The Imagine Forum: From Cold War Lessons to Modern Challenges

Join us on October 12, 2026 for The Imagine Forum, the annual peace conference hosted by Höfdi Reykjavik Peace Centre in collaboration with the Office of the President of Iceland, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the City of Reykjavik and the Institute of History at the University of Iceland.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the historic Reykjavík Summit at Höfði House, this year's conference reflects on the enduring lessons of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing today's increasingly complex global challenges.

As geopolitical tensions rise, arms control frameworks weaken, and the rules-based international order comes under growing pressure, the Forum will bring together leading experts from across government, academia, international organizations, and civil society to explore how constructive engagement, inclusive dialogue, and international cooperation can help build a more peaceful and secure future.

Programme

09:30 – 09:40 Opening address Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs

09:40 – 09:55 Rebuilding Trust: Pathways to Disarmament in an Age of Nuclear Risk

Keynote address Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament Affairs

09:55 – 10:05 Featured Address Thomas G. DiNanno, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, U.S. Department of State

10:05 – 10:40 A Conversation with Izumi Nakamitsu and Thomas G. DiNanno moderated by Pat Mitchell, former journalist and media executive

10:40 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:00 40 Years After the Reykjavík Summit: History, Legacy, and Lessons for the Future

Panel discussion Sergey Radchenko, Rupert Murdoch Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS, Sharon Weiner, Associate Professor at the School of International Service at American University and Thomas Blanton, Director, National Security Archive George Washington University

Moderated by Rósa Magnúsdóttir, Professor of History at the University of Iceland

12:00– 12:30 Lunch

12:30 – 13:15 Leadership, Humanity and Hope in a Divided World

Conversation with Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Moderated by Christiane Amanpour, Journalist and Chief International Anchor for CNN

13:15 – 13:45 Human Rights in a World of Growing Conflict

Address by Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights followed by a Q and A with UN Youth Representatives

13:45 – 14:00 Coffee Break

14:00 – 15:00 The Return of Great-Power Rivalry: Between Deterrence and Dialogue

Opening remarks Carlo Masala, Chair for Security and Defence Studies at Bundeswehr University Munich

Panel Discussion Isabel Bramsen, Director of Peace and Conflict Studies and Associate Professor at Lund University, Erlingur Erlingsson, Defence Expert and Senior Visiting Fellow at the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland and Carlo Masala

Moderated by Pia Hansson, Director of Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre

15:00 – 15:15 Coffee Break

15:15 – 15:45 40 Years After the Reykjavík Summit: Coexistence on a Planet Under Stress

Sara Olsvig, former Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chadian environmental activist and geographer

15:45 – 16:15 Cities as Spaces for Peace and Democracy

Hildur Björnsdóttir, Mayor of Reykjavík

16:15 – 16:30 Coffee Break

16:30 – 16:45 Introduction of finalists for the Mayors for Peace Children’s Art Competition “Peaceful Towns”

Hildur Björnsdóttir, Mayor of Reykjavík

16:45 – 17:00 Closing Address - The Next Forty Years: Future Perspectives on Peace and Conflict

Reserve your place – registration now open https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/TCnzj6kju2