow, Iran Program, Institute for National Security Studies; Former Head, Iranian Strategic Branch, Research and Analysis Division, Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate
Matthew Duss
Matthew Duss
Executive Vice President, Center for International Policy; Former Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders; Former President, Foundation for Middle East Peace
Shira Efron
Shira Efron
Senior Director, Policy Research, Israel Policy Forum
Mai El-Sadany
Mai El-Sadany
Executive Director, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy
Roxane Farmanfarmaian
Roxane Farmanfarmaian
Academic Director, International Relations and Global Politics and Affiliated Lecturer, Department of Politics and International Studies, Cambridge University
(Photo by Richie Downs for Cato Institute)
Jon Hoffman
Research Fellow, Defense and Foreign Policy, Cato Institute
Christian Koch
Christian Koch
Director of Research, Gulf Research Center
Arif Lalani
Arif Lalani
Former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan & the United Arab Emirates; Distinguished Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
Andrew Latham
Andrew Latham
Senior Fellow, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy; Professor, Macalester College
Peggy Mason
Peggy Mason
Advisor, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy; Former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament to the United Nations
1715611196360
Daniel Mouton
Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Atlantic Council; Former Director, Defense and Political-Military Affairs, Middle East, U.S. National Security Council
Mohsen Milani
Mohsen Milani
Executive Director, Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies, University of South Florida
Annelle Sheline
Annelle Sheline
Research Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Former Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Near Eastern Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State
Jeremy Wildeman
Jeremy Wildeman
Fellow, Human Rights Research & Education Centre, University of Ottawa
Younes Zangiabadi
Younes Zangiabadi
Advisor and Co-founder, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy
bijan
Bijan Ahmadi
Executive Director, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy
Arta Moeini
Arta Moeini
Director of Research, Institute for Peace & Diplomacy
Revisit and learn more about IPD’s previous editions of the Middle East Strategy Forum below.
Panel 4: Pathways to Manage Non-Proliferation in the Middle East (4:30 PM - 5:45 PM ET)

The Western powers have failed to effectively manage the increasing threat of proliferation in the Middle East. While the international community is concerned with Iran’s nuclear program, Saudi Arabia has moved forward with developing its own nuclear program, and independent studies show that Israel has longed possessed dozens of nuclear warheads. The former is a member of the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), while the latter has refused to sign the international agreement. 

On Middle East policy, the Biden campaign had staunchly criticized the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal and it has begun re-engaging Iran on the nuclear dossier since assuming office in January 2021. However, serious obstacles remain for responsible actors in expanding non-proliferation efforts toward a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. 

This panel will discuss how Western powers and multilateral institutions, such as the IAEA, can play a more effective role in managing non-proliferation efforts in the Middle East.  

Panelists:

Peggy Mason: Canada’s former Ambassador to the UN for Disarmament

Mark Fitzpatrick: Associate Fellow & Former Executive Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

Ali Vaez: Iran Project Director, International Crisis Group

Negar Mortazavi: Journalist and Political Analyst, Host of Iran Podcast

David Albright: Founder and President of the Institute for Science and International Security

 

Closing (5:45 PM – 6:00 PM ET)

Panel 3: Trade and Business Diplomacy in the Middle East (3:00 PM - 4:15 PM ET)

What is the current economic landscape in the Middle East? While global foreign direct investment is expected to fall drastically in the post-COVID era, the World Bank reported a 5% contraction in the economic output of the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries in 2020 due to the pandemic. While oil prices are expected to rebound with normalization in demand, political instability, regional and geopolitical tensions, domestic corruption, and a volatile regulatory and legal environment all threaten economic recovery in the Middle East. What is the prospect for economic growth and development in the region post-pandemic, and how could MENA nations promote sustainable growth and regional trade moving forward?

At the same time, Middle Eastern diaspora communities have become financially successful and can help promote trade between North America and the region. In this respect, the diaspora can become vital intermediaries for advancing U.S. and Canada’s business interests abroad. Promoting business diplomacy can both benefit the MENA region and be an effective and positive way to advance engagement and achieve foreign policy goals of the North Atlantic.

This panel will investigate the trade and investment opportunities in the Middle East, discuss how facilitating economic engagement with the region can benefit Canadian and American national interests, and explore relevant policy prescriptions.

Panelists:

Hon. Sergio Marchi: Canada’s Former Minister of International Trade

Scott Jolliffe: Chairperson, Canada Arab Business Council

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj: Founder and Publisher of Bourse & Bazaar

Nizar Ghanem: Director of Research and Co-founder at Triangle

Nicki Siamaki: Researcher at Control Risks

Panel 2: Arms Race and Terrorism in the Middle East (12:00 PM - 1:15 PM ET)

The Middle East continues to grapple with violence and instability, particularly in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. Fueled by government incompetence and foreign interventions, terrorist insurgencies have imposed severe humanitarian and economic costs on the region. Meanwhile, regional actors have engaged in an unprecedented pursuit of arms accumulation. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have imported billions of both Western and Russian-made weapons and funded militant groups across the region, intending to contain their regional adversaries, particularly Iran. Tehran has also provided sophisticated weaponry to various militia groups across the region to strengthen its geopolitical position against Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Israel. 

On the other hand, with international terrorist networks and intense regional rivalry in the Middle East, it is impractical to discuss peace and security without addressing terrorism and the arms race in the region. This panel will primarily discuss the implications of the ongoing arms race in the region and the role of Western powers and multilateral organizations in facilitating trust-building security arrangements among regional stakeholders to limit the proliferation of arms across the Middle East.

 

Panelists:

Luciano Zaccara: Assistant Professor, Qatar University

Dania Thafer: Executive Director, Gulf International Forum

Kayhan Barzegar: Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Science and Research Branch of Azad University

Barbara Slavin: Director of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council

Sanam Shantyaei: Senior Journalist at France24 & host of Middle East Matters

Panel 1: Future of Diplomacy and Engagement in the Middle East (10:30 AM-11:45 AM ET)

The emerging regional order in West Asia will have wide-ranging implications for global security. The Biden administration has begun re-engaging Iran on the nuclear dossier, an initiative staunchly opposed by Israel, while also taking a harder line on Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen. Meanwhile, key regional actors, including Qatar, Iraq, and Oman, have engaged in backchannel efforts to bring Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table. From a broader geopolitical perspective, with the need to secure its energy imports, China is also expected to increase its footprint in the region and influence the mentioned challenges. 

In this evolving landscape, Western powers will be compelled to redefine their strategic priorities and adjust their policies with the new realities in the region. In this panel, we will discuss how the West, including the United States and its allies, can utilize multilateral diplomacy with its adversaries to prevent military escalation in the region. Most importantly, the panel will discuss if a multilateral security dialogue in the Persian Gulf region, proposed by some regional actors, can help reduce tensions among regional foes and produce sustainable peace and development for the region. 

Panelists:

Abdullah Baabood: Academic Researcher and Former Director of the Centre for Gulf Studies, Qatar University

Trita Parsi: Executive Vice-President, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Ebtesam Al-Ketbi: President, Emirates Policy Centre​

Jon Allen: Canada’s Former Ambassador to Israel

Elizabeth Hagedorn: Washington correspondent for Al-Monitor

Panel 4: Humanitarian Diplomacy: An Underused Foreign Policy Tool in the Middle East (4:30 PM - 5:30 PM ET)

Military interventions, political and economic instabilities, and civil unrest in the Middle East have led to a global refugee crisis with an increasing wave of refugees and asylum seekers to Europe and Canada. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has, in myriad ways, exacerbated and contributed to the ongoing security threats and destabilization of the region.

While these challenges pose serious risks to Canadian security, Ottawa will also have the opportunity to limit such risks and prevent a spillover effect vis-à-vis effective humanitarian initiatives in the region. In this panel, we will primarily investigate Canada’s Middle East Strategy’s degree of success in providing humanitarian aid to the region. Secondly, the panel will discuss what programs and initiatives Canada can introduce to further build on the renewed strategy. and more specifically, how Canada can utilize its policy instruments to more effectively deal with the increasing influx of refugees from the Middle East. 

 

Panelists:

Erica Di Ruggiero: Director of Centre for Global Health, University of Toronto

Reyhana Patel: Head of Communications & Government Relations, Islamic Relief Canada

Amir Barmaki: Former Head of UN OCHA in Iran

Catherine Gribbin: Senior Legal Advisor for International and Humanitarian Law, Canadian Red Cross

Panel 3: A Review of Canada’s Middle East Engagement and Defense Strategy (3:00 PM - 4:15 PM ET)

In 2016, Canada launched an ambitious five-year “Middle East Engagement Strategy” (2016-2021), committing to investing CA$3.5 billion over five years to help establish the necessary conditions for security and stability, alleviate human suffering and enable stabilization programs in the region. In the latest development, during the meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau announced more than $43.6 million in Peace and Stabilization Operations Program funding for 11 projects in Syria and Iraq.

With Canada’s Middle East Engagement Strategy expiring this year, it is time to examine and evaluate this massive investment in the Middle East region in the past five years. More importantly, the panel will discuss a principled and strategic roadmap for the future of Canada’s short-term and long-term engagement in the Middle East.

Panelists:

Ferry de Kerckhove: Canada’s Former Ambassador to Egypt

Dennis Horak: Canada’s Former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Chris Kilford: Former Canadian Defence Attaché in Turkey, member of the national board of the Canadian International Council (CIC)

David Dewitt: University Professor Emeritus, York University

Panel 2: The Great Power Competition in the Middle East (12:00 PM - 1:15 PM ET)

While the United States continues to pull back from certain regional conflicts, reflected by the Biden administration’s decision to halt American backing for Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen and the expected withdrawal from Afghanistan, US troops continue to be stationed across the region. Meanwhile, Russia and China have significantly maintained and even expanded their regional activities. On one hand, the Kremlin has maintained its military presence in Syria, and on the other hand, China has signed an unprecedented 25-year strategic agreement with Iran.

As the global power structure continues to shift, it is essential to analyze the future of the US regional presence under the Biden administration, explore the emerging global rivalry with Russia and China, and at last, investigate the implications of such competition for peace and security in the Middle East.

Panelists:

Dmitri Trenin: Director of Carnegie Moscow Center

Joost R. Hiltermann: Director of MENA Programme, International Crisis Group

Roxane Farmanfarmaian: Affiliated Lecturer in International Relations of the Middle East and North Africa, University of Cambridge

Andrew A. Michta: Dean of the College of International and Security Studies at Marshall Center

Kelley Vlahos: Senior Advisor, Quincy Institute

Panel 1: A New Middle East Security Architecture in the Making (10:30 AM -11:45 AM ET)

The security architecture of the Middle East has undergone rapid transformations in an exceptionally short period. Notable developments include the United States gradual withdrawal from the region, rapprochement between Israel and some GCC states through the Abraham Accords and the rise of Chinese and Russian regional engagement.

With these new trends in the Middle East, it is timely to investigate the security implications of the Biden administration’s Middle East policy. In this respect, we will discuss the Biden team’s new approach vis-à-vis Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. The panel will also discuss the role of other major powers, including China and Russia in shaping this new security environment in the region, and how the Biden administration will respond to these powers’ increasing regional presence.

 

Panelists:

Sanam Vakil: Deputy Director of MENA Programme at Chatham House

Denise Natali: Acting Director, Institute for National Strategic Studies & Director of the Center for Strategic Research, National Defense University

Hassan Ahmadian: Professor of the Middle East and North Africa Studies, University of Tehran

Abdulaziz Sagar: Chairman, Gulf Research Center

Andrew Parasiliti: President, Al-Monitor